RESUMEN
Diode laser has been a boon to treat various periodontal diseases in the last decade. Literature cautions that contact of diode laser would be detrimental to bone and leads to bone resorption. However, till date no studies have documented bone damage at different power settings of laser. So, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of 980 nm diode laser irradiation on sheep bone under different power settings in continuous wave mode for fixed amount of time. MethodsA fresh femur of sheep devoid of any muscle and soft tissue was obtained. Three markings, each 10 mm long were made for the specimens. The specimens were categorized as sample A, B and C. 980 nm Diode Laser was used to irradiate the specimens with 0.8 W, 1.2 W and 1.4 W at continuous mode as the power settings for sample A, B and C respectively for 10 seconds in direct contact with bone in a brushing like pattern. ResultsThe depth of bone damage was measured using Haematoxylin and Eosin stain. Bone damage was minimum for group 1 followed by group 2 and 3. ConclusionsWhen the specimens were irradiated by a 980 nm diode laser in direct contact with the bone tissue, damage was seen both clinically and microscopically in all groups.