An Experimental Study of Oral Mucosal Wound Healing following Scalpel and Diode Laser Incisions in Guinea Pigs: Clinical and Histological Observations

Introduction: The available data regarding scalpel and diode laser incisions wound healing is variable, scarce and needs more clarification especially in normal healthy tissues. Hence, this study was aimed to evaluate clinical and histologic parameters of wound healing with scalpel and diode laser on oral mucosa of Guinea pigs. Materials and Methods: This is an experimental study conducted on four male Guinea pigs. Laser and scalpel incisions were made on the right buccal mucosa of each guinea pig approximately 5mm deep and 10 mm in length and both the incisions were placed 10 mm apart using No#11Bard Parker blades and diode laser (640 wavelength) under general anesthesia. Punch biopsies of both the incisions were obtained and compared for clinical changes such as ease of working, intra-operative bleeding, color and approximation of wound edges and histological changes such as epithelial proliferation, inflammation, angiogenesis, and fibrosis on day 1, 3 and 7. Results: Clinically, scalpel wounds showed better healing than laser wounds although laser incisions provided bloodless surgical field. There was no significant difference in inflammation, angiogenesis and fibrosis between scalpel and diode laser incisions on both day 3 and 7 except for the epithelization which was comparatively early and better in scalpel wounds than the diode laser wounds. Conclusion: Diode lasers provide bloodless surgical field with better visibility than scalpel without any difference in oral mucosal wound healing. Considering the clinical benefits, the diode lasers could be a superior alternative to conventional scalpel technique.

Evaluation of Effects of Irradiation with 980 nm Diode Laser at 0.8 W, 1.2 W and 1.4 W, on Sheep Bone - An In Vitro Histological Study

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.

Comparison of two techniques for transpharyngeal endoscopic auditory tube diverticulotomy in the horse

Auditory tube diverticula, also known as guttural pouches, are naturally occurring dilations of the auditory tube in horses that communicate with the nasopharynx through a small ostium. Infection and select other conditions can result in inflammation and narrowing of the nasopharyngeal ostium, which prevents drainage of fluid or egress of air and can lead to persistent infection or guttural pouch tympany. Auditory tube diverticulotomy allows continuous egress from the auditory tube diverticula and is a feature of disease treatment in horses, in which medical treatment alone is not successful. Transpharyngeal endoscopic auditory tube diverticulotomy was performed using a diode laser either at a single dorsal pharyngeal recess location or bilaterally caudal to the nasopharyngeal ostium in 10 horse head specimens. Both methods resulted in clear communication between the nasopharynx and auditory tube diverticula. Diverticulotomy performed in the dorsal pharyngeal recess required less laser energy and activation time and had a shorter surgical duration than diverticulotomy performed caudal to the nasopharyngeal ostium. Further study related to the clinical application of both techniques is warranted.

Maxillary Labial Frenectomy Using 810nm Diode Laser- A Case Report

Frenectomy is one of the common oral surgical procedures performed in Pediatric dentistry. This case report presents the management of a maxillary high labial frenum attachment in a child patient using 810nm Diode laser.

Láser de diodo; opción terapéutica para liquen plano erosivo resistente a corticoterapia: reporte de caso / Laser diode; therapeutic option for lichen planus erosive resistant to corticotherapy: a case report

La terapia láser es una nueva opción de tratamiento por sus propiedades analgésicas, anti-inflamatorias y bioestimulantes y sin efectos adversos significativos, para patologías como el liquen plano oral en su forma erosiva, caracterizada por presentar úlceras crónicas y dolorosas con posibilidad de malignización, que obliga a una terapia adecuada. Este artículo reporta el caso clínico teniendo en cuenta las consideraciones éticas enmarcadas en la ley 008430 de 1993 de una paciente femenina de 50 años de edad con diagnóstico clínico e histopatológico de liquen plano oral erosivo que recibió tratamiento inicial con corticoides local y sistémico sin mejoría en siete meses; razón por la cual se optó por terapia de bioestimulación con láser de diodo 980nm, mostrando reducción significativa en la gravedad de las lesiones y disminución del dolor desde el primer ciclo de irradiación. El láser de diodo es un tratamiento seguro y efectivo en este tipo de enfermedades porque promueve la cicatrización, por tanto, puede ser considerado como una excelente alternativa en casos de liquen plano oral resistentes a la corticoterapia.

Laser therapy is a new treatment option for its analgesic, anti-inflammatory and bio-stimulants properties and without significant adverse effects, for diseases such as oral Lichen Planus in its erosive form, characterized by chronic and painful ulcers with possibility of malignization, which obliges an adequate therapy. This article reports the clinical case taking into account ethical considerations framed in law 008430 of 1993 of a female patient 50 years old, with clinical and histopathological diagnosis of oral erosive Lichen Planus, who received initial treatment with corticoids local and systemic without improvement in 7 months; reason why is opted biostimulation with 980nm diode laser therapy, showing a significant reduction in the severity of injuries and decrease of pain from the first cycle of irradiation. Diode laser is safe and effective in this type of diseases treatment because it promotes healing, therefore it can be considered as an excellent alternative in cases of oral Lichen Planus resistant to corticotherapy.

Clinical Efficacy of the 830 nm LED Phototherapy for Burn Patients

PURPOSE: Phototherapy uses the changes caused by the athermal and atraumatic absorption of the photon's energy by the tissue for therapeutic effect. Phototherapy has been proven to be useful in various conditions, for example, in pain attenuation, wound healing and skin rejuvenation. The aim of this research was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of 830 nm LED phototherapy for burn patients. METHODS: We recruited 11 patients who visited this hospital between June and December 2012 with superficial 2nd degree burns to the face for comparative analysis. For phototherapy, we used infrared LED with wavelength of 830 nm. For comparative analysis, we covered one side of the face with sterile aluminum foil and fabric during the treatment. Photographs were taken at the time of each treatment and the time taken for epithelialization and the level of patient satisfaction were also investigated. RESULTS: All 11 patients were male and the mean age was 44.0+/-11.9 years (range of 28~63 years). The cause of the burns was flame burn for 7 patients, and electric sparks in 4 patients. The time taken to achieve epithelialization after the burns was 8.1+/-2.2 days (range 4~12 days) for the side that received phototherapy, while it was 9.1+/-2.9 days (range 4~14 days) for the side that was not treated with phototherapy. In terms of patient satisfaction, 3 patients were 'Very Satisfied', 6 patients were 'Satisfied', 2 patients replied 'Adequate' and none of the patients were 'Unsatisfied'. CONCLUSION: LED phototherapy of 830 nm wavelength can shorten the time taken for burn wound healing. It also was not associated with serious complications except for skin dryness, so it can be a useful treatment method for burns that produces satisfactory outcome for the patients.

Biological effects of a semiconductor diode laser on human periodontal ligament fibroblasts

PURPOSE: It has been reported that low-level semiconductor diode lasers could enhance the wound healing process. The periodontal ligament is crucial for maintaining the tooth and surrounding tissues in periodontal wound healing. While low-level semiconductor diode lasers have been used in low-level laser therapy, there have been few reports on their effects on periodontal ligament fibroblasts (PDLFs). We performed this study to investigate the biological effects of semiconductor diode lasers on human PDLFs. METHODS: Human PDLFs were cultured and irradiated with a gallium-aluminum-arsenate (GaAlAs) semiconductor diode laser of which the wavelength was 810 nm. The power output was fixed at 500 mW in the continuous wave mode with various energy fluencies, which were 1.97, 3.94, and 5.91 J/cm2. A culture of PDLFs without laser irradiation was regarded as a control. Then, cells were additionally incubated in 72 hours for MTS assay and an alkaline phosphatase (ALPase) activity test. At 48 hours post-laser irradiation, western blot analysis was performed to determine extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activity. ANOVA was used to assess the significance level of the differences among groups (P<0.05). RESULTS: At all energy fluencies of laser irradiation, PDLFs proliferation gradually increased for 72 hours without any significant differences compared with the control over the entire period taken together. However, an increment of cell proliferation significantly greater than in the control occurred between 24 and 48 hours at laser irradiation settings of 1.97 and 3.94 J/cm2 (P<0.05). The highest ALPase activity was found at 48 and 72 hours post-laser irradiation with 3.94 J/cm2 energy fluency (P<0.05). The phosphorylated ERK level was more prominent at 3.94 J/cm2 energy fluency than in the control. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated that the GaAlAs semiconductor diode laser promoted proliferation and differentiation of human PDLFs.