Background: Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) may induce morphological and cellular processes, which are involved in wound healing. Thus, increasing interest in the matter of LLLT is based on its ability to provide minimally invasive and painless treatments for the patient as well as increasing his comfort following surgery.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical and histological effect of
LLLT on healing of gingiva after gingivectomy.
Methods: Twenty patients with inflammatory gingival enlargement on their maxillary or mandibular anterior region were included in this study. Patients were divided randomly into two groups (Test group=ten patients) after gingivectomy a diode laser (660 nm) was applied to the wound area immediately post-surgery (day 1) and at days 3, 5 post-surgery. The control group (ten patients) did not receive laser irradiation. Healing was evaluated clinically using Healing score and Visual analogue scale VAS. For histological evaluation, mucosal defect measuring 2 mm in diameter and 0.2 mm in wall thickness was created into the hard palate of eighteen male Dawley rats. For the test group (9 rats) LLLT was applied with the same settings and intervals used in the clinical part of the study, while for the control group (9 rats) no laser irradiation was applied.
Results: The laser-treated group had significant improvement regarding the healing score at 5, 7 and 14 days p.s., and significant improvement in VAS score was observed at day 3 and 5 p.s., than the control group. The histological sections revealed a thin layer of epithelium covering the wound after 4 days in the test group in contrast to the control group. Also, complete epithelization of the wound area with keratin formation and revascularization after 7 days was observed in the test group.
Conclusion: LLLT can be used as an effective adjunctive treatment following gingivectomy procedure to promote healing of oral mucosa.