The Effect of Diode Laser on Palatal Mucosal Wound Healing: An Experimental Study in Rabbits
Author(s): Jandar S. Naif, Shehab A. Hamad Alraad, Mahdi A. Abdullah
Abstract
To evaluate the effect of diode laser therapy on healing of palatal mucosal wound in rabbits. Twenty male local breed rabbits (average weight 2Kg) were included in this study. One cm full thickness incisions of the anterior part of the palatal mucoperiosteum were created on either side of the midline. Immediately after wound incision, the right sided palatal wound was irradiated with single application of 0.5W diode laser for 5 minutes (1 minute for every 2mm of the incision). The left sided incisions were kept as a control. The animals were sacrificed after 1, 3, 7 and 14 days and the mucosal wounds were subjected to histological and histomorphometric under light microscope. Clinical observation revealed immediate arrest of bleeding of the lasered wound. Histological examination showed massive infiltration of inflammatory cells with edema in the laser and non-laser sides in the first postoperative day. After 3 days, there was significant reduction in the inflammatory cells (neutrophil and macrophages) in the lasered side, as compared to non- lasered side (p<0.01). At 7 and 14 days, the density of collagen fibers in the lasered side was significantly denser than non- laser side. The thickness of epithelial layer was significantly thicker in the lasered side than non-lasered side (P<0.01) at 7 and 14 days. Single application of diode laser application was found to improve the healing and regeneration process of surgically created palatal wounds in rabbit model.
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