Abstract
Surgical procedures involving soft tissues inevitably require tissue incision, resulting in tissue injury that activates physiological mechanisms responsible for wound repair and regeneration. Current evidence suggests that the biological response of the treated tissue is directly influenced by the cutting instrument used. For this reason, laser devices have been increasingly adopted in dentistry for more than five decades as an alternative to the conventional scalpel, aiming to overcome its limitations by providing improved hemostasis, reduced postoperative discomfort, and enhanced surgical precision. Despite their extensive clinical use, the biological effects of dental lasers have been investigated predominantly in animal models, while evidence derived from human oral tissues remains limited. Consequently, there is a need to characterize the histological effects of different laser wavelengths on human oral mucosa and correlate these findings with clinical outcomes. Such information is essential to better understand the tissue response induced by laser-assisted surgery and to identify the advantages and potential limitations of these technologies in periodontal practice. The present study aims to evaluate the cellular and microstructural changes in gingival tissues following gingivectomy performed with a 450 nm diode laser and a 2,940 nm Er laser, and to compare the histological and clinical outcomes associated with each wavelength. The findings are expected to provide clinically relevant evidence to support the selection of the most appropriate laser system for soft tissue surgery in dentistry.
Learning objectives
- To describe the sociodemographic characteristics of the study population.
- To identify the cellular and microstructural changes in the epithelium and connective tissue of the gingival biopsy specimens.
- To compare the histological findings in gingival biopsies obtained following gingivectomy performed with two different laser wavelengths: a 450 nm diode laser and a 2,940 nm Er:YAG laser.
- To describe the clinical outcomes associated with gingivectomy performed using the two different laser wavelengths.
- To determine whether significant differences exist in the histological characteristics of gingival tissues treated with a 450 nm diode laser versus a 2,940 nm Er:YAG laser.
