Diode laser-assisted management of intraoral soft tissue overgrowth: a case series.

The conventional method of managing intraoral soft tissue overgrowth involves surgical excision using a scalpel under local anesthesia. These procedures are often associated with excessive bleeding that leads to complications. Now, minimally invasive methods such as laser excision are available for the management of intraoral soft tissue lesions. The objective of the present case series is to describe the use of a 980-nm diode laser to treat 4 cases of soft tissue enlargement of the oral cavity. Two women and 2 men with an age range of 21-73 years presented with chief complaints of intraoral swelling. The overgrowth was located on the tongue in 2 patients and in the gingival region in 2 patients. In all 4 patients, the overgrown tissues were excised with a 980-nm gallium-arsenide diode laser at a power of 1.0-4.0 W in continuous-wave contact mode. Excised tissues were sent for histopathologic examination to confirm the clinical diagnosis. Each lesion was excised with adequate hemostasis in 15-20 minutes. At the recall examination after 10 days, patients did not report any postoperative complications. There was no sign of recurrence in any patient at the 3-month follow-up. Based on the histopathologic reports, 2 lesions were diagnosed as pyogenic granuloma, 1 as capillary hemangioma (a form of pyogenic granuloma), and 1 as peripheral ossifying fibroma. The results of this limited case series suggest that a 980-nm diode laser may be an advantageous surgical modality for treating benign proliferative lesions of the oral mucosa with negligible postoperative adverse sequelae.

Modified frenectomy technique to eliminate the aberrant labial frenum - A report of two cases.

Introduction: A modified frenal treatment for aberrant frenum is presented in this report to reduce scar tissue formation and maintain the attached gingiva. Description: The case report describes two cases in which a V-shaped incision removed the aberrant frenum and then the flaps of the frenum were sutured at the mid line. Results: The results showed reduced scar tissue in the mid line and the tissue healed with adequate attached gingiva. Take-Away Lessons: The modified frenotomy technique presented here is ideal for a large frenum that could expose the underlying connective tissue that could reduce the scar tissue formation.

The association between diabetic retinopathy and periodontal disease.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to study the association between diabetic retinopathy (DR) and periodontal disease (PD) in a South Indian cohort. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, observational, interdisciplinary hospital-based study wherein patients with diabetes mellitus visiting the ophthalmology department of a university teaching hospital in coastal Karnataka, south India, during the study period, were screened independently for retinopathy by an ophthalmologist and PD by a periodontal surgeon. All the patients were above 18 years of age and did not have juvenile or gestational diabetes. A total of 213 patients consented to participate in the study. The data were analyzed for association using the Chi-square test. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant association between the presence of DR and PD (P = 0.02). The increasing severity of DR was associated with an increase in the components of PD including plaque index (P < 0.001) and gingival index (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: There is a significant association between DR and PD. The awareness of this association can aid in the screening of potentially sight-threatening retinopathy in diabetics presenting to the dental clinic with PD.