Histological evaluation of the surgical margins of oral soft tissue incisions using a dual-wavelength diode laser and an Er, Cr:YSGG laser; an ex vivo study.

OBJECTIVE: This study compared a dual-wavelength diode laser and an Er, Cr:YSGG laser in oral soft tissue incisions to determine the most effective and safest laser system at the histopathological level. METHODOLOGY: The (810 and 980 nm) dual-wavelength diode laser was used at 1.5 W and 2.5 W (CW) power settings, and the (2780 nm) Er, Cr:YSGG laser was used at 2.5 W and 3.5 W (PW) power settings. Both laser systems were used to incise the tissues of freshly dissected sheep tongue pieces to obtain the following histopathological criteria: epithelial tissue changes, connective tissue changes, and lateral thermal damage extent by optical microscopy. RESULTS: The epithelial and connective tissue damage scores were significantly higher in the dual-wavelength diode laser groups than in the Er, Cr:YSGG laser groups (P<0.001), and there was a significant difference between some groups. The extent of lateral thermal damage was also significantly higher in the diode laser groups than in the Er, Cr: YSGG laser groups (P<0.001), and there was a significant difference between groups. Group 2 (2.5 W) of the diode laser was the highest for all three criteria, while group 3 (2.5 W) of the Er, Cr:YSGG laser was the lowest. CONCLUSION: The Er, Cr:YSGG laser with an output power of 2.5 W is, histologically, the most effective and safest laser for oral soft tissue incision. The dual-wavelength diode laser causes more damage than the Er, Cr:YSGG laser, but it can be used with a low output power and 1 mm safety distance in excisional biopsy.

Analysis of the Temperature Elevation of the Dual-Wavelength Diode Laser and the Er, Cr: YSGG Laser in Oral Soft Tissue Incisions.

Introduction: Lasers are one of the most advantageous tools that have been used in a variety of medical fields. Soft tissue management is an important part of oral and maxillofacial surgery. There are different surgical procedures for management; one of them is laser surgery. The purpose of this study was to compare the dual-wavelength diode laser and the Er, Cr: YSGG laser to choose the most effective laser for a soft tissue incision in oral and maxillofacial surgery regarding temperature elevation. Methods: A dual-wavelength diode laser (810 and 980 nm) with 1.5 W and 2.5 W power outputs and an Er, Cr: YSGG (2780 nm) with 2.5 W and 3.5 W power outputs were used to make 50 incisions in six freshly dissected sheep tongues. The temperature means were measured at initial, maximum temperatures, as well as the temperature rise (difference between initial and maximum), and all were compared between the groups of soft tissue. Results: The lowest mean temperature rise was observed with a 2.5 W Er, Cr: YSGG laser, and the highest mean temperature rise was observed with a 2.5 W diode laser, and all samples from the two lasers showed a statistically significant difference (P<0.05) in the temperature rise except the 1.5 W diode, which is higher but not statistically significantly different from the 3.5 W Er, Cr: YSGG laser (P=0.100). Conclusion: The power output of 2.5 W of an Er, Cr: YSGG laser produced low levels of temperature rise compared to a diode laser and produced surgical incisions with a lower probability of heat damage to surrounding tissues.