High-frequency pulsed low-level diode laser therapy accelerates wound healing of tooth extraction socket: An in vivo study

Background and objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of high-frequency pulsed (HiFP) low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on early wound healing of tooth extraction sockets in rats.

Study design/materials and methods: Bilateral maxillary first molars were extracted from 6-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats. Sockets on the right were treated by HiFP low-level diode laser irradiation (904-910 nm); the left sides served as unirradiated controls. LLLT (0.28 W, 30 kHz, 200-ns pulse, 0.6% duty cycle, 61.2 J/cm² total power density) was employed immediately after extraction and every 24 hours thereafter. The maxillae including the sockets were resected 3 or 7 days after extraction. Soft-tissue healing was evaluated on days 0, 3, and 7. The bone mineral content (BMC), bone volume (BV), and bone mineral density (BMD) of the extraction sockets were evaluated by microcomputed tomography, and histomorphometric analysis was carried out on day 7. Real-time PCR analysis of osteogenic marker expression and immunohistochemical detection of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive cells were performed on day 3.

Results: Compared with control sites, the un-epithelialized areas of the extracted sites were significantly reduced by irradiation (P = 0.04), and the BMC, BV, and BMD of laser-treated sites were significantly increased (P = 0.004, 0.006, and 0.009, respectively). On day 7, the mean height of newly formed immature woven bone was higher in laser-treated sites (P = 0.24). On day 3, laser-treated sites showed significantly higher osteocalcin mRNA expression (P = 0.04) and PCNA-positive cell numbers (P = 0.01).

Conclusion: HiFP low-level diode laser irradiation enhanced soft- and hard-tissue healing of tooth extraction sockets. Lasers Surg. Med. 48:955-964, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.