Effect of low level laser therapy on wound healing after palatal surgery in beagle dogs

The effect of low level laser therapy on wound healing and wound contraction after palatal surgery in Beagle dogs of 12 weeks of age was investigated. A total of 30 Beagle dogs was used and assigned to a control group (Group C; n = 6) and two experimental groups (Group L; n = 12 and group LL; n = 12). In both experimental groups, Von Langenbeck's palatal repair was simulated. Then in the LL group the denuded bony areas were treated with low level laser therapy using a continuous Ga-As-A1 laser beam (830 nm) and energy output set at 30 mW. Per treatment a dosage of 1 J/cm2 wound surface area was used. Therapy was carried out three times a week with a total of ten treatments. Wound healing was observed clinically until wound healing was completed at 4 weeks p.o. and wound areas were measured at regular intervals on standardized intra-oral photographs. Wound contraction was measured as the increments of the distances between tattoo points on the opposite wound margins. No significant differences were found in the quality and rate of wound healing between the two experimental groups. The same held true for the increments of the distances between opposite tattoo points. It was concluded that macroscopically low level laser therapy under conditions used in this study did not have an influence on wound closure or wound contraction.