Four different diode lasers comparison on soft tissues surgery: a preliminary ex vivo study

Area of Science:

• Dental Laser Technology
• Oral Surgery Applications
• Biomedical Optics

Background:

• Diode lasers offer advantages in dentistry, including smaller size and lower cost.
• Commonly used wavelengths (810 nm, 980 nm) are expanding with newer options.
• The efficacy of various diode laser wavelengths for soft tissue ablation needs comparative analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of four diode laser wavelengths (810, 980, 1470, and 1950 nm) for soft tissue ablation.
• To evaluate thermal effects and histological outcomes of different laser parameters.
• To determine the optimal wavelength and power for precise soft tissue excision.

Main Methods:

• Bovine tongue tissue specimens were irradiated with four diode laser wavelengths.
• Thermal increase was monitored using thermocouples at 0.5 mm and 2 mm depths.
• Histological evaluation assessed epithelial changes, connective tissue, vascular modifications, and incision morphology.

Main Results:

• Excision time ranged from 271 seconds (808 nm, 2W) to 112 seconds (1950 nm, 4W).
• Superficial temperature increases varied from 9.2°C (1950 nm, 2W) to 16.3°C (980 nm, 4W).
• Deeper thermal increase was highest with 980 nm (17.3°C) and lowest with 1950 nm (9.7°C).
• Epithelial injury width ranged from 74 µm (1950 nm, 2W) to 540 µm (1470 nm, 4W).

Conclusions:

• The 1950 nm diode laser at lower power (2W) demonstrated superior performance.
• Higher wavelengths resulted in better incision quality and reduced overall tissue injury.
• This suggests potential for advanced applications in oral soft tissue surgery.