Evaluation of Patient Perceptions After Vestibuloplasty Procedure: A Comparison of Diode Laser and Scalpel Techniques
Correspondence Address :
Dr. Butchibabu Kalakonda,
Faculty, Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, Al Farabi Colleges, Riyadh, KSA.
E-mail: docbutchi@gmail.com
Introduction: Inadequate vestibular depth results in poor plaque control owing to an insufficient width of keratinized gingiva. Vestibuloplasty provides the necessary vestibular depth and can be performed either with a scalpel, electrocautery or lasers.
Aim: To evaluate the patient perceptions related to pain and discomfort on the 1st, 3rd and the 7th day post vestibuloplasty and also assess the healing outcomes related to the treatment of inadequate vestibular depth either with the diode laser or the scalpel.
Materials and Methods: Twenty patients who had inadequate vestibular depth and required vestibuloplasty were assigned randomly to undergo the procedure either with the scalpel or the laser. The data obtained was analysed for intergroup comparison with an independent paired t-test and intragroup comparison was determined by a paired t-test.
Results: Intragroup comparison within the laser group for VAS scores of pain and discomfort within all the reported days exhibited a significant difference (p<0.05). Inter group comparison revealed that the patients in the laser group had lower VAS cores for pain and discomfort compared to the scalpel group (p<0.05). Analysis of the three pointer scale for healing revealed that the patients in the laser group exhibited better healing outcomes on the 1st, 3rd and the 7th day compared to the scalpel group.
Conclusion: Observations from the study highlight the opinion that laser can be a safe and effective alternative to traditional vestibuloplasty performed with the scalpel.
Clark’s vestibuloplasty, Low level laser therapy (LLLT), Vestibular depth, Visual analog scale
DOI: 10.7860/JCDR/2016/17623.7820
Date of Submission: Nov 01, 2015
Date of Peer Review: Jan 05, 2016
Date of Acceptance: Jan 29, 2016
Date of Publishing: May 01, 2016
Financial OR OTHER COMPETING INTERESTS: None.
- Emerging Sources Citation Index (Web of Science, thomsonreuters)
- Index Copernicus ICV 2017: 134.54
- Academic Search Complete Database
- Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
- Embase
- EBSCOhost
- Google Scholar
- HINARI Access to Research in Health Programme
- Indian Science Abstracts (ISA)
- Journal seek Database
- Popline (reproductive health literature)
- www.omnimedicalsearch.com