An Experimental Study of Oral Mucosal Wound Healing following Scalpel and Diode Laser Incisions in Guinea Pigs: Clinical and Histological Observations

Introduction: The available data regarding scalpel and diode laser incisions wound healing is variable, scarce and needs more clarification especially in normal healthy tissues. Hence, this study was aimed to evaluate clinical and histologic parameters of wound healing with scalpel and diode laser on oral mucosa of Guinea pigs.Materials and Methods: This is an experimental study conducted on four male Guinea pigs. Laser and scalpel incisions were made on the right buccal mucosa of each guinea pig approximately 5mm deep and 10 mm in length and both the incisions were placed 10 mm apart using No#11Bard Parker blades and diode laser (640 wavelength) under general anesthesia. Punch biopsies of both the incisions were obtained and compared for clinical changes such as ease of working, intra-operative bleeding, color and approximation of wound edges and histological changes such as epithelial proliferation, inflammation, angiogenesis, and fibrosis on day 1, 3 and 7.Results: Clinically, scalpel wounds showed better healing than laser wounds although laser incisions provided bloodless surgical field. There was no significant difference in inflammation, angiogenesis and fibrosis between scalpel and diode laser incisions on both day 3 and 7 except for the epithelization which was comparatively early and better in scalpel wounds than the diode laser wounds.Conclusion: Diode lasers provide bloodless surgical field with better visibility than scalpel without any difference in oral mucosal wound healing. Considering the clinical benefits, the diode lasers could be a superior alternative to conventional scalpel technique.