Keywords
diode laser
pain
scalpel surgery
Abstract
Introduction: Frenotomy is a procedure to incise and relocate the high level frenum attachment, which can be performed by laser or scalpel surgical technique.
Objective: To compare post-operative pain, rescue analgesic drug, and post-operative pain during speaking and chewing after frenotomy surgery using either diode laser or conventional scalpel.
Methods: This was a prospective clinical comparative study done at the Department of Periodontics and Oral Implantology, People’s Dental College and Hospital, Sorhakhutte, Kathmandu, Nepal from 2023 August to 2024 March. A total of 28 participants (14 in each group) were included in this research by convenience sampling. Post-operative pain was measured using the Numerical Rating Scale. Other clinical outcomes measured were duration of surgery, number of rescue analgesic drugs consumed, and pain during speaking and chewing in post-operative day-1, day-2, day-3, and day-7. A p-value <0.05 was considered a significant difference for all statistical analysis.
Results: The use of diode laser showed statistically significant reduction of post-operative pain (p <0.05), while there was no statistically significant difference on rescue analgesic drug between the groups (p >0.05). The laser group showed significantly less pain on chewing on post-operative day-3 and day-7 compared to the scalpel group. There was a significant reduction of pain during speaking on post-operative day-2, day-3, and day-7 in the laser group.
Conclusions: Labial frenotomies performed with diode laser offer significantly less pain and discomfort during speech and chewing compared to frenotomy with scalpel.
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