Laser-Assisted Harvesting of Free Gingival Graft

Mucogingival therapy is a general term used to describe periodontal treatment involving procedures for the correction of defects in the morphology, position and/or amount of soft tissue and underlying bone support around teeth. The free gingival graft is considered the most widely used surgical technique for increasing the width of attached keratinized tissue. Nevertheless, the major disadvantage encountered with free gingival grafting is the postoperative pain and discomfort reported at the donor site; however, attempts have been made to enhance palatal wound healing and decrease post-operative pain using a variety of methods including low-intensity laser therapy. Moreover, the use of lasers in soft tissue surgery provides potential advantages for the healing process thus improving patients’ perception of the procedure as well as hemostasis and precision offered to the clinicians. Studies proved the advantageous use of diode laser for deepithelialization of the gingival graft and palatal wound irradiation on post-operative morbidity. The chapter presents the use of Er, Cr:YSGG laser for graft harvesting and palatal wound irradiation to decrease postoperative morbidity in the root coverage procedures for the treatment of gingival recessions. Based on this technique the author will report that the laser-assisted harvesting technique decreased postoperative discomfort associated with palatal donor site surgery. © 2021 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

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