The tensile strength of laser welding of an incision in the keratinized oral mucosa of rabbits in vivo

Introduction In this study, coagulation of the blood at the wound side is evoked using a 980-nm-wavelength diode laser. The laser is used to approximate incision wound edges to be compared with the healing of the sutured incision. Clinical observations, histological slides, and tensile strength measurement are performed to assess the quality of healing. Material and methods The study is conducted on 24 albino rabbits; an intraoral incision in the hard palate is done on both sides, right and left, for each rabbit. One side serves as a control group where the incision is sutured, while the other side’s incision is welded by a 980-nm-wavelength laser. The laser is operated in continuous wave mode (CW) 20 W/cm 2 power density for 27 s exposure time. Results Clinically, there was some loss of tissue details (smooth feature) on the welded side in comparison with the conventionally treated side. Histopathologically, healing of the epithelial layer was perfect, while the submucosal layer showed loss of angiogenesis and loose connective tissue replacing the normal structure. The tensile strength measurement shows comparable results for the welded incision and the sutured incision; moreover, the immediate and first-day tensile strength of the welded incision shows superior results to the sutured incision. Recommendation Further studies are needed to monitor histologically the healing after laser welding and measure the development in the tensile strength to assess the validity of the 980-nm-wavelength laser beam as a tool in tissue welding. Conclusion Nine hundred eighty-nanometer-wavelength laser beam is a suitable tool for welding incisions in the oral cavity at areas subjected to stress, such as a socket after tooth extraction.