title: Review: laser soft tissue treatments for paediatric dental patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many soft tissue pathologies in children can be treated by paediatric dentists. New technologies such as laser surgery enable simpler treatments to be carried out than with conventional techniques.
  
  
  METHODS
  This paper reviews soft tissue lasers and discusses their use in paediatric patients. The laser is a good tool for soft tissue management in children and is well accepted by patients and their relatives. Laser treatment involves a reduction in the use of medication (anaesthetics, analgesics and antibiotics) and in intra-operative and post-operative bleeding. It eliminates the need sutures and produces faster wound healing and less scarring.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is essential to have a good knowledge of laser operation and of which type of laser is most appropriate for each lesion.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Paediatric Dentistry, Dental School, University of Barcelona, Campus de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain. 16388jrb@comb.cat
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Boj
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Poirier
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Espassa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Espanya
mesh_terms: D000698:Analgesia; D000758:Anesthesia; D002648:Child; D004203:Disinfection; D006489:Hemostatic Techniques; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D006472:Oral Hemorrhage / Q000517:prevention & control; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology