title: Thermographic monitoring of wound healing and oral health-related quality of life in patients treated with laser (aPDT) after impacted mandibular third molar removal.
abstract: The objective of this study was to assess the impact of low-level laser therapy on wound swelling, wound temperature changes, and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) after surgical removal of impacted lower third molars. Forty patients with impacted lower third molars requiring surgical removal participated in this study; all were Pell-Gregory class IIB or IIC. The patients were divided randomly into two groups for post-extraction therapy. One group received antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) and the other received no additional therapy (placebo group). Temperature measurements were done using an infrared thermographic camera on days 3 and 7 postoperative. OHRQoL was assessed in both groups on day 7 using the Oral Health Impact Profile questionnaire translated into Croatian (OHIP-14-CRO). Prior to surgical treatment, there was no difference in patient characteristics between the two groups. A significantly lower temperature and less wound swelling were recorded on day 3 postoperative in the aPDT group compared to the control group (P<0.001). Participants in the aPDT group also had significantly lower OHIP-14-CRO summary scores (P<0.01). The present study showed beneficial effects of the aPDT modality of low-level laser therapy: postoperative wound swelling was reduced and wound temperature decreased, and OHRQoL was better through the 7-day postoperative period in comparison to the placebo group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery, School of Dental Medicine and Clinical Hospital Centre Zagreb, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia. Electronic address: gbatinjan@sfzg.hr.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Batinjan
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Clinical Hospital Sisters of Mercy, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zore
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, School of Dental Medicine and Clinical Hospital Centre Zagreb, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Čelebić
authors.affiliation: High Business School Libertas, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Papić
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery, School of Dental Medicine and Clinical Hospital Centre Zagreb, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gabrić Pandurić
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery, School of Dental Medicine and Clinical Hospital Centre Zagreb, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Filipović Zore
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D054023:Lasers, Semiconductor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D028022:Low-Level Light Therapy; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000601:surgery*; D008964:Molar, Third / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011788:Quality of Life; D013817:Thermography / Q000379:methods*; D014095:Tooth, Impacted / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000528:radiation effects*
keywords: diode laser; quality of life; thermography; third molar extraction