title: The effect of low-level helium-neon laser on oral wound healing.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The effectiveness of low power lasers on incisional wound healing, because of conflicting results of previous studies, is uncertain. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of low-level helium-neon (He-Ne) laser irradiation on wound healing in rat's oral mucosa.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-four standardized incisions were carried out on the buccal mucosa of 32 male Wistar divided into four groups of eight animals each. Each rat received two incisions on the opposite sides of the buccal mucosa by a steel scalpel. On the right side (test side), a He-Ne laser (632 nm) was employed on the incision for 40 s. Laser radiation was used just in 1(st) day, 1(st) and 2(nd) day, 1(st) and 3(rd) day, and continuous 3 days in groups of A, B, C, and D of rats, respectively. The left side (control side) did not receive any laser. Histological processing and hematoxylin and eosin staining were done on tissue samples after 5 days. Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histological analysis showed that the tissue healing after continuous 3 days on the laser irradiated side was better than the control side, but there was no difference between the two sides in each groups (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that He-Ne laser had no beneficial effects on incisional oral wound healing particularly in 5 days after laser therapy. Future research in the field of laser effects on oral wound healing in human is recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran.
authors.forename: Farimah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sardari
authors.affiliation: Dental Research Center, School of Dentistry, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Farzaneh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ahrari
keywords: Helium; Histological Technique; Lasers; Low-level laser therapies; oral; wound healings