title: Evaluation of Patient Perceptions After Vestibuloplasty Procedure: A Comparison of Diode Laser and Scalpel Techniques.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inadequate vestibular depth results in poor plaque control owing to an insufficient width of keratinized gingiva. Vestibuloplasty provides the necessary vestibular depth and can be performed either with a scalpel, electrocautery or lasers.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the patient perceptions related to pain and discomfort on the 1(st), 3(rd) and the 7(th) day post vestibuloplasty and also assess the healing outcomes related to the treatment of inadequate vestibular depth either with the diode laser or the scalpel.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty patients who had inadequate vestibular depth and required vestibuloplasty were assigned randomly to undergo the procedure either with the scalpel or the laser. The data obtained was analysed for intergroup comparison with an independent paired t-test and intragroup comparison was determined by a paired t-test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intragroup comparison within the laser group for VAS scores of pain and discomfort within all the reported days exhibited a significant difference (p<0.05). Inter group comparison revealed that the patients in the laser group had lower VAS cores for pain and discomfort compared to the scalpel group (p<0.05). Analysis of the three pointer scale for healing revealed that the patients in the laser group exhibited better healing outcomes on the 1(st), 3(rd) and the 7(th) day compared to the scalpel group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Observations from the study highlight the opinion that laser can be a safe and effective alternative to traditional vestibuloplasty performed with the scalpel.
authors.affiliation: Faculty, Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, AlFarabi Colleges , Riyadh, KSA .
authors.forename: Butchibabu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kalakonda
authors.affiliation: Faculty, Department of Periodontics, Maitri Dental College , Chhattisgarh, India .
authors.forename: Sana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Farista
authors.affiliation: Faculty, Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, AlFarabi Colleges , Riyadh, KSA .
authors.forename: Pradeep
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Koppolu
authors.affiliation: Faculty, Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, AlFarabi Colleges , Riyadh, KSA .
authors.forename: Kusai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Baroudi
authors.affiliation: Faculty, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery, Sri Sai College of Dental Surgery , Vikarabad, Telangana, India .
authors.forename: Udaykiran
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Uppada
authors.affiliation: Faculty, Department of Periodontics, Sri Sai College of Dental Surgery , Vikarabad, Telangana, India .
authors.forename: Ashank
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.affiliation: Faculty, Department of Prosthodontics, Sri Sai College of Dental Surgery , Vikarabad, Telangana, India .
authors.forename: Abhishek
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Savarimath
authors.affiliation: Faculty, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences, AlFarabi Colleges , Riyadh, KSA .
authors.forename: Amara Swapna
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lingam
keywords: Clark’s vestibuloplasty; Low level laser therapy (LLLT); Vestibular depth; Visual analog scale