Exploring the Role of Laser Dentistry in Treating Soft Tissue Lesions: A Clinical Trial

Abstract

Background: Laser dentistry has become an increasingly popular minimally invasive approach for the management of oral soft tissue lesions.

Objective: To explore the role of laser dentistry in the treatment of oral soft tissue lesions and compare its clinical outcomes with conventional scalpel surgery.

Methods: This prospective randomized clinical trial was conducted in the Department of community and preventive dentistry, Shahida Islam Dental College, Lodhran from February 2025 to September 2026, and included 210 patients with benign oral soft tissue lesions requiring surgical treatment. Patients were randomly allocated to a laser surgery group (n=105) or a conventional scalpel surgery group (n=105). 

Results: The mean age of participants was 38.7 ± 12.4 years, and 56.2% were male. Baseline characteristics were comparable between groups. The laser group demonstrated significantly shorter operative time (14.8 ± 4.6 vs. 22.7 ± 6.1 minutes; p<0.001), lower blood loss (4.2 ± 2.1 vs. 18.5 ± 6.4 mL; p<0.001), reduced need for suturing (17.1% vs. 81.9%; p<0.001), and less intraoperative bleeding (8.6% vs. 39.0%; p<0.001). Postoperatively, patients treated with lasers experienced lower pain scores (2.8 ± 1.2 vs. 5.4 ± 1.7; p<0.001), reduced edema (11.4% vs. 32.4%; p<0.001), faster healing (9.6 ± 2.8 vs. 14.2 ± 3.7 days; p<0.001), and higher satisfaction scores (8.9 ± 1.1 vs. 6.8 ± 1.6; p<0.001). Favorable clinical outcomes were significantly associated with laser treatment, smaller lesion size, shorter healing time, and absence of postoperative infection.

Conclusion: Laser dentistry provides superior intraoperative and postoperative outcomes compared with conventional scalpel surgery for oral soft tissue lesions.