Effect of a Pulsed Nd:YAG laser irradiation on human gingival tissues

파동형 Nd:YAG 레이저조사가 인체 치은조직에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a pulsed Nd:YAG laser irradiation on human gingival tissues. The patients, who were planned to be treated by clinical crown lengthening procedure and gingivectomy, were selected. All the patients received oral hygiene instruction, scaling and root planing at preoperation. The crest of gingival tissue on upper and lower anterior teeth was irradiated by a pulsed Nd:YAG laser(El. EN. EN060, Italy) with a fiber optic of 300 m in contact mode for 20 seconds. Gingival tissues were divided into 4 groups according to the laser power of 1.0W(10Hz, 100mJ), 2.0W(20Hz, 100mJ), 3.0W(30Hz, 100mJ) and 4.0W(40Hz, 100mJ). Immediately after the laser irradiation, the specimens were excised, fixed 10% neutral formalin, sectioned $4-6{\mu}m$ thick, stained by Hematoxylin-Eosin and Periodic Acid Schiff stain and observed under light microscope. The removed tissue depth and the coagulated layer depth due to a laser irradiation by a laser irradiation were measured on the microphotographs. The difference of measurements according to the different laser power was statistical1y analyzed by Kruskal Wallis Test with SAS program. The results were as follows : 1. In histologic findings of irradiated gingival tissues; a. In the irradiated gingival specimen with 1.0W laser power, some vesicles were observed in limited superficial layer of gingival epithelium. b. In the irradiated gingival specimen with 2.0W and 3.0W laser power, the epithelium was almost removed except for the traces of viable basal cell remnants at ret peg, and coagulation necrosis related with the thermal effect of laser was noted. c. In the irradiated gingival specimen with 4.0W laser power, complete removal of epithelium, partial removal of underlying connective tissue, and the coagulation necrosis of subjacent gingival tissue were shown. 2. The removed tissue depth was deeper in the irradiated specimens with higher power. There was a statistical significance in the difference of removed tissue depth between 1.0W group ($44.54{\pm}6.99um$) and 3.0W group ($99.75{\pm}6.64{\mu}m$), and between 1.0W group($44.54{\pm}6.99{\mu}m$) and 4.0W group($111.36{\pm}4.50{\mu}m$), and between 2.0W group($98.01{\pm}4.53{\mu}m$) and 4.0W group($111.36{\pm}4.50{\mu}m$)(P<0.05). 3. The coagulated layer depth was deeper in the irradiated specimens with higher power. There was a statistical significance in the difference of coagulated layer depth between 1.0W group($31.82{\pm}8.99{\mu}m$) and 3.0W group($55.99{\pm}20.94{\mu}m$), and between 1.0W group($31.82{\pm}8.99{\mu}m$) and 4.0W group($83.68{\pm}10.34{\mu}m$)(P<0.05). From this study, the results demonstrated that the effects of a pulsed Nd:YAG laser irradiation on gingival tissues seemed to depend on the laser power and that the irradiation with high power could be harmful to adjacent healthy tissue.