Postoperative Low-Level Laser Therapy after Gingivectomy and Gingivoplasty: pain and healing outcomes

INTERVENTION: This is a prospective, randomized, controlled, two arm, split mouth, double blind clinical trial conducted at the Dental Clinics of the School of Dentistry of the Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná, Cascavel, Brazil. Fifteen patients of both sexes, aged between eighteen and fifty years, presenting an indication for gingivectomy in the anterior teeth, bilaterally, in the maxillary and or mandibular arch, will be included. Initially, all participants will receive information about the study and will sign the Informed Consent Form. After medical history assessment, clinical examination, and basic periodontal therapy, all participants will undergo gingivectomy and gingivoplasty. Each participant will contribute two hemiarches, totaling fifteen hemiarches in the test group and fifteen hemiarches in the control group. Allocation of the hemiarches will be performed by randomization using a computer generated random sequence. In the test group, low level laser therapy will be applied at a dose of four joules per point, at three points per tooth, immediately after surgery and on postoperative days three, seven, and fifteen. In the control group, a sham laser application will be performed using the same clinical protocol without energy emission to ensure participant blinding. Tissue healing and postoperative pain response will be evaluated. The participants and the operator responsible for both the surgical procedure and the outcome assessment will remain blinded throughout the study, ensuring greater reliability of the results CONDITION: E06.721 Gingivectomy; Wound Healing; Postoperative Pain ; Periodontics PRIMARY OUTCOME: It is expected to observe improved tissue healing, reduced postoperative discomfort and improved quality of life in patients undergoing gingivectomy and gingivoplasty, by comparing areas treated with low level laser therapy and areas without laser application SECONDARY OUTCOME: It is expected to observe faster reepithelialization of the surgical area and a lower occurrence of postoperative complications in areas treated with low level laser therapy compared with areas without laser application INCLUSION CRITERIA: patients of both genders; age between eighteen and fifty years; presence of all anterior teeth in the upper or lower arch in healthy condition; indication for gingivectomy in the anterior region of the maxilla or mandible bilaterally symmetrical; presence of gingival enlargement of inflammatory or non inflammatory origin not related to medication; absence of smoking habit