The use of high-power lasers in oral surgery.

This study describes the treatment of 2989 patients with different type of lasers. The argon laser beam was used in 57 cases for procedures ranging from portwine stains, telangiectasias, and angiofibromas to other vascular lesions. Eighty-four operations including treatment of leukoplakia and hemangioma were performed using the Nd YAG laser. An additional 53 operations were performed using the combined Nd:YAG laser beam and 2795 operations were done using the carbon dioxide laser on precancerous states and other white lesions, benign tumors and tumor-like states, malignant tumors, and other lesions. The laser procedures were performed under local anesthesia. Operations were rapid and bloodless yielding both excellent cosmetic and functional results. The experience gained with this group of patients suggests that the ideal cases for laser treatment were leukoplakia, hemangiomas, and other vascular tumors and lesions of the face and the oral cavity, and clotting disturbance.