Experience with a carbon dioxide laser for removal of benign oral soft-tissue lesions.

Fifty-six patients with 86 benign oral soft-tissue lesions were treated with CO2 laser surgery during a period of 48 months. The lesions removed included hyperplasias, papillomas, haemangiomas, mucoceles, lichen planus, fibromas, condylomas and lingual frenula. All clinical diagnoses except that of lingual frenulum were verified histopathologically. The lesions were excised using the laser to obtain biopsy specimens. However, in some cases it was felt more appropriate to excise biopsy material from the most characteristic part of the lesion first, then to destroy the rest of the lesion. Treatment was undertaken in one session under local anaesthesia without premedication. No patient received antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs after operation. The lesions were operated on freehand using a handpiece and laser power ranging from 6 to 10 W in continuous mode. The beam in focus was 0.2 mm in diameter, which allowed fine dissection. There was no bleeding from the laser wounds, and no need for suturing. Removal of the lesions using the laser was fast and easy. Healing took place with minimal post-operative discomfort, and without visible scarring. The results of this study suggest that use of a CO2 laser leads to a level of precision similar to and sometimes better than that of a scalpel in the treatment of benign oral soft-tissue lesions. The laser beam could be used to obtain biopsy specimens without tissue destruction.