Comparative Study of the Surgical Excision of Impacted Mandibular Third Molars Using Surgical Burs and an Erbium-Doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Er:YAG) Laser.

Background The use of lasers has increased in the field of dentistry in recent years. However, in the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery, the use of lasers has been largely restricted to soft tissue, and less focus is placed on the use of lasers for hard tissues. Aim The present study aimed to comparatively evaluate the efficacy of a erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) laser for cutting the bone while removing the impacted mandibular third molar with the use of a surgical bur. Methods The study assessed 80 subjects undergoing removal of impacted mandibular third molars. The subjects were recruited from the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Luxmi Bai Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital, Patiala, Punjab, India. They were randomly divided into two groups, each consisting of 40 subjects. Group I used an Er:YAG laser to remove the bone, while Group II used a surgical bur. Assessments and comparisons were made for complications, wound healing, trismus, edema, bleeding, and pain. Results The study examined the efficacy of the Er:YAG laser for cutting the bone and extracting the impacted mandibular third molars using a surgical bur in two groups of 80 patients each. When the laser was used in place of a surgical bur, Group I patients experienced less edema, bleeding, and discomfort; nevertheless, the difference was not statistically significant. Time taken by laser for bone cutting was significantly higher compared to the surgical bur. In Group I (laser), trismus existed for a longer time. For mouth opening, the preoperative mouth opening was comparable in the two groups with p = 0.87. Conclusion Pain, hemorrhage, and edema were lesser, and the time required for bone cutting was substantially longer in the laser group. Apart from these, laser-assisted intra-oral bone cutting should be preferred because of its less invasive nature, simpler procedure, and simpler osteotomy when compared to traditional surgical burs and also in anxiety-prone patients.