THE EFFICACY OF LASER THERAPY IN LABIAL FRENULECTOMY COMPARED WITH CONVETIONAL SURGERY IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Background: Labial frenulectomy is one of the frequently utilized procedures to treat complications from a tight or projecting labial frenulum that can hinder speech, oral hygiene, or orthodontic care. The surgery has traditionally used a scalpel. But laser therapy has emerged in popularity because of its minimally invasive character and enhanced patient comfort. This review discusses the comparison between laser therapy and the traditional method of surgery with regard to clinical outcome and patient satisfaction. Methods: A thorough search was conducted using three major databases PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify studies that compared laser-assisted and traditional surgical approaches for labial frenulectomy. The review focused on differences in pain levels, bleeding, healing duration, procedure time, and post-surgical complications. Results: Out of a total of 226 studies found in an initial search, 7 were included on the basis of predetermined criteria. The majority of studies included in the reviews stated that laser therapy led to less bleeding, rapid healing, less postoperative discomfort and shorter surgery times. Variability in study design, laser type and the means of evaluating outcomes rendered comparisons difficult. Conclusion: Laser therapy would seem to have a number of advantages over conventional methods of surgery in terms of patient comfort and recovery time. Despite this, current evidence is weak. Stronger, well-conducted studies are required to fully evaluate long-term efficacy and to formalize standardized best practice.