LASER-ASSISTED SOCKET PRESERVATION WITH COLLACONE

Background: Socket preservation is a method for minimising soft and hard tissue loss after tooth extraction. Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) can stimulate changes that occur as part of the normal socket healing process. This can preserve socket dimensions and promote ideal outcomes when dental prostheses are subsequently implanted with radiographic assistance. Objectives: To evaluate the use of diode laser PBMT to accelerate bone healing in extraction sockets treated with collateral prior to dental implant placement using radiography and cone beam computed tomography. Materials and Methods: We recruited 20 patients with 40 sockets. Twenty sockets were each assigned to the control group and the test group. The control group sockets were treated with collacone only, while the test group extraction sockets underwent PBMT plus collacone application. The split-mouth technique was employed, with the maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth split from the maxillary and mandibular premolar teeth. Results: All extraction sockets demonstrated good healing with no complications. Ridge height and width reductions were lower in the test group than in the control group. Additionally, the test group exhibited higher bone density values than the control group. Conclusion: PBMT via diode laser can be safely implemented following tooth extraction. Under clinical conditions, this simple technique can be used as a single-step procedure to preserve sockets successfully.