Perceptions of the Use of the Diode Laser in Dental Surgery: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

To discover the perceptions of pediatric patients, their parents and undergraduate Dentistry students of the use of the diode laser in frenectomy surgeries. Material and Methods: A qualitative study was conducted through semi-structured interviews, recorded and transcribed with subsequent content analysis. Twelve healthy children (5-8 years old) who needed a frenectomy were selected and invited, together with their parents, to undergo laser diode surgery. In addition, 28 undergraduate dentistry students were invited to attend the procedures. One week after performing the surgical procedures, the children (Group 1), their parents (Group 2) and the students who attended the procedures (Group 3) were individually interviewed for the thematic analysis. Results: The analysis of the conversations identified three emerging contents: positive thoughts on the use of diode laser; frustrations from the use of diode laser; and aspects related to professional training. Conclusion: The results pointed to the acceptance of surgical laser use in pediatric dentistry; however, the feelings of frustration indicate that its use requires guidance from the child and his/her parents, in addition to careful handling and specific training.

Lasers de alta potência na frenectomia, seus benefícios e limitações: revisão integrativa

“…Todo usuário de equipamentos de lasers necessita de esclarecimento das informações detalhadas sobre o procedimento cirúrgico, os materiais utilizados e os equipamentos de proteção, pois transmite uma maior tranquilidade para o paciente, diz Soares et al (2020).…”

“…(2022), o que promove um menor tempo cirúrgico e evita danos a tecidos vizinhos saudáveis. De acordo comCalisir et al (2018),Protásio et al (2019),Soares et al (2020) e Castro-Rodríguez et al (2020, no pós-operatório, o laserResearch, Society and Development, v. 11, n. 12, e506111234806, 2022 (CC BY 4.0) | ISSN 2525-3409 | DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v11i12.34806 11 Nd: YAG, o Laser de diodo e o laser de CO2 mostraram melhores resultados em relação à dor e desconforto ao falar e mastigar, permitindo que o cirurgião-dentista preveja o sucesso do procedimento e o melhor conforto físico e psicológico do paciente, principalmente em crianças que vivem a experiência de forma mais ansiosa; ausência de infecções, porque o feixe de laser garante que o tecido incisado seja esterilizado como afirmaConcepción et. al.…”