Evaluation of 980 nm Diode Laser Therapy in Acute Pericoronitis: A Retrospective Case Series

<b><i>Objective:</i></b> This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of 980 nm diode laser therapy as an adjunct to conventional treatment for acute pericoronitis. <b><i>Materials and Methods:</i></b> This retrospective study analyzed 108 patients with acute pericoronitis treated between June 2022 and June 2024. Participants were stratified into two groups: laser group (<i>n</i> = 69; 33 males, 36 females; mean age: 26.55 ± 6.05 years) and control group (<i>n</i> = 39; 20 males, 19 females; mean age: 26.08 ± 5.63 years). All patients initially underwent alternating irrigation with 0.9% NaCl and 3% H₂O₂ in pericoronal pockets, accompanied by oral hygiene instruction. The laser group was exposed to a 980-nm diode laser (Denlas-10BM; Wuhan Gigaa Optronics Technology Co. Ltd., China) irradiation at 1.5 W power with a 400-μm fiber tip, delivering 30-sec irradiation to the buccal, lingual, and occlusal aspects of inflamed pericoronal tissues, respectively, in combination with conventional therapy. The control group received conventional treatment alone (antibiotics, analgesics, and chlorhexidine). Clinical outcomes included maximum mouth opening (MMO), lymph node status, gingival inflammation area (GIA: Grade I-III), and pain levels assessed via visual analog scale (VAS; 0 = no pain to 10 = worst pain). <b><i>Results:</i></b> The laser group demonstrated significantly greater GIA improvement than controls (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Female patients in the control group exhibited smaller changes in GIA (<i>p</i> < 0.05). MMO improvement showed no intergroup difference (<i>p</i> > 0.05). VAS pain scores decreased from 5.49 ± 1.68 to 0.71 ± 1.59 in the laser group versus 5.54 ± 1.63 to 1.95 ± 2.37 in controls (<i>p</i> < 0.05). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> The 980 nm diode laser, as an adjunct to conventional therapy, provides significant benefits in treating acute pericoronitis, reducing inflammation, alleviating pain, and promoting faster recovery. This minimally invasive treatment shows promise as an effective option in dental practice.