Diode laser gingivectomy and gingivoplasty in the anterior esthetic zone: a clinical review of indications, operative parameters, and evidence limitations.

OBJECTIVES: To summarise the tissue-interaction basis, esthetic indications, and operative parameters of diode laser gingivectomy and gingivoplasty in the anterior esthetic zone, and to set out a decision pathway for case selection. DATA SOURCES: PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus were searched from database inception to June 2026 for clinical and ex vivo studies and reviews relevant to diode laser soft-tissue surgery in the anterior dentition; reference lists were hand-searched. This is a topic review rather than a systematic review. Reported power spans roughly 0.9 to 5 W across continuous-wave, pulsed, and micropulsed modes; quantitative ex vivo data show that cut depth and thermal damage rise with power but less than proportionally, while cutting efficiency improves at higher settings, so an effective operative window exists rather than a single safe value. Clinical comparisons with the scalpel report less intraoperative bleeding and similar or lower postoperative pain, although directly applicable esthetic-zone trials remain few and patient-reported outcomes are seldom measured with validated instruments. CONCLUSION: The diode laser is a practical instrument for esthetic-zone gingival surgery when case selection is correct; standardised parameter reporting and longer prospective studies are the priority for strengthening the evidence.