LASER- A ray of hope to Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

The term laser is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". Lasers have been used by oral and maxillofacial surgeons past four decades, since then several reports have been published on laser applications in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Lasers are being used as routine practice for enhancing the surgical practice including implantology, cosmetology, oncology, and other applications in dentistry. Based on manufacturer estimates, approximately 10% to 20% of all oral and maxillofacial surgeons have one or more lasers in their offices, and most surgeons have access to lasers in the hospital. Lasers not only enrich the current surgical options for treatment, but also have expanded the scope of practice. The postoperative advantages, i.e., lack of swelling, bleeding, pain or scar tissue formation and the good wound healing were observed in all of the clinical applications and were only dependent on the used laser physical parameters.