The aim of the study was to find variant of diode laser (λ = 810 nm) irradiation, which ensures elimination of unwanted microorganisms, including Rothia aeria, from dental healing abutments, and consequently accelerates process of wound healing in implantologically treated patients. The scope of the study included identification of the most contaminated areas on healing abutments, identification of microorganisms inhabiting various environments of oral cavities, assessment of effectiveness of various laser decontamination parameters against detected microorganisms (preliminary studies) and assessment of wound healing in patients after applying abutments with low roughness and optimal variant of laser irradiation (clinical studies). Imaging of surfaces of the healing abutments was performed using vertical scanning interferometry, scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy. Microorganisms inhabiting the healing abutments, teeth and saliva from tested patients were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Three programmes of near-infrared diode laser at average powers of 1.00-3.84 W with two variants of exposure time were used for optimisation of laser parameters. Observation of wound healing was performed for 100 patients during 20 days after installation of abutments. On surfaces of the used healing abutments, a large number of microorganisms, with a predominance of R. aeria, were found. Irradiation with periimplantitis surgical programme for 30 s resulted in 99-100% reduction in the number of R. aeria and other microorganisms, depending on type of abutment (in vivo). The use of diode laser in the selected variant accelerates wound healing and provides complete elimination of pathogenic R. aeria and other microorganisms inhabiting surfaces of the healing abutments without marks.
Keywords: Decontamination; Diode laser; Healing abutments; Microorganisms; Rothia aeria.