Assessment of immediate pain relief with laser treatment in recurrent aphthous stomatitis.

Objective: To compare immediate pain relief, healing time between minor recurrent aphthous ulcers treated with a single session of carbon dioxide (CO2) laser and a placebo.

Methods: A prospective clinical study was performed on 25 patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis. Pretreatment pain levels were recorded using a numerical rating scale. Ulcers were randomized to either receive treatment or placebo. Pain levels were assessed immediately after treatment and after 24 h. Healing was assessed on days 3 and 4, and once every 2 days thereafter for 2 weeks.

Results: Mean pain scores in the laser group were significantly reduced immediately after treatment (0.68 ± 0.6) compared with pretreatment (8.48 ± 0.71; P < .001). In contrast, the placebo group showed little difference in pain scores between pretreatment (8.08 ± 0.70) and immediately after treatment (7.96 ± 0.84). In the laser group, significant improvements in healing times were observed (4.08 ± 0.81 vs. 7.84 ± 0.90 days; P < .001).

Conclusions: CO2 laser therapy in recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) provides immediate pain relief sustained over 24 h, along with accelerated healing time.