The activatory effect of low incident energy HENE laser radiation on hydroxyapatite implants in rabbit mandibular bone

Hydroxyapatitc (HAP) is a wcil-accepted biocompatibic material used in the repair of bony defccts of the oral cavity and jawbone, Low reactive-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been reported as accelerating the repair of bone fractures, and in controlling side-effects from the inflammatory reaction such as oedema. The present study examines the effects of hemilateral HeNe laser irradiation (632.8 nm, 6 mW, 10 min, daily for 4 days) on IFAP implants in bilateral artificially-created defects in the rabbit mandible. The contralateral unirradiatcd side served as control. At 21 days postimplantation macroscopically and microscopically the irradiated implants showed better bonding with the surrounding bone margins, and a greater degree of osteogenesis than the unirradiatcd implants, which tended to be loose, or to have totally dislodged. Ft was concluded that, with pathways and mechanisms as yet not fully understood, LLLT controlled the inflammatory response to the IIAP implant resulting in better implant bonding and osteogenesis at the implant borders.