One-on-One An Interview with Dr. Paul Homoly Simply Beautiful A ...

first record basis in a busy suburban
private practice. Each lesion was recorded
as to size, nature, sensitivity
and duration. Most lesions were 1-3
mm in diameter and clinically diagnosed
(e.g., aphthous stomatitis, herpetiform,
trauma).
Any lesion presenting a rounded ulcer
was included in the sampling.
The CONTROL group’s lesions (100)
were left untreated; however, the patient
was told, by this author, that the
“sore” would heal “within a week or
so.” The LASER group’s lesions (69)
received a single, 30-second exposure
from a laser (OD China brand,
generic penlight laser purchased at a
local dollar store for $1) producing
680nm wavelength light at approximately
1.4 mw of power as measured
by a Meterologic Instruments, Inc.
(Blackwood, NJ) photometer, Model
45-230. The laser spot size was 3 mm
in diameter. Large lesions, greater
than 3 mm in diameter, received a
second exposure next to the first
so that all areas of the lesion were
equally radiated. This resulted in a
fluence (exposure) of 0.34J/cm 2 for
each patient.
Figure 3: Aphthous
ulcer on upper lip.
Patient complained
of pain and oblong
tissue destruction
area (arrow).
The patients were told that the laser
light would “quickly heal the sore.”
All patients were called the following
day(s) for symptoms and to schedule
an exam appointment. Half the
sample did not present themselves
for the post-treatment exams personally
but reported over the phone that
the “sore was/was not healed” (e.g.,
painful). Those who returned to the
dental office were evaluated as to the
extent of epithelization, resolution of
tissue redness, tenderness and eating
comfort. The appearance of full surface
epithelization, a lack of tissue
redness, and no sensitivity were the
conditions necessary to classify the
lesion as “healed.” For those who did
not come for subsequent visits, their
observations as to the “disappearance”
of the “sore” and absence of
tenderness were considered “healed.”
Either the lesion was considered
healed or it was not. There were no
gradients involved in this classification
or distinction as to whether the
lesion was diagnosed as aphthous,
herpetiform, etc.
Since the purpose of this study was
to determine if the laser exposure
Figure 4: Healing
ulcer (Fig. 3)
reported as asymptomatic
by the
patient (arrow). This
photo was taken
one day after laser
treatment.
was beneficial to the patient, the patient’s
evaluation, substantiated by
a percentage of confirming clinical
exams (50 percent), was considered
sufficient evidence as to the degree
of wound healing. The reported
comfort levels of the lesions examined
on days after treatment closely
correlated, in the degree of healing,
to those patients who reported their
symptoms and lay observations over
the phone.
❚❙❘ Results
The data from the two groups (CON-
TROL, LASER) were compared and
statistically analyzed (p