Laser treatment of an oral papilloma in the pediatric dental office: a case report

Abstract

Squamous cell papilloma is a benign proliferation of the stratified squamous epithelium. It is typically an exophytic lesion smaller than 1 cm. Its appearance varies from cauliflower-like to fingerlike, while the base may be pedunculated or sessile. This article describes the case of an 11-year-old girl who presented with an asymptomatic whitish lesion of papillomatous appearance in the oral mucosa distal to the maxillary left permanent first molar. The lesion was removed using an Er,Cr:YSGG laser. For anesthesia, 10 mg of 2% lidocaine with epinephrine 1:100,000 was infiltrated around the lesion. No pain medication was required after surgery, and wound healing was excellent and rapidly achieved. The oral pathology report confirmed the presurgical clinical diagnosis. Laser dentistry is a modern technology that can be used by dental clinicians to treat these kinds of oral lesions and should be considered as an alternative to conventional surgery.