08 July 2024

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Electro surgery in dentistry: Report of cases

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Electrosurgery is an application of electrically generated heat energy to tissue to alter it for therapeutic purposes. Electrosurgery has been used in dentistry for many purposes such as for, gingivectomy, pulpotomy, frenectomy, operculectomy and hemostasis. This paper highlights its application and usage in dentistry. This paper covers various procedures performed under electrosurgery and scalpel for e.g., Case 1: Describes lingual frenectomy using electrosurgical method, Case 2: Operculectomy with electrosurgical method, Case 3: Soft-tissue uncovering of upper incisors with electrosurgery, Case 4: Soft-tissue uncovering using only scalpel and Case 5: Soft-tissue uncovering of unerupted molars using electrocautery method.

INTRODUCTION Electrosurgery has been defined as high-frequency electrical current passed through tissue to create a desired clinical effect. It requires the presence of a circuit for current to fl ow. It has been used routinely in various aspects of dentistry and medicine since 1914. William T Bovie was named as the father of electrosurgery.

Electrosurgery is different from electrocautery. In electrocautery, electricity is used to heat an object and to burn a specifi c site. Although in electrosurgery, electrical current heats the tissue. Soft-tissue cutting generally did with scalpel, which can result into excessive bleeding at operatory site, inadequate visibility when compared to electrosurgery. Electrosurgical procedure can be useful in achieving bloodless surgery. Electrosurgery operation is advantageous as it has little post-operative pain, minimal bleeding, less chair time, patient satisfaction and yield good result. It can be used for cosmetic correction of gingival appearance and for various other purposes. Four basic types of electrosurgical techniques used are coagulation, desiccation, fulguration and cutting.

Desiccation is direct energy application that slowly drives water out of the cells creating a drying out of the cells. Desiccation can be achieved with either the cutting or the coagulation current by contact of the electrosurgical device with the tissue. Fulguration, a form of coagulation, is the arcing or sparking of energy above the tissue to create a surface charring. Cutting waveforms vaporize the cellular fl uid causing cellular explosions, which result in a scalpel like dissection. Most of the clinical operations are performed by electrosection (cutting) current type.

Authors: Prashant Babaji, Vikram Singh,  Viswajit Rampratap Chawrasia, Manisha R Jawale

Source: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Prashant-Babaji/publication/268277419_Electro_surgery_in_dentistry_Report_of_cases/links/5467395d0cf20dedafcf20d4/Electro-surgery-in-dentistry-Report-of-cases.pdf