Objective: The aim of this study was to histologically evaluate the effects of Aluminum Gallium Arsenate diode laser irradiation on periodontal wound healing. Methods: After assigning a consent form, a total of 13 patients presenting inflammatory gingival hyperplasia were submitted to gingivoplasty. After surgery, the right hemi-arch of each patient (test group) was irradiated with a laser dose of 4J/cm² in a 48-hour interval during one week while the left hemi-arch received no additional treatment (control group). Incisional biopsies were performed at test and control sites at 7, 14, 21 and 60 days post-surgically. The specimens were analyzed in conventional light microscope. Epithelium width, luminal-to-basal ratio, volume density of each epithelial layer, nucleus and cell volumes for basal and spinous layer cells and the absolute number of fibroblasts and inflammatory cells were morphometrically determined for both test and control groups. Data was comparatively evaluated according to Student's paired t-test with a 95% confidence interval. Results: There was an increase with time, in epithelium width ranging from 260.58 mm to 393.54 mm, and a decrease in luminal-to-basal ratio from 0.4 to 0.28. Volume densities of basal (20.20%), spinous (55.60%) and corneal (24.20%), layers remained stable during the study period. Nucleus and cell volumes of basal and spinous layer cells did not vary in the study period as well. There was an increase in the number of fibroblasts/mm³(519.99 to 946.11). A peak number of neutrophils (6.10 cells/mm³) was observed at 7 days at test group and the highest number of mononuclear cells (43.89 cells/mm³) was found in control group at 15 days after surgery. There were no statistical significant differences (p>0,05) in any of the evaluated parameters for test and control groups. Conclusion: According to this methodology, low-level laser therapy did not influence periodontal wound healing after gingivoplasty.

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