Fig. 3.

Photomicrographs of Picrosirius red staining in experimental groups on days 5, 10, and 14 and in normal mucosa (original magnification $\times 100$). On day 5, all groups displayed poorly organized thin collagen fibers (characterized by green birefringence) (a, b, and c). On day 10, no difference was observed between all groups. Collagen fibers were begun to rearrange into bundles among the new muscle fibers (d, e, and f). On day 14, the groups treated with laser (h and i) exhibited an organization pattern similar to the normal oral mucosa (j) with a predominance of reddish fibers organized parallel to the epithelium. Control group revealed a more immature collagen (g).