What is a useful guideline when performing intraoral laser surgery?

Using the least amount of power to achieve the clinical objective is a crucial guideline in intraoral laser surgery. This approach minimizes the risk of collateral damage to surrounding tissues while still effectively treating the targeted area. Excessive power can lead to unwanted thermal effects, which can affect not only the health of adjacent tissues but also the overall healing process.

By focusing on the minimum effective power, practitioners can enhance precision, control, and safety during procedures. This guideline also aligns with the principle of conservative treatment, aiming to preserve as much healthy tissue as possible while still achieving the desired surgical outcome. This practice encourages a more thoughtful and cautious use of laser technology, which is foundational in ensuring patient safety and optimizing results in intraoral laser applications.

The other options, while they may seem plausible, do not carry the same weight of importance as focusing on the power used. Rapid handpiece motion could lead to less precision in targeting, decreasing energy settings after starting may disrupt the procedure's effectiveness, and the need for an activating agent is not universally applicable across all laser treatments.