Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy in dentistry

Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT), also known as photodynamic inactivation (PDI), photoactivated disinfection (PAD) or photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT), involves the administration of a photoactive dye or photosensitizer (PS) that can produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon irradiation with light of the correct wavelength to be absorbed by the PS. Studies on the use of PDT for treatment of oral and dental infections are increasing in number. The use of PDT to treat endodontic infections caused by bacterial biofilms has been studied in ex vivo-extracted teeth as a laboratory model. Another possible application of PDT related to oral infections is treatment of recurrent Herpes labialis (RHL). The effectiveness of PDT has also been evaluated in the inactivation of Candida albicans in oral candidiasis. The rapid introduction and growing acceptance of antimicrobial PDT for the treatment of periodontitis can be considered a good omen for its application in other dental infectiions.