5-Aminolevulinic Acid and Red Led in Endodontics: A Narrative Review and Case Report

Abstract

The present study aims to discuss the main factors involving the use of 5-aminolevulinic acid together with red LED light and its application in endodontic treatment through a narrative review and a case report. Persistence of microorganisms remaining on chemical-mechanical preparation or intracanal dressing is reported as the leading cause of failure in endodontics. Photodynamic therapy has become a promising antimicrobial strategy as an aid to endodontic treatment. Being easy and quick to apply, it can be used both in a single session and in several sessions, as well as not allowing forms of microbial resistance. 5-aminolevulinic acid in combination with red LED light has recently been studied in many branches of medicine, with good results against numerous types of bacteria including Enterococuss faecalis. The case report showed how bacterial count of CFU decreased by half (210 CFU/mL), after 45 min of irrigation with a gel containing 5% of 5-aminolevulinic acid compared to the sample before irrigation (420 CFU/mL). The subsequent irradiation of red LED light for 7 min, the bacterial count was equal to 0. Thus, it is concluded that the use of 5-aminolevulinic acid together with red LED light is effective in endodontic treatment.

On the Possibility of Using 5-Aminolevulinic Acid in the Light-Induced Destruction of Microorganisms

“…The use of 5-ALA-mediated photodynamic therapy in endodontics is a topic widely discussed in the literature [189,190]. Endodontic infections are polymicrobial, but in the case of primary infections, anaerobic bacteria absolutely dominate the microbiota.…”

The Involvement of Photobiology in Contemporary Dentistry—A Narrative Review

“…According to the scientific literature, PDT uses can be divided into several groups ( Table 2 ) [ 70 ].…”

Functionalization of a Cortical Membrane with a Photodynamic Protocol

“…ALAD showed in vitro activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria [ 11 , 12 , 13 ] and encouraged preliminary in vivo results [ 14 ]. The antibacterial effect was obtained by photoactivation of ALAD with different light emitters of red light at 630 nm, such as single-led TL-01, or full-mouth multi-LED Tl-03, or optic fibers for endodontic uses [ 15 , 16 ]. Some authors have hypothesized that the antifungal activity of the ALAD-PDT protocol shown against Candida albicans could be not only the result of ROS production but also the consequence of other properties intrinsic to the ALAD gel formulation, such as the low pH.…”