Effect of photodynamic therapy for the treatment of halitosis in adolescents – a controlled, microbiological, clinical trial

Abstract

Halitosis can exert a negative influence on the social relations of adolescents and affect one's self-image. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and microbiological effect of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) on halitosis in adolescents. Forty-six individuals aged 12 to 19 years were randomly allocated: Group 1 - treatment with photodynamic therapy; Group 2 - treatment with a tongue scraper and Group 3 - treatment with a tongue scraper and photodynamic therapy. The count of bacterial colony-forming units per milliliter was used for the microbiological analysis. Statistical analysis involved the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by the Student-Newman-Keuls test. ANOVA was used for the determination of colony-forming units after treatment. The level of significance for all statistical tests was 5% (p < 0.05). After treatment, a statistically significant reduction in total volatile sulfur compounds was found in all groups (p < 0.001), with the largest reduction (median: 0) found in Group 3 (tongue scraper and photodynamic therapy). Moreover, a statistically significant difference was found between treatment with aPDT and a tongue scraper alone (p < 0.001). The present findings demonstrate an option for the treatment of halitosis in adolescents, with an immediate effect and without the mechanical aggression to the toungue. Clinical Trials: NCT02007993.

Laser-Assisted aPDT Protocols in Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials in Dentistry: A Systematic Review

“…In total, 21/38 of the articles (55.3%) showed a low risk of bias, with two articles [ 6 , 31 ] scoring 10/10, eleven [ 24 , 26 , 28 , 29 , 38 , 43 , 44 , 49 , 51 , 52 , 55 ] scoring 9/10, and eight [ 23 , 25 , 34 , 35 , 37 , 46 , 48 , 50 ] scoring 8/10.…”

Photodynamic therapy with Bixa orellana extract and LED for the reduction of halitosis: study protocol for a randomized, microbiological and clinical trial

“…The results immediately after the different treatments are the most important ones, as they will really show their efficacy. Additionally, the investigations using aPDT for the treatment of halitosis show its effects immediately after treatment [ 7 , 21 , 22 ]. Furthermore, this trial was designed to be applied in the dental practice in the future, so the 7-day interval also represents a period in which patients could come back to the dental office, retake the halimetry and repeat the aPDT, if necessary.…”

“…To calculate the sample size, the data from the article by Costa da Mota et al [ 21 ] were used. We established an error , where and are the baseline values for periodontal treatment with aPDT.…”

Halitosis

“…Photodynamic therapy: Recent preliminary studies highlight the use of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for oral halitosis (Costa da Mota et al 2016). PDT involves the use of a non-toxic photosensitizer along with visible light that facilitates a state of excitation after absorbing photons and reacting with oxygen in a medium to cause reactive oxygen species.…”

“…This reaction results in a phototoxic effect on microbes providing antimicrobial activity to the tissues exposed to PDT. The dorsal tongue is targeted and treated, resulting in an antimicrobial effect on odor causing microbes, thus reducing oral malodor (Costa da Mota et al 2016;Lopes et al 2014Lopes et al , 2016.…”