The Efficiency of Photodynamic Therapy in the Bacterial Decontamination of Periodontal Pockets and Its Impact on the Patient

Abstract

Research in the field of periodontal disease continues to focus on disease-associated microorganisms, as the microbial plaque and the host immune responses are considered to be important causative factors, that are highly responsible for the progression of this disease. The purpose of this article is to compare the reduction in the number of specific periodontopathogens in two test groups according to different therapeutic approaches in periodontal disease and to show possible differences. This article is based on a prospective clinical study involving eighteen subjects with forty-four average periodontal pockets assigned to study groups treated by two different methods, SRP and SRP followed by a single PDT application. Efficiency in removing specific bacterial species was evaluated by PCR testing, at baseline and immediately after treatment. The hypothesis that using SRP + aPDT results in an increased decontamination potential was confirmed statistically, when all five specific bacterial pathogens were investigated together. When the pathogens were considered separately, two of the five microorganisms tested were significantly lower in the SRP + PDT group (p < 0.00), and important germ counts reductions were also observed for the other three. There is also a statistically significant relation between the pain at 48 h postoperatively and the type of treatment the patients received, as resulted from the Questionnaire Form. Our results demonstrate that aPDT, as an adjunctive treatment to conservative mechanical cleaning of root surfaces at sites affected by periodontitis, represents an effective tool in terms of reducing specific periodontopathogen germs.

The Involvement of Photobiology in Contemporary Dentistry—A Narrative Review

“…Park et al [ 82 ] demonstrated the feasibility of toluidine blue O (TBO)-mediated PDT as a noninvasive supplementary method for the treatment of periodontitis. Many bacteria, including certain oral microbes, can be inactivated by PDT, according to some in vitro investigations [ 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 ]. Porphyromonas gingivalis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Prevotella intermedia , and Streptococcus sanguis , all of which have been linked to periodontal disease, were demonstrated to be strongly inhibited by aPDT under a variety of settings [ 87 ].…”

Role of oxidative stress in the relationship between periodontitis and systemic diseases

“…Periodontitis is triggered by a shift in the oral microbiome towards a community enriched in anaerobic Gram-negative bacteria ( Munteanu et al, 2022 ). These microorganisms are equipped with intrinsic virulence factors, including endotoxin and LPS, which is the main constituent of the Gram-negative bacterial outer membrane.…”

Preclinical Studies on the Safety and Toxicity of Photoditazine in the Antibacterial Photodynamic Therapy of Uropathogenic Bacteria

“…Currently, experimental and clinical studies on the treatment of purulent wounds and purulent septic complications of the ENT organs using PDT are being carried out [ 12 , 13 ]. The potential use of PDT in dentistry has also been shown [ 14 , 15 ]. Furthermore, antibacterial PDT is a promising technology for the treatment of chronic infections [ 16 , 17 , 18 ].…”