title: Photodynamic therapy for endodontic disinfection.
abstract: The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT) on endodontic pathogens in planktonic phase as well as on Enterococcus faecalis biofilms in experimentally infected root canals of extracted teeth. Strains of microorganisms were sensitized with methylene blue (25 microg/ml) for 5 minutes followed by exposure to red light of 665 nm with an energy fluence of 30 J/cm2. Methylene blue fully eliminated all bacterial species with the exception of E. faecalis (53% killing). The same concentration of methylene blue in combination with red light (222 J/cm2) was able to eliminate 97% of E. faecalis biofilm bacteria in root canals using an optical fiber with multiple cylindrical diffusers that uniformly distributed light at 360 degrees. We conclude that PDT may be developed as an adjunctive procedure to kill residual bacteria in the root canal system after standard endodontic treatment.
authors.affiliation: Applied Molecular Photomedicine Laboratory, The Forsyth Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 02115-3799, USA. nsoukos@forsyth.org
authors.forename: Nikolaos S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Soukos
authors.forename: Peter Shih-Yao
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jason T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Karriann
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ruggiero
authors.forename: Abraham D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Abernethy
authors.forename: Sovanda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Som
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Foschi
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Doucette
authors.forename: Lili Luschke
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Bammann
authors.forename: Carla Raquel
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Fontana
authors.forename: Apostolos G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Doukas
authors.forename: Philip P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Stashenko
mesh_terms: D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003786:Dental Pulp Cavity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology; D003788:Dental Pulp Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000187:drug effects; D016967:Fusobacterium nucleatum / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008751:Methylene Blue / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010462:Peptostreptococcus / Q000187:drug effects; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D045202:Porphyromonas endodontalis / Q000187:drug effects; D016966:Porphyromonas gingivalis / Q000187:drug effects; D018713:Prevotella intermedia / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D008751:Methylene Blue