Antimicrobial therapy using VIS plus water-filtered infrared-A as an alternative method to treat oral diseases

Future Microbiol. 2024 Feb:19:241-254. doi: 10.2217/fmb-2023-0127. Epub 2024 Jan 31.

Abstract

Oral biofilm is the main cause of pathologies affecting the hard and soft oral tissues around teeth. Its main components are the periodontal pathogens and other bacteria of the supragingival and subgingival biofilm. Different alternative strategies that could be adjuvants to the usual periodontal treatments used to eliminate biofilms are available. One of these methods is antimicrobial photodynamic therapy using VIS and water-filtered infrared-A combined with a photosensitizer. In this review, different recent studies were collected to evaluate the antimicrobial effects of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy and the effectiveness of different types of photosensitizers.

Keywords: antimicrobial photodynamic therapy; biofilm; innovation technology; oral diseases; photosensitizer.

Plain language summary

This review summarizes different types of photodynamic therapy, a type of treatment that uses light to kill cells, which can be used to decontaminate the mouth and teeth. There are many bacteria in our mouths and on the surface of our teeth that can cause infections, such as dental caries, periodontitis and peri-implantitis. This review also looks at how effective these treatments are and suggests the use of clinical trials to confirm our findings.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Infective Agents* / pharmacology
  • Biofilms
  • Photochemotherapy* / methods
  • Photosensitizing Agents / pharmacology
  • Water / pharmacology

Substances

  • Water
  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Photosensitizing Agents