Abstract
The significant growth in scientific and technological advancements within the field of dentistry has resulted in a wide range of novel treatment modalities for dentists to use. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an emerging, non-invasive treatment method, involving photosensitizers, light of a specific wavelength and the generation of singlet oxygen and reactive oxygen species (ROS) to eliminate unwanted eukaryotic cells (e.g., malignancies in the oral cavity) or pathogenic microorganisms. The aim of this review article is to summarize the history, general concepts, advantages and disadvantages of PDT and to provide examples for current indications of PDT in various subspecialties of dentistry (oral and maxillofacial surgery, oral medicine, endodontics, preventive dentistry, periodontology and implantology), in addition to presenting some images from our own experiences about the clinical success with PDT.
Highlights
The significant growth in scientific and technological advancements within the field of dentistry has resulted in a wide range of novel treatment modalities that are available for dentists to use; these advancements have revolutionized the dental care of patients in the 21st century [1,2,3]
One such advancement is the use of photodynamic therapy (PDT), which is an emerging, non-invasive treatment method, involving chemical agents as photosensitizers (PS), light of a specific wavelength and the generation of singlet oxygen (1 O2 ) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the presence of endogenous molecular oxygen to eliminate unwanted eukaryotic cells or pathogenic microorganisms [4,5]
The results showed that alveolar osteitis remained in 1 out of the 50 cases for the group that was treated with PDT, yet this was the case for 13 patients
Summary
PDT is a therapeutic alternative, combining photophysical and photochemical processes, resulting in biological effects [27]. In order to take effect, photosensitizers require activation by a well-defined wavelength of light, which will initiate the mechanism needed to target and eradicate unhealthy tissue [30]. Regarding their chemical structure, PSs are usually macrocyclic compounds with a heterocyclic ring structure that is similar to chlorophyll or heme, other PSs have been described, e.g., some pharmaceutical compounds possessing photosensitizing effects (e.g., phenothiazines, sulfonamides, psorales, hypericin) (Figure 1) [29,30]. The possible development of photosensitizers with longer activation wavelengths will allow for deeper tissue penetration
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