Antimicrobial photodynamic treatment of oral infections
Ellen Bruzell, Anne Bee Hegge and Hanne Hjorth Tønnesen | August 31st 2013
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The increased occurrence of antibiotic resistance in general necessitates development of alternative antimicrobial drugs or methods. Further, certain cases of periodontitis respond poorly to conventional treatment. The principle of photodynamic therapy, currently used against certain cancers, may be a practical treatment modality for oral infections, presumably with low possibility for development of resistance. The treatment requires the presence of light-absorbing molecules (photosensitizer; PS) and irradiation with a light source emission that spectrally matches the light-absorption of the PS.