Dual-light photodynamic therapy helps kill oral bacteria

Dental Tribune International

Thu. 27 February 2020

save

ESPOO, Finland: Regular toothbrushing helps maintain good oral health, but does not completely prevent the occurrence of oral disease. To help kill Streptococcus mutans bacteria and the harmful oral bacteria that cause gingivitis, researchers from Koite Health in Finland are launching a method intended for home use. The method involves using antibacterial photodynamic therapy and antibacterial blue light to reduce the markers indicating early gingivitis and plaque formation.

“Dental diseases are caused by the combined effect of the bacterial community, and Streptococcus mutans plays a key role in dental caries. For plaque, mutans is a bit like the first violin that starts a concert. It adheres to the tooth first and opens the door for other bacteria,” said co-founder of Koite Health Dr Tommi Pätilä, associate professor in paediatric heart surgery and organ transplantation in the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa, in a press release.

According to the researchers, bacteria living in the mouth are resistant to the antibacterial blue light because they are protected by various sugars. However, the combination of a photosensitive solution and the wavelength of dual light affects the bacteria’s internal structures.

In the study, the participants were administered a mouthwash containing a light-absorbing compound and were asked to rinse the mouth with it for 30 seconds. The substance was then activated with a photosensitiser placed between the teeth. The dual-light therapy was administered to the entire dental area for 10 minutes. “The photosensitive substance in the effervescent tablet adheres to the surface structures of the bacteria. Red light activates the substance and initiates a chain reaction that kills the bacteria. Antibacterial blue light administered at the same time significantly enhances the effect,” Pätilä explained.

The product was applied to the canines on one side of the mouth once a day, and the teeth on the other side of the mouth were left untreated. The data showed that there was less plaque formation and other markers of periodontitis on the side that received the treatment.

Although thorough oral hygiene is the most effective way to prevent dental disease, the researchers believe that dual-light therapy is particularly beneficial to people with aggressive strains of dental bacteria, chronic disease or diseases such as arthritis. Other high-risk groups include children and cancer patients. “Although dental care is generally better than earlier, the cost of oral diseases is around $442 billion globally,” said Sakari Nikinmaa, co-founder and CEO of Koite Health, in a press release.

“We especially hope that the product we’ve developed will help maintain the oral health of cancer patients who are undergoing intensive treatments and prevent gingivitis in diabetics. Diabetes causes a tenfold increase in the risk of gingivitis,” Nikinmaa concluded.

Dual-light therapy designed for home use will be launched for consumers in early 2020.

The study, titled “Dual-light photodynamic therapy administered daily provides a sustained antibacterial effect on biofilm and prevents Streptococcus mutans adaptation”, was published online on 9 January 2020 in bioRxiv.

Tags:

To post a reply please login or register

The future of dentistry: What will oral care look like in 2040?

Smart toothbrushes and intra-oral sensors that continually monitor biomarkers in the oral cavity, efficient and free dental services based on preventive and...

Oral mucosal cells help to cure blindness

OSLO, Norway: Findings from the University of Oslo give hope to individuals suffering from impaired vision due to stem cell deficiency of the cornea. Using ...

Periodontitis-causing bacteria could trigger cancer

HELSINKI, Finland: Researchers in Finland have investigated the role of a bacterium strongly associated with periodontitis in the development of oral and ...

Periodontitis increases risk of bacteria in donated blood

COPENHAGEN, Denmark: Recent research from the University of Copenhagen and Næstved Hospital in Denmark has demonstrated that periodontitis leads to an ...

Guided Biofilm Therapy shines at EuroPerio10

COPENHAGEN, Denmark: EMS is currently presenting its evidence-based Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT) at EuroPerio10, focusing on modern oral prevention. To ...

Guided applications for partial extraction therapy

Dental implants to replace missing teeth have become an integral part of current conventional dentistry. Accepted protocols now include two-stage delayed ...

Interview: “Using cell therapy for bone regeneration is promising”

Prof. Kamal Mustafa from the Department of Clinical Dentistry at the University of Bergen in Norway is sponsoring and leading, together with Dr Cecilie ...

Functional aesthetic speech therapy: Synergy between dentistry and aesthetic medicine?

Aesthetic medicine is increasingly taking on a global connotation of harmony and balance, defined certainly by historically evolved and shared canons, but ...

Norwegian study focuses on dog-assisted therapy in the dental practice

TROMSØ, Norway: To help with the lowering of stress and anxiety in some patients who find undergoing dental treatment difficult, dogs have been introduced ...

What will dental events look like in 2021?

LEIPZIG, Germany: It is hard to overstate the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on dental trade fairs in 2020. From March onwards, essentially all ...

Education

Live webinar
Monday, 22. April 2024
16:00 CET (Oslo)