Perspectives of using photodynamic therapy as antimicrobial therapy in endodontics

In times of multidrug resistance of bacteria, photodynamic therapy (PDT) seems to be promising in many fields of medicine, including endodontics, especially in the case of previous failures of root canal treatment and periapical lesions formation. PDT is based on the use of a light source and photosensitizers (PSs). Irradiation caused by the appropriately selected wavelength of light initiates the formation of singlet oxygen and/or free radicals, which provides the antimicrobial activity responsible for effective disinfection. In this manuscript, we compare the findings from all available papers of authors who perform their research in vivo. Despite the fact that they conducted their research in various ways, the results obtained in the course of these studies indicated an effective antibacterial effect of PDT in endodontic treatment. The second part of our work focuses on the perspectives of finding the best PSs that are used in PDT method with great expectations for materials based on graphene oxide as those which are not only carriers but also factors influencing the increase in the efficiency of the particles attached to them. Copyright (C) 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.