Laser As An Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy In Endodontics - Literature Review

Introduction: LASER ( Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) is an important evolving tool in dentistry which has its implication mainly in contamination control, caries removal, tissue removal, tissue decontamination, melanin depigmentation, teeth brightening, haemostasis and coagulation. In endodontics LASERS are mainly used to disinfect the root canals ,as the success of root canal treatment depends on the complete elimination of the endodontic microorganisms which is achieved by the physical methods to agitate the irrigation fluids to improve their penetration in areas which are not reached by the endodontic instruments.Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy is based on use of a chemical photosensitive dye,visible light and reactive oxygen. Aim: The aim of this review is to evaluate the available literature both in invivo and invitro for effectiveness of Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy in endodontics. Materials And Methods: Literature search was conducted using databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar with the keywords “photodynamic therapy,” “antimicrobial photodynamic therapy,” or “photoactivated disinfection” and “endodontic,” “Enterococcus faecalis,” or “root canal treatment. Results: According to literatures, aPDT can be used as an adjuvant with conventional chemomechanical preparation in endodontics for canal disinfection.However the success of this aPDT also depends on the type of photosensitizer, output power of the laser used, irradiation time, pre-irradiation time, and type of tips used.