Journal Article

Comparison of Riboflavin and Toluidine Blue O as Photosensitizers for Photoactivated Disinfection on Endodontic and Periodontal Pathogens In Vitro

Væth, Michael, Nielsen, Henrik Krarup, Schlafer, Sebastian, Garcia, Javier

2015

Overview

Photoactivated disinfection has a strong local antimicrobial effect. In the field of dentistry it is an emerging adjunct to mechanical debridement during endodontic and periodontal treatment. In the present study, we investigate the effect of photoactivated disinfection using riboflavin as a photosensitizer and blue LED light for activation, and compare it to photoactivated disinfection with the widely used combination of toluidine blue O and red light. Riboflavin is highly biocompatible and can be activated with LED lamps at hand in the dental office. To date, no reports are available on the antimicrobial effect of photoactivated disinfection using riboflavin/blue light on oral microorganisms. Planktonic cultures of eight organisms frequently isolated from periodontal and/or endodontic lesions (Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Candida albicans, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherischia coli, Lactobacillus paracasei, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia and Propionibacterium acnes) were subjected to photoactivated disinfection with riboflavin/blue light and toluidine blue O/red light, and survival rates were determined by CFU counts. Within the limited irradiation time of one minute, photoactivated disinfection with riboflavin/blue light only resulted in minor reductions in CFU counts, whereas full kills were achieved for all organisms when using toluidine blue O/red light. The black pigmented anaerobes P. gingivalis and P. intermedia were eradicated completely by riboflavin/blue light, but also by blue light treatment alone, suggesting that endogenous chromophores acted as photosensitizers in these bacteria. On the basis of our results, riboflavin cannot be recommended as a photosensitizer used for photoactivated disinfection of periodontal or endodontic infections.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans - drug effects / Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans - isolation & purification / Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans - radiation effects / Anaerobes / Antiinfectives and antibacterials / Antimicrobial agents / Bacteria / Biocompatibility / Biofilms / Candida albicans / Candida albicans - drug effects / Candida albicans - isolation & purification / Candida albicans - radiation effects / Chromophores / Colony Count, Microbial / Dental Pulp - microbiology / Dental Pulp - virology / Dental research / Dentistry / Disinfection / Disinfection - methods / E coli / Enterococcus faecalis - drug effects / Enterococcus faecalis - isolation & purification / Enterococcus faecalis - radiation effects / Escherichia coli - drug effects / Escherichia coli - isolation & purification / Escherichia coli - radiation effects / Irradiation / Lactobacillus - drug effects / Lactobacillus - isolation & purification / Lactobacillus - radiation effects / Lactobacillus paracasei / Lesions / Light / Light emitting diodes / Methods / Microorganisms / Mouth - microbiology / Mouth - virology / Periodontics / Photochemistry / Photosensitizing Agents - pharmacology / Physiological aspects / Porphyromonas gingivalis / Porphyromonas gingivalis - drug effects / Porphyromonas gingivalis - isolation & purification / Porphyromonas gingivalis - radiation effects / Prevotella intermedia - drug effects / Prevotella intermedia - isolation & purification / Prevotella intermedia - radiation effects / Propionibacterium acnes / Propionibacterium acnes - drug effects / Propionibacterium acnes - isolation & purification / Propionibacterium acnes - radiation effects / Radiation / Riboflavin / Riboflavin - pharmacology / Tolonium Chloride - pharmacology / Toluidine / Toluidine blue / Tooth Root - microbiology / Tooth Root - virology