Enterococcus faecalis is a facultative anaerobic Gram + bacterium responsible of secondary endodontic infections and known for its resistance to traditional root canal disinfection methods.
The study regarded ex vivo experiments where root canals were infected for 8 days with E. faecalis ATCC 29212 and treated with the simultaneous use of a novel aminolaevulinic-acid gel (ALAD) and red irradiation using a special intracanal fiber, in comparison with traditional treatment with NaOCl. The results showed that the combination of 5% aminolevulinic acid and 7 minutes of red light was effective in reducing the bacterial growth; it represents an alternative treatment for root canal disinfection method that could potentially improve the success rate of root canal treatment and reduce the risk of reinfection.
For this reason, photodynamic therapy could be considered as an antimicrobial strategy used in endodontic treatment that can be applied in single or several sessions, also avoiding the problem of antimicrobial resistance.
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