Evidence map›Paper›PMID 19602126›Full record

ArticleJournal of periodontal research2009

The antibacterial effect of photodynamic therapy in dental plaque-derived biofilms.

C R Fontana, A D Abernethy, S Som, K Ruggiero, S Doucette, R C Marcantonio, C I Boussios, R Kent, J M Goodson, A C R Tanner and 1 more

Open access · greenAbstract readComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of periodontal research, 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 76 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
76citing papers in PubMed, 8 pooled it
9.8field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

76 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 234 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  14. Article
  15. The Efficacy of Photodynamic Therapy againstActa medica Philippina · 2025
    Article
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  17. Review
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  19. Review
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16 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

C R FontanaApplied Molecular Photomedicine Laboratory, The Forsyth Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
A D Abernethy
S Som
K Ruggiero
S Doucette
R C Marcantonio
C I Boussios
R Kent
J M Goodson
A C R Tanner
N S Soukos
Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) · BRCollaborative Group (United States) · USMassachusetts Institute of Technology · US

Funding

Photodynamic Therapy for Endodontic DisinfectionR01DE016922 · NIDCR · ADA FORSYTH INSTITUTE, INC. · PI SOUKOS, NIKOLAOS · 2006 to 2009
$1.5M
Photosensitization of Oral BacteriaR01DE014360 · NIDCR · FORSYTH INSTITUTE · PI SOUKOS, NIKOLAOS · 2002 to 2004
$868k
NIDCR NIH HHS R01 DE014360NIDCR NIH HHS R01 DE016922NIDCR NIH HHS R01-DE-14360NIDCR NIH HHS R01-DE-16922
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

objectivePhotodynamic therapy has been advocated as an alternative to antimicrobial agents to suppress subgingival species and to treat periodontitis. Bacteria located within dense biofilms, such as those encountered in dental plaque, have been found to be relatively resistant to antimicrobial therapy. In the present study, we investigated the ability of photodynamic therapy to reduce the number of bacteria in biofilms by comparing the photodynamic effects of methylene blue on human dental plaque microorganisms in the planktonic phase and in biofilms. MATERIAL AND

methodsDental plaque samples were obtained from 10 subjects with chronic periodontitis. Suspensions of plaque microorganisms from five subjects were sensitized with methylene blue (25 microg/mL) for 5 min then exposed to red light. Multispecies microbial biofilms developed from the same plaque samples were also exposed to methylene blue (25 microg/mL) and the same light conditions as their planktonic counterparts. In a second set of experiments, biofilms were developed with plaque bacteria from five subjects, sensitized with 25 or 50 microg/mL of methylene blue and then exposed to red light. After photodynamic therapy, survival fractions were calculated by counting the number of colony-forming units.

resultsPhotodynamic therapy killed approximately 63% of bacteria present in suspension. By contrast, in biofilms, photodynamic therapy had much less of an effect on the viability of bacteria (32% maximal killing).

conclusionOral bacteria in biofilms are affected less by photodynamic therapy than bacteria in the planktonic phase. The antibacterial effect of photodynamic therapy is reduced in biofilm bacteria but not to the same degree as has been reported for treatment with antibiotics under similar conditions.

Indexed as

PhotochemotherapyBacteriaBacteriological TechniquesBicuspidBiofilmsChronic PeriodontitisColony Count, MicrobialDental PlaqueHumansLasers, SemiconductorMethylene BlueMicroscopy, ConfocalMolarPeriodontal PocketPhotosensitizing AgentsRadiation DosageMethylene BluePhotosensitizing Agents

Identifiers

PMID19602126
PMCPMC2784141
OpenAlexW2062347344

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.