Nanocarrier-based Drug Delivery Systems to Enhance Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy in Dental Applications: A Review

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance and oral dysbiosis often reduce the efficacy of conventional antimicrobial treatments. In addition, poor permeability and insufficient accumulation of therapeutic agents in biofilms are the main causes of failure in the treatment of oral infections. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a versatile therapeutic approach that uses light-activated photosensitizers to fight bacterial infections. When irradiated with light of a specific wavelength, photosensitizers generate reactive oxygen species that selectively damage microbial cells. However, most photosensitizers are poorly soluble in water, which limits their clinical application. Nanotechnology offers a promising solution by incorporating nanocarriers into PDT. Nanocarriers can play a crucial role in improving PDT by overcoming the limitations of conventional photosensitizers. They can encapsulate photosensitizers, protect them from premature degradation, and improve their penetration and delivery to target sites. In this review, different drug delivery systems based on nanocarriers are investigated to improve the efficacy of PDT in dental applications.

Keywords: Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy; Biofilms; Dental applications; Drug delivery; Nanocarriers; Oral infections.