Mechanical scaling and polishing are the conventional methods in treating periodontal diseases; however, due to difficulties in access to the irregular and furcation areas, it is impossible to be used as a sole means for calculus and bacterial deposit removal.(4) For this reason, adjunctive aids like systemic and local antibiotics are necessary to be administrated However, they have many adverse effects.(5) Another adjunctive aid like antibacterial photodynamic therapy (APDT), has been introduced to periodontology to achieve bacterial eradication, with minimum side effects.(6) APDT involves using visible light with an appropriate wavelength to kill microorganisms with a photosensitizing drug.(7) APDT could be an adjunctive aid to mechanical debridement in eliminating key periodontal pathogens. This therapy was specified as an oxygen-dependent photochemical reaction upon light-mediated activation of photosensitizing materials leading to cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, predominantly singlet oxygen.(8) The activity of APDT is dependent on the combination of a non-toxic photosensitizer and a specific wavelength of visible light, which is activated and can promote a phototoxic response in the presence of ambient oxygen.(9) APDT is characterized by ROS generation by PSs in response to photo illumination, which later causes cell death.(6)
Dental biofilm is a primary etiological factor for periodontal diseases.(1) The bacterial biofilm would induce recruitment of leucocytes, neutrophils, and T lymphocytes and the secretion of antibodies, lipopolysaccharides, and chemical inflammatory mediators such as cytokines and chemokines.(2) Thus, periodontal diseases can cause tissue destruction and results in deterioration of clinical parameters measures such as periodontal pockets depth, clinical attachment loss, bleeding on probing, bone destruction, and resulting ultimately in tooth loss.(3)