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Updated: Jul 9, 2026

An In Vitro Approach to Photodynamic Therapy
Published on: August 17, 2018
Temperature rise during photo-activated disinfection of root canals
B Dickers1, L Lamard, A Peremans
1Department of Dental Sciences, Polyclinique Brull, Faculty of Medicine, University of Liege, Quai Godfroid Kurth, Liege, Belgium.
Abstract:
The aim of this study was to determine whether it is safe to use photo-activated disinfection (PAD) during root canal treatment without heating the periodontal tissues. Root canals of 30 freshly extracted single-rooted teeth were prepared using ProFiles up to size ISO 40 and then filled with photo-sensitiser: tolonium blue (1.2 mg/l). The 635 nm diode laser was used with the manufacturer's endo-tip. Samples were irradiated for 150 s (output power 100 mW, approximate energy density 106.16 J/cm(2)). Temperatures were recorded at working length on the external root surface. After 150 s of PAD irradiation, the average temperature rise was 0.16 +/- 0.08 degrees C. All values were lower than the 7 degrees C safety level for periodontal injury. It was concluded that, regarding the temperature increase, the use of PAD in root canals could be considered harmless for periodontal tissues.
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