Phototherapy in health and dentistry: a literature review

Introduction: Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) associated with a photosensitizer (PS) nontoxic and sensitive to light, has been showing efficient results in several areas of health, owing to the selective destruction of cells. Objective: This study was literature review was to select articles that prove the method using Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) of improving health conditions and can be applied in the most diverse areas of health. Results: In this literature search, it was observed that a PDT when applied to health is very effective, as it fights cancer and microbial contamination. When applied in dentistry, especially in procedures in the areas of endodontics and periodontics, a great effect is perceived as an adjunct treatment and contributes to the reduction of infections caused by resistant bacteria. In addition, it has been shown that photodynamic inactivation (PDI) is not damaged as adjacent tissue cells. Conclusion: It can be seen through this literature review that a PDT is an excellent microbicide, beyond to working very well in the selective destruction of cells. However, this is an adjunctive treatment that always ceases to be combined with other procedures for greater effectiveness.