Superhydrophobic Implantable Surface and D Printing Technology for Targeted Dental Photodynamic Therapy

Project Summary Abstract
Eradication of bacteria that are located in periodontal pockets is a daunting challenge to
dentists and oral care professionals Doxycycline or minocycline with scaling and root
planing Sandamp RP have been the mainstays but the field urgently needs further advances in
perio bacteria eradication A high precision photochemical implement that could be used
simultaneously with Sandamp RP would reduce or eliminate these problems
The development of a device for the precise delivery of reactive singlet oxygen would be
a major breakthrough for periodontal photodynamic therapy PDT The device tip is
superhydrophobic and capable of delivering singlet oxygen a cytotoxic excited state of
molecular oxygen in a controllable fashion The device offers precise delivery of singlet
oxygen to hypoxic bacterial pockets creating a highly localized killing zone
We have developed an innovative superhydrophobic tipped device which can be inserted
at the infection site The tip discharges singlet oxygen at the infection site and nowhere
else in the mouth The objective of this proposal is to design device tips and validate their
use in vitro with hypoxic mixed cultures and saliva biofilms Project Narrative
A large market opportunity exists for an efficient and consumer friendly gum health therapy because of
the critical and longstanding problem of periodontal diseases worldwide The proposed project is the
first step in development of a superhydrophobic surface SHS photodynamic therapy PDT that will
add to the tools we have at present to treat anaerobic bacteria in perio pockets in general The device
is capable of delivering singlet oxygen in a highly localized and controllable fashion without the
sensitizer coming in direct contact with the tissue The objective of this proposal is to design
superhydrophobic device tips and validate their use in vitro with mixed cultures anaerobic P gingivalis
B forsythus and F nucleatum and human saliva biofilms on hydroxyapatite discs