Characterization of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy-treated Streptococci mutans: an atomic force microscopy study.

Unlabelled: Abstract Objective: The aim of the present study was to examine the size and shape of Streptococcus mutans bacterial cells of infected dentin substrate subjected to photodynamic therapy (PDT) using atomic force microscopy (AFM).

Background Data: New trends in the application of AFM have been developed in the field of dentistry, making AFM a useful technique in high resolution imaging of biological structures and processes.

Materials And Methods: PDT was completed using an efficient light-emitting diode source (LED - λ=620-660 nm) with total light dose of 94 J/cm(2) in the presence of the photosensitizer toluidine blue O (TBO).