EFFECTS OF ANTIMICROBIAL PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY MEDIATED BY METHYLENE BLUE AND PROTOTYPE EQUIPMENT FOR IRRADIATION OF ACRYLIC RESIN PROSTHETIC DEVICES

This study evaluated the antimicrobial effect and technical feasibility of photodynamic therapy (PDT) mediated by the photosensitizer methylene blue at 22 μM and irradiation using a prototype device with eight 630 nm, 1 W light-emitting diodes (LEDs), targeting contamination present in acrylic dentures before installation. PDT reduced viable bacteria (p = 0.0002) compared to the irradiated group and reduced viable fungi compared to the untreated and irradiated groups (p = 0.0002). The most prevalent bacteria identified were P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae, and E. coli, and PDT significantly decreased their counts (p < 0.001), with an effect similar to chlorhexidine (p > 0.05). The proposed PDT protocol for acrylic resin devices demonstrated promising antimicrobial effects and technical feasibility.