Start-up develops light-based device to destroy oral bacteria

PhotOral has licensed patented technology from the Forsyth Institute to develop a novel intraoral device that uses blue light to target and destroy potentially harmful dental biofilm microorganisms.

The start-up company's goal is to have the first light-based intraoral cleaning device available by late 2012, according to PhotOral Founder and CEO Stamatis Astra.

In 2005, Nikos Soukos, DDS, PhD, and Max Goodson, DDS, PhD, of the Forsyth Institute, demonstrated the susceptibility of key periodontal pathogens to blue light, suggesting the potential use of phototherapy as a targeted antimicrobial method to control growth within the dental plaque environment (Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, April 2005, Vol. 49:4, pp. 1391-1396).

The institute will conduct PhotOral's clinical trials, according to the company.