Oral health relies on a diverse and balanced microbial community. Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) is a keystone pathogen that triggers inflammation and disrupts this balance. Such disruption can damage the bone supporting the teeth and eventually lead to tooth loss.

“Current treatments for periodontitis, including antibiotics and antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT), eliminate both pathogenic and beneficial oral bacteria,” said Kazuhide Sato, one of the corresponding authors and a lecturer at Nagoya University.