Generation and characterization of different liquids activated with plasma for use in endodontic treatment

Abstract

This project aims to investigate the generation of Plasma-Activated Liquid (PAL) for dentistry applications. Due to its promising potential, there is a pressing need to develop a pilot-scale PAL system that can generate tangible results in the field of dentistry. This postdoctoral project will concentrate on: (i) developing and characterizing a system to generate various types of PAL, and (ii) applying these plasma-activated liquids to endodontic treatments. Techniques such as mass spectrometry and optical emission spectroscopy will be utilized to study the physical and chemical properties of the generated plasmas and their interaction with PAL. In microbiological tests, argon/air plasmas will be applied to physiological solution, deionized water, and distilled water and their antimicrobial activity against dual-species biofilms of Candida albicans (SC 5314) and Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212) will be evaluated. Upon determining the optimal conditions for biofilm inactivation, experiments will be conducted where the dual-species biofilms will be grown in the root canal of 50 single-rooted bovine teeth fragments and treated with PAL. Through microbiological and plasma-treated liquid analyses, the actions of PAL on microorganisms will be explored and a protocol for its use in dentistry will be established. Lastly, a PAL generation system will be devised for use in dental clinics.