Molecular Diagnosis and Therapy of Dental Caries by Oral Microbiome-Selective Aggregation-Induced Photosensitivity

Abstract

Dental caries represents one of the most widespread oral bacterial infections, affecting billions of individuals worldwide and presenting significant public health challenges. Effective diagnosis and treatment are hindered by the limitations of traditional clinical treatment methodologies, which often involve laborious examinations and invasive procedures. In this study, we employ an aggregation-induced emission probe, MeOTpy, for instant molecular detection and photodynamic treatment of dental caries. MeOTpy interacts specifically with cariogenic bacteria, exhibiting bright fluorescence upon binding to bacteria and generating reactive oxygen species under white light irradiation. This aggregation-induced photosensitivity enables rapid assessment of carious disease through fluorescent detection in dental plaque samples, facilitating easy identification of lesion sites in decayed teeth treated with MeOTpy. Furthermore, photodynamic inhibition of cariogenic biofilms is achieved by culturing ex vivo biofilms isolated from children with severe early childhood caries. MeOTpy also effectively prevents dental caries while preserving oral microbial diversity in a cariogenic infection model on rat pups. This study presents an integrated strategy for the precise diagnosis and treatment of dental caries at the point of care.