Biophotonics in oral health: bridging light-based innovation and clinical practice
- 1JB-Consulting, Nice, France
Abstract
Biophotonics is reshaping oral healthcare by transitioning light-based technologies from isolated procedural applications toward integrated diagnostic, therapeutic, and regenerative strategies. Among these approaches, photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy has achieved substantial clinical visibility due to its capacity to modulate inflammation, pain, mitochondrial metabolism, vascular responses, and tissue repair without producing destructive thermal effects. While oral and oropharyngeal mucositis represent the most clinically and quantitatively mature models for PBM, its applications now encompass salivary dysfunction, periodontal therapy, oral surgery, temporomandibular disorders (TMD), implant osseointegration, orthodontics, and inflammatory mucosal conditions. However, translating positive biological outcomes into routine practice remains limited by substantial heterogeneity in device architectures, wavelengths, beam profiles, and reporting standards. This comprehensive narrative review examines the physical, clinical, and dosimetric landscape of oral biophotonics. We address critical gaps in current literature—including reporting shortfalls, negative clinical trials, and general safety risks—and outline the technological evolution toward target-tissue dosimetry. By integrating computational photon-transport models, biological monitoring, and artificial intelligence-assisted dosimetry, we propose a transitional framework toward precision oral photomedicine, wherein anatomical and optical tissue properties guide individualized, patient-centered light delivery.
Related
- Bridging the knowledge-to-practice gap in G6PD deficiency: Implications for maternal and child health in the Philippines
- Cardiovascular Assessment Before Kidney Transplantation: Bridging the Gap Between Guidelines and Clinical Practice
- Proceedings of the 2025 Society for Research into Hydrocephalus and Spina Bifida Annual Scientific Meeting: Bridging Innovation and Collaboration in Hydrocephalus and Spina Bifida
- Cardiac screening in the armed forces: bridging policy and practice through expert consensus
- Managing Cardiac Amyloidosis in a Rural Cardiology Practice: Bridging Gaps in Specialized Evaluation and Disease-Modifying Treatment
BibTeX
@article{bensadoun2026biophotonics,
title = {{Biophotonics in oral health: bridging light-based innovation and clinical practice}},
author = {R. J. Bensadoun and K. Lairedj and B. R. Carlotti},
journal = {Frontiers in Oral Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/froh.2026.1978161},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/froh.2026.1978161},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Biophotonics in oral health: bridging light-based innovation and clinical practice
AU - R. J. Bensadoun
AU - K. Lairedj
AU - B. R. Carlotti
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/28
JO - Frontiers in Oral Health
DO - 10.3389/froh.2026.1978161
UR - https://doi.org/10.3389/froh.2026.1978161
AB - Biophotonics is reshaping oral healthcare by transitioning light-based technologies from isolated procedural applications toward integrated diagnostic, therapeutic, and regenerative strategies. Among these approaches, photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy has achieved substantial clinical visibility due to its capacity to modulate inflammation, pain, mitochondrial metabolism, vascular responses, and tissue repair without producing destructive thermal effects. While oral and oropharyngeal mucositis represent the most clinically and quantitatively mature models for PBM, its applications now encompass salivary dysfunction, periodontal therapy, oral surgery, temporomandibular disorders (TMD), implant osseointegration, orthodontics, and inflammatory mucosal conditions. However, translating positive biological outcomes into routine practice remains limited by substantial heterogeneity in device architectures, wavelengths, beam profiles, and reporting standards. This comprehensive narrative review examines the physical, clinical, and dosimetric landscape of oral biophotonics. We address critical gaps in current literature—including reporting shortfalls, negative clinical trials, and general safety risks—and outline the technological evolution toward target-tissue dosimetry. By integrating computational photon-transport models, biological monitoring, and artificial intelligence-assisted dosimetry, we propose a transitional framework toward precision oral photomedicine, wherein anatomical and optical tissue properties guide individualized, patient-centered light delivery.
SN - 2673-4842
ER -