Fluorescence-aided root canal treatment: Real-time bacterial visualization with the ZEISS EXTARO 300

Dr. Kitamaru evaluates fluorescence-aided root canal treatment as a real-time visualization approach during endodontic procedures. The technique uses the natural autofluorescence of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) - a bacterial metabolite emitting a red signal under violet light (405 nm) - to identify areas of bacterial persistence without any additional reagents. Using the Fluorescence Mode of the ZEISS EXTARO 300 dental microscope, PpIX fluorescence was detected in 56% of cases, particularly in anatomically complex regions. The author concludes that fluorescence-aided root canal treatment serves as a practical, reagent-free complementary tool that enhances intraoperative decision-making and supports more thorough decontamination, especially in retreatment cases and teeth with larger periapical lesions.

^{Source: Keisuke Saigusa, Tatsuya Hasegawa, Katofumi Koyanagi, Natsuki Saigusa, Nobuya Sato, Hisao Yagishita, Kazuo Kitamura. Protoporphyrin IX fluorescence for real-time visualization of bacterial persistence during root canal treatment, Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy, Volume 58, April 2026}