Lumoral® innovation
The European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) recommends both professional and home-based biofilm control for all periodontitis patients. Traditional photodynamic therapy (aPDT), however, has so far been limited to clinical use with lasers, which has made regular treatment both expensive and inaccessible.
Lumoral® changes this by bringing the method into the home with LED technology.
This makes it possible to carry out the treatment safely and regularly, which is essential for achieving a lasting effect. The full potential of aPDT can now be exploited in a cost-effective way that supports the patient's daily care.
Interdisciplinary expertise behind it
Lumoral® is developed and produced by the Finnish company Koite Health, where an expert team of dentists, doctors, engineers and chemists stands behind the technology. The product design is by Harri Koskinen.
The method is built on interdisciplinary research and solid medical evidence. The technology, products and recommendations are all documented as effective and developed with a focus on ease of use and safety for home use.
Lumoral® is an MDR-approved medical device.
The History of Lumoral
2016
The mission of a cardiac surgeon
In 2016, cardiac surgeon Tommi Pätilä performed a complex heart operation at Helsinki University Hospital. Samples from the patient's heart muscle showed that complications were caused by oral bacteria. Pätilä immediately recognized the need for a new approach: he never again wanted to operate on a heart compromised by oral bacteria.
Up to 95% of oral diseases can be attributed to plaque formation. Although mechanical toothbrushing is an effective tool, it removes a maximum of 50–65% of plaque. Dr. Pätilä therefore recognized the necessity of supplementary strategies to target the remaining plaque and reduce the oral bacterial load that can affect both local and systemic health.
The meeting
A significant meeting
Around the same time, Pätilä met Sakari Nikinmaa, a civil engineer working on the Biodesign project at the Children’s Hospital. Nikinmaa was looking for a new, exciting project and was immediately interested in Pätilä’s observations. Together with Nikinmaa and the Biodesign team, they decided to take action. They established a research group at Aalto University, which initiated extensive technical and antibacterial studies.
The team
Important collaboration
The group invited some of the world's leading experts in physics, chemistry, and odontology. World-class expertise was also brought in from the field of technology. Juha Rantala, an internationally recognized semiconductor chemist, joined the team. Rantala has extensive experience in the application of antibacterial blue light. Similarly, the expertise of Saija Perovuo, a laboratory analyst at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, was crucial for the development of Lumoral.
Innovation
Innovation
Extensive trials showed that by combining carefully selected light wavelengths with light-activated mouthwashes, a highly effective but localised antibacterial effect could be achieved. We developed innovative LED components with precisely selected wavelengths. After thousands of in vitro experiments, the parameters were optimised, and we were finally able to present a concrete treatment method: Lumoral, designed by Harri Koskinen.
Clinical trials
The Start
Under the leadership of Professor Timo Sorsa, extensive clinical studies were initiated across Europe. Randomized studies confirmed that the theory holds. When plaque bacteria are regularly inactivated as a supplement to other treatment, current treatment recommendations for periodontitis are significantly improved.
Success
International breakthrough
Lumoral has attracted significant international interest. Lumoral has attracted significant international interest. The treatment targets bacteria in plaque and supports the natural healing of the gums without disturbing the healthy bacterial flora. It enhances daily oral hygiene and supplements ongoing professional treatment, while also helping to prevent future dental problems.
The team continues its scientific work with ongoing studies in academic environments worldwide and has shown that Lumoral can benefit many patient groups with difficult-to-treat oral diseases.
How Lumoral® works
Lumoral® combines four biomodulatory effects in one effective treatment.
Photobiomodulation (PBM) 810 nm
810 nm light stimulates the mitochondria in gingival cells and increases their ATP production. This reduces inflammation and promotes tissue healing – a method used clinically to treat inflammation of the oral mucosa, among other things.
Photothermal effect (aPTT)
Indocyanine green binds to bacterial biofilm and is activated by 810 nm light. The energy is converted into heat, which breaks down the biofilm and the bacterial cell membranes. The heat also stimulates saliva production.
Photodynamic effect (aPDT)
The same dye also produces a small amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) when exposed to light, supporting the photothermal effect. This antibacterial action is effective within biofilm as well.
Antibacterial blue light (aBL) 405 nm
Blue light activates the bacteria's own porphyrins, reinforcing the effect of both the aPTT and aPDT treatments. Because the method attacks the bacteria's natural structures, they cannot develop resistance to Lumoral® treatment.
Documented effect
✓ Effective treatment of gingivitis, periodontitis and peri-implantitis
✓ Can be used regularly without risk of bacterial resistance
✓ Non-invasive and well tolerated
✓ Reduces plaque and calculus
✓ Reduces inflammation
✓ Reduces periodontal pockets
✓ Promotes long-term oral hygiene
✓ Easy to use, even for older people and children
Benefits for the professional
Lumoral® improves the management of oral inflammation and makes more patients ready for treatment.
- Twice the effect: In a 6-month clinical study (n=200), more than twice as many patients achieved healthy gums compared with standard treatment. This means patients with periodontitis can start implant or orthodontic treatment sooner.
- Control in everyday life: The treatment works consistently between dental visits, as the biofilm is kept under daily control. This reduces the risk of periodontitis and of peri-implantitis recurrence.
- Targeted support: Lumoral® is ideal for periodontal, implant and orthodontic patients. In gingivitis or peri-implant mucositis, the effect can be increased by using Lumoral® daily as an intensive course.
In practice this means more predictable treatment, more satisfied patients and fewer complications.
When inflammation is managed better at home, treatment proceeds more easily and results become more predictable. This improves the patient experience and reduces the cost of failed treatments.
Would you like to become a partner clinic?
Contact us here:
See more sides of Lumoral
