FYI: After being diagnosed with periodontal disease, bacteria, plaque and tarter (especially below the gum line) needs to be professionally removed to help control the disease process. The standard length of time between periodontal maintenance appointments is 3 months. That is the length of time it takes bacteria in the pockets to become destructive to the bone and supporting tissue. That's 4 cleanings per year.
While PerioProtect does amazing things, it does not take the place of a dental hygiene visit where bacteria, plaque and tarter are removed above and below the gum line. For some, the health of the periodontal tissue may be so improved with PerioProtect that periodontal maintenance can be performed every 4 months instead.
Now, there are also the infrequent cases of patients with extreme dental phobia. For those patients that are only going to come in once or twice a year because of the anxiety, PerioProtect definitely helps long-term. PerioProtect will not take the place of those missed visits, but it will slow down the effects of the missed appointments.
Next up: what the periodontal maintenance appointment entails and how it differs from a routine prophylaxis/cleaning.
There are a number of reasons why I would recommend PerioProtect:
1. It works!
2. It's pain free.
3. It's easy to use.
4. You can use it from work or home.
At first, I was a little skeptical as to how effective this treatment would be. I read all the published research. I talked first hand to dentists who had used it. I even looked into the studies they did that enabled the PerioProtect system to get FDA clearance. It really sounded just too good to be true. Then we tried it.
We first tried it on a few patients as a last resort before surgery with a periodontist. What I found was, the patients who used it, it worked remarkably well. Now, I would recommend it to anyone who has a history of gum disease! I have even prescribed PerioProtect for my wife.
Posted by: Frank Alexander DDS in Untagged on
Aug 20, 2008
FYI: PerioProtect is actually considered a medical device even though it is only slightly bulkier than bleaching trays.
PerioProtect is a medication delivery system that uses a custom medical device to push medications down in between the teeth and gums (sulcus).
The research has shown that each time this device is worn, 99% of the bacteria is killed within 15 minutes. How far does the medication penetrate? That depends on your periodontal probing depths (pockets). When the device is made, your probe depths are the guide the lab technician uses to determine how far the medication will go into the sulcus. The deeper the pocket, the farther the medication will be pushed.
The treatment times are 10-15 minutes each time the trays are worn. The amount of times they are to be worn during the day depends on the severity of your gum disease. Treatment times usually vary from 1-5 times per day.
Contact me if you have any questions about PerioProtect!
Most people think of periodontal (gum disease) treatment as being painful and involving surgery. Actually, there are many effective and pain free options for the majority of patients that do not involve surgery. Here are the non-surgical periodontal treatment options we offer:
- PerioProtect, the FDA cleared, pain free way of treating gum disease. For more info on this, read my blog tomorrow and Friday.
- Laser periodontal therapy. This treatment offers me additional ways of treating gum disease without surgery!
- Scaling and root planing. This name actually sounds worse than it is! My hygienists use topical numbing gel for this. For most patients, that works great. On occasion, we have patients that request or even need local anesthesia to ensure their continued comfort. If you are just nervous about the procedure I can additionally provide you with nitrous oxide (laughing gas). And, for more severe cases of anxiety, oral sedation can eliminate your dental anxiety.
Our website has even more information on these periodontal disease treatments. Also, I will discuss PerioProtect specifically in the next few days. It is one of the most amazing things I have seen in dentistry in my 30+ years experience.
Since gum disease is a bacterial infection of the bone and tissue surrounding the teeth, leaving the disease untreated can lead to:
- Bone loss around the teeth
- Loose teeth
- Eventual loss of teeth
Here are some other reasons to treat your gum condition. Periodontal (gum) disease has been linked to the following:
- Heart disease and stroke
- Diabetes
- COPD
- Preterm, low birth weight babies in mothers with gum disease
All these health problems are linked to periodontal disease. By treating gum disease, you may see an improvement in your overall health as well, especially if you have a history of diabetes or heart disease.
I have recently read a book that has some great information and would recommend. It is "Good Calories, Bad Calories," by Gary Taubes. Here's a quick breakdown of some of the info as it pertains to nutrition. I thought it would be a good ending to our month long nutrition blog!
- Dietary fat, whether saturated or not, is not a cause of obesity, heart disease, or any other chronic disease of our civilization.
- The problem is the carbohydrates in the diet, their effect on insulin secretion, and thus the hormonal regulation of homeostatis-the entire harmonic ensemble of the human body. The more easily digestible and refined the carbohydrates, the greater the effect on our health, weight, and well-being.
- Through their direct effect on insulin and blood sugar, refined carbohydrates, starches, and sugars, are the dietary cause of coronary heart disease and diabetes. They are the most likely dietary causes of cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and the other chronic diseases of civilization.
- Obesity is a disorder of excess fat accumulation, not overeating, and not sedentary behavior.
- Insulin is the primary regulator of fat storage. When insulin levels are elevated-either chronically or after a meal-we accumulate fat in our fat tissue. When insulin levels fall, we release fat from our fat tissue and use it for fuel.
- By stimulating insulin secretion, carbohydrates make us fat and ultimately cause obesity. The fewer carbohydrates we consume, the leaner we will be.
- By driving fat accumulation, carbohydrates also increase hunger and decrease the amount of energy we expend in metabolism and physical activity.
FYI: Recent research suggests that patients with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are at an increased risk for diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
- CRP levels rise dramatically during inflammatory processes that occur in the body.
- A simple lab test can be performed to detect the CRP level.
- This test is non-specific, but a good way to look at total body inflammation.
- CRP levels are considered by many researchers to be a more important sign of future heart and cardiovascular problems than cholesterol is.
Fish oil directly reduces the CRP levels and reduces the disruption caused by inflammation of the body. This appears to be the primary reason it fights off so many disease of aging.
FYI: Alpha lipoic acid is a powerful antioxidant and linked to human metabolism!
Long known for its sugar metabolism, alpha lipoic acid (ALA) has been shown to reduce hardening of the arteries, lower blood fats, help fight obesity and reduce inflammation. In lab studies, it also increases the metabolic rate causing a 20% reduction in the body weight of rats.
Lipoic acid is found in a variety of foods, notably kidney, heart and liver meats as well as spinach, broccoli and potatoes.
Since the 1990's lipoic acid has been used as an effective dietary supplement. Supplement doses generally range from 100-200 mg/day.
I have received numerous emails asking how to tell if a fish oil is pharmaceutical grade. Always look for fish oil that has been filtered. It will say that on the bottle. I prefer fish oil that has been multifiltered. Do a little checking too. Many companies also test their fish oil for heavy metals to make sure no mercury or other contaminants are present even after filtering.
Recent research has shown strong longevity benefits associated with Rhodiola (Golden Root). It is fast becoming the new resveratrol (red wine extract). Rhodiola, long known for its adaptogenic and stress relieving properties, has now been shown in lab studies to extend life span by 10%. Most likely this is due to the anti-free-radical effects, but more may be at work here as Rhodiola has been used to treat depression, high blood pressure, erectile dysfunction, and many different viral illnesses from flu to hepatitis.
