Perio Protect

Treating your Gums

The two broad categories of gum disease include Gingivitis, which is inflammation and infection of the soft gums alone and Periodontitis which involves inflammation and infection of the soft gums and involvement of the bone and ligaments that provide support and attachment for the teeth.

Treatment begins by removing the hardened deposits of tartar or calculus that have accumulated. This is done through a therapy called scaling and root planning. This usually takes 1 to 4 sessions, sometimes with medications to avoid discomfort if the patient's gums are overly sensitive. Once this is finished the patient is followed to monitor healing and determine how often the patient needs to return to prevent repeated harmful build-up of tartar and plaque.

If the disease involves mainly inflammation due to physical irritation from the tartar and minor infection, this will usually control the disease. If generalized problems persist, additional treatment maybe recommended. This may include a home based treatment called Perio-Protect. Perio-Protect works by recognizing that although periodontitis is caused by the germs in the mouth, the actual damage is the result of your body's overreaction to the germs that destroys the ligaments and bone. If we were to take a sample of the tissue from a person's mouth with periodontal disease, we would not find bacteria/germs in the tissue (except in cases where abscesses have formed). The germs are living in an environment within the pockets producing toxins and it is the body's reaction to these toxins and germs that results in the damage. That is why taking oral antibiotics is of little help. In the past, dentist tried to attack the problem several ways. Antibiotic chips and gels were tucked or squirted into the pockets. These were frustrating and often ineffective since they only lasted a short while and had to be frequently replaced by the dentist. Sometimes indefinitely as often as every two weeks. Also, only a limited portion of the total pocket areas could be accessed. It was inconvenient, expensive and uncomfortable for the patient.

Perio-Protect attacks the problem two ways. It changes the environment within the pockets and neutralizes the toxins. The germs produce what is called "biofilm" within the pockets, a sort of slime that holds them together and allows them to do their dirty work. The primary action of Perio-Protect is to breakdown this biofilm. In addition, an antioxidant, usually the medication Vibromycin, is added in the initial treatment phase to neutralize the excessive toxins.

Although Vibromycin is an antibiotic, it is intentionally added at concentrations below a level that would actually kill all the germs of the mouth, but rather act only as an antioxidant. Killing all the normal germs of the mouth, called the oral flora, would actually make you susceptible to other problems and types of infections, such as yeast infections.

Perio-Protect works by using precisely fitting trays which hold the medications in place long enough to do their job. The trays are fabricated by a laboratory and FDA approved for treating periodontal disease and as such fall under all the guidelines and regulations as all other medical devices, such as artificial heart valves.

In some advanced cases the disease can create distinct pot-hole type defects within the bone, called vertical defects, resulting in deep pockets that the patient cannot keep clean and the medications cannot completely reach. In these cases the patient is referred to the specialist who will surgically reduce the pockets often by filling in the defects with a bone grafting material. Once the pockets are of manageable depths, the health of the gums can be maintained by the patient and dentist.

Periodontal diseases are often undetected because there is no pain associated but the disease is linked to heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and preterm or low weight births. Oral bacteria travel through the body's veins and arteries using them as a highway system to link to other parts of the body. Periodontal bacteria can also spread from the oral cavity to the rest of the body, including the lungs and can cause respiratory diseases associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Click the Perio Protect link to learn more.