A Synopsis of Perio Protect® Treatment

The non-invasive Perio Protect Method™ uses an FDA-cleared medical device called a Perio Tray® to deliver antimicrobial medication subgingivally and interproximally to eliminate the bacteria that cause periodontal diseases (Figure 1). The Perio Protect Method does not rely on antibiotics and is able to overcome the problems of crevicular fluid flow.

The patented Perio Tray, prescribed by a dentist, is fabricated with a special seal and extension customized according to the diseased condition of the gingiva around each tooth. Dentists send periodontal probing evaluations and models to a dental laboratory registered with the FDA. The dental laboratory uses high-quality materials to customize each tray according to the probing evaluations and produces the most effective seal to deliver and maintain medications in the sulcus.

The frequency and duration for which patients wear their Perio Trays depends on the severity of disease, but for most patients it amounts to minutes each day. Patients return to their dentists according to a recall system for evaluation and revised wearing instructions. As healing occurs, patients wear their trays less frequently.

Daily use of the Perio Tray allows patients to overcome the obstacle caused by crevicular fluid flow. While dentists have known about effective antimicrobial agents for years, the difficulty until now has been how to deliver and maintain the medicaments in the pocket. Perio Protect technology was developed in response to this problem. One of the tests performed on the Perio Tray, required for FDA clearance, confirmed that it could deliver a tracer (sodium fluorescein) into the sulcus or maxillary periodontal pocket and maintain it there.

Although the medication used with the Perio Tray is determined by the dentist, the primary antimicrobial used with Perio Protect is not an antibiotic, but a low concentration of hydrogen peroxide. The importance of hydrogen peroxide as an ox-idizing agent is explained by the world’s foremost biofilm expert, Dr. John W. Costerton: “When delivered deep into the sulcus with the Perio Tray, this oxidizing agent kills planktonic cells very effectively and also kills the most exposed of the bacterial cells in the biofilms—the ones near the edges of the biofilm communities—until the communities themselves are eliminated. As the biofilm communities that cause periodontitis decrease, inflammation begins to subside, and the host has new opportunity to heal.”

One of the world’s leading dental microbiologists, Dr. Christoph Schaudinn, used scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to complete cellular evaluations and determine the effects of the Perio Protect Method on the infection causing subgingival biofilm. He concluded that after 17 days of Perio Protect treatment, very few bacteria colonized a fresh surface introduced into the sulcus, resulting in a 99.98% reduction in the colonization process.

The research results have significant implications for long-term care. Costerton compares the changes in the microbial ecology of the sulcus with Perio Protect’s gentle non-invasive therapy to the changes in the ecology of the whole mouth with brushing and flossing.

Because the ecology of the sulcus is changed, Perio Protect gives patients an effective treatment option for long-term health, especially for those patients who struggle to maintain their oral health between office visits. For patients whose disease conditions are so serious that surgery is unavoidable, Perio Protect maintains surgical gains and helps prevent the disease from recurring. Figure 2 () and Figure 3 () show a pretreatment condition and posttreatment results.

This patient-delivery method not only is easy for patients to follow, but is also comfortable and works quickly to stop bleeding and decrease inflammation. All of these positive aspects of treatment help to explain a history of excellent patient compliance.

The Perio Protect Method fits perfectly into a dentist’s current treatment methods. Medication delivered with the Perio Tray in accordance with the Method can address the infection before mechanical intervention to remove the biofilm and modify the calculus, making scaling and root planing easier and more effective. Hygienists such as Penny Falls (Arlington, TX) immediately recognize and appreciate these benefits. “Perio Protect is an easier procedure with better results,” Falls says. “I’d rather work smarter than harder. Perio Protect has made my job a whole lot easier and it has definitely increased my productivity. With the results we are getting from Perio Protect treatment, my patients are happy and healthy.”

For more information contact:
Perio Protect, LLC
Phone: 866-693-3400
Web: www.perioprotect.com

Disclaimer

The preceding material was provided by the manufacturer. The statements and opinions contained therein are solely those of the manufacturer and not of the editors, publisher, or the Editorial Board of  Inside Dentistry. The preceding is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval for the aforementioned products or services or their effectiveness, quality, or safety on the part of Inside Dentistry or AEGIS Communications. The publisher disclaims responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas or products referred to in the preceding material.

Figure 1 The Perio Tray used in the Perio Protect Method.	Figure 2 Before Perio Protect treatment (5 µm).
Figure 3 After 12 days of Perio Protect treatment (5 µm).