Patients who suffer from gingivitis and gum disease are always asking us what else they can do to treat their disease. For years, our answer has always been the same: brush and floss in the hopes that it will make a difference. Unfortunately, sometimes we see disease progress even in our most diligent patients. But now, advances in bacterial research have discovered an effective, non-invasive, long term treatment for gum disease and bleeding gums.
PerioProtect® is a safe, non-invasive, long term treatment for managing gum disease.
Chronic inflammation is at the core of all disease processes, not just gum disease. What causes the inflammation? The answer is biofilm.
Biofilm is a complex matrix of different species of bacteria that cause an infection. The body responds to the presence of biofilm by activating our immune system to fight off the bacterial infection. The result is inflammation. Specifically in gum disease, we see the inflammation as bleeding gum tissue.
Having chronic inflammation of the gums can stress your immune system, and if left untreated, can medically compromise a person who has Diabetes, Heart Disease, Atherosclerosis, Cancer, Asthma, COPD, autoimmune diseases such as Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, and Rheumatoid Arthritis. It has also been linked to pre-term births in pregnant women.
Battling biofilm and chronic inflammation in the mouth is extremely difficult. Biofilm is extremely resilient and can penetrate deep into the gum tissues, resulting in tooth loss.
Frequent dental hygiene visits and exams, along with good home care, are necessary to help remove biofilm and monitor disease. However, when this is not enough to control the disease and bleeding, PerioProtect® can be added to your daily routine. It has a profound effect on inflammation and aids in the healing process.
PerioProtect® are custom made soft plastic trays that are designed to fit your top and bottom teeth. Each tray holds a small amount of a prescription gel. When the tray is seated over the teeth and gums, the gel is pushed deep into the space between the tooth and gum where the source of the biofilm lies. The trays are typically worn for 10-15 minutes a few times a day depending on the individual needs of each patient.
By reducing the amount of biofilm to a low level it decreases the immune response and inflammation and allows the gum tissue to heal. We have seen amazing changes in the dental health of our patients who use PerioProtect®. Please contact us or your dentist for information about this revolutionary new system.
