Is the Perio Protect Method Right for Your Patients?

Is the Perio Protect Method Right for Your Patients?

It’s a common frustration—both for dental professionals and their patients who battle gum disease—when symptoms persist despite procedures and regimens put in place to fight them. As clinicians know, there are many involved in this perpetual fight to achieve better oral health. According to recent reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over half of adults in the United States age 30 or older suffer from periodontitis, the more advanced, chronic form of periodontal disease.[1]

This group is far from homogenous—among the approximately 65 million Americans affected by the disease, the severity and complexities of their condition vary greatly. Periodontist Dr. R. Bruce Cochrane, DDS, MS, estimates that, for approximately 50% of his patients, the standard combination of routine, professionally administered deep cleanings—scaling and root planing (SRP) and supplemental antibiotic therapy—and an at-home care regimen consisting of brushing, flossing, and rinsing are enough to keep periodontitis at bay.[2] For some patients, adding surgical intervention to this list can also prove effective. However, for the remainder, traditional approaches to management alone are inadequate at suppressing disease symptoms.

Some patients with advanced gum disease struggle with maintenance due to an inability to adhere to the recommended schedule of thrice-annual cleaning appointments and daily brushing and flossing. Barriers to compliance include care costs as well as patient age, lifestyle, physical mobility, education, and attitudes toward treatment. For others, the disease persists despite their best efforts, with evidence showing that mechanical intervention like SRP and brushing and flossing are often insufficient at removing the subgingival biofilm that causes periodontitis. In some cases, SRP can even stimulate bacterial regrowth.[3] Sometimes biofilm removal is further complicated by the presence of dental implants, which can result in the related conditions peri-implantitis or peri-implant mucositis. Another subset of challenges presents in immunocompromised patients, who face an increased risk of developing systemic illnesses as a result of the body’s inflammatory response to oral bacteria entering the bloodstream during repetitive mechanical debridement.

So, what can dental practitioners offer patients plagued by persistent periodontal disease? Perio Protect^® provides an answer. Whether it’s the dedicated patient who just can’t seem to improve their oral condition, the difficult patient who forgets or forgoes care, or someone in between, the Perio Protect Method is an ideal solution for patients experiencing any of the common symptoms of periodontal disease. Intended as an adjunctive therapy to SRP and traditional home care, prescription Perio Tray™ therapy can be used by patients to administer an antibacterial gel containing 1.7% hydrogen peroxide into gingival pockets as deep as 9mm. When held in place for just minutes a day, the gel battles biofilm at its source, reaching deeper than brushing, flossing, and rinsing can, even around implants. The Perio Protect Method ultimately minimizes the effects of periodontal disease, including gingival inflammation, tenderness, bleeding, and pocket depth exceeding 4mm, and leaves patients with whiter teeth, fresher breath, and healthier mouths.

The Perio Protect Method is safe, comfortable, and convenient—qualities that promote adherence and optimal outcomes in even the most treatment-averse patients. As testaments to its ease and efficacy, many dentists have prescribed the Perio Protect Method since its introduction over 15 years ago and, in a controlled clinical trial, 100% of patients who used Perio Protect said they would recommend it to someone else.[4] In fact, research shows that the use of Perio Tray™ therapy can diminish the presence of the most damaging oral pathogens by up to 90% and, in as little as three weeks, significantly reduce bleeding upon probing and pocket depth.[5]

Perio Trays serve as a potent complement to traditional methods of periodontal maintenance and mitigate the need for surgery and antibiotics—excellent news both for patients who historically require frequent care and those who would avoid or deny treatment. And, for immunocompromised patients with concerns about undergoing SRP because of bacteremia, using Perio Trays prior to mechanical therapy can cut inflammation and bleeding, thus minimizing the chances of oral bacteria migrating through the bloodstream and contributing to systemic illness.3

All in all, most patients grappling with chronic periodontal disease can benefit immensely from adding Perio Trays to their oral hygiene regimen. To learn more about the Perio Protect Method and find help in determining which of your patients are ideal candidates for treatment, visit Perio Protect’s website.

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