Tray Doesn’t Need Antibiotics to Fight Gum Disease

Dentistry Today

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Bacteria that resist antibiotics are a growing danger, prompting researchers to investigate alternative methods for fighting disease. For example, the Perio Tray from Perio Protect uses oxidative and oxygenating agents following the guidelines for chronic wound care to provide non-antibiotic therapy for gum disease.

Also known as biofilms, bacterial communities that cause infections leading to gum disease lie deep in periodontal pockets. These spaces between the teeth and gums are hard to reach with toothbrushes, rinses, and floss. But they also are unique spaces for chemotherapeutic modalities of care because they can be topically accessed.

Keeping medicaments deep in these pockets for a significant amount of time can be a challenge. The Perio Tray, though, is specially fabricated with internal peripheral seals and extensions to place and hold medication deep in these pockets. According to Perio Protect, it can deliver medication into pockets as deep as 9 mm.

Even at a low concentration of 1.7%, the company says, hydrogen peroxide can be a highly effective antimicrobial when delivered and held deep in the pockets with the Perio Tray. It can break down the protein chains in bacterial cell walls, lysising the cell wall and killing the bacterium. Also, the oxygen the peroxide released under the Perio Tray’s pressure changes the pocket’s microenvironment.

Furthermore, the oxygen is toxic to anaerobes, helps promote a healthy oral flora, and fosters the growth of new blood vessels. Combined with professional dental cleanings, Perio Protect says, the Perio Tray with 1.7% hydrogen peroxide is only needed for minutes each day. Used at home between professional cleanings, the company says, it limits biofilm’s ability to reproduce and trigger inflammation for better long-term results.

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