Periodontal Therapy Without Pharmaceuticals

The Challenge:

A patient of record with a history of prostate cancer is exhibiting active signs of periodontal disease.

The Background:

• Age: 69
• Sex: Male
• Medical History: History of prostate cancer, atrial fibrillation and cardiac ablation
• Last Dental Exam: 10/24/2017
• Chief Complaint: "I want to be proactive and per my functional medicine doctor, there could be bacteria complicating my overall health."
• Periodontal Assessment: 5-6 mm probe readings

The Solution:

• Date of Pre MyPerioPath^® (pre-therapy test): 6/20/2018
• Periodontal Therapy: Quadrant scaling and root planing augmented with laser and ozone; all performed 1 week apart.
• Home Care Instruction: Hydro Floss^® oral irrigator, TePe^® interproximal brushes to apply ozone oil at bedtime, Tooth & Gum^® toothpaste and Jarrow Formulas^® probiotics
• Perform MyPerioProgress^® (post-therapy test): 2/04/2019

The Result:

Once therapy was applied and the patient healed for 12 weeks, the MyPerioProgress results revealed a 39% reduction in periodontal pathogens. Please note the reduction was obtained naturally. No systemic pharmaceuticals were ever used. Clinically, the patient has no bleeding on probing and all pockets are 3 mm or less. He continues to be diligent with his homecare utilizing the Hydro Floss and ozone oil. His PSA scores were still elevated in 2018; therefore, he continues to receive care in addition to a modified diet restricting all sugars (natural or refined) and all grains. We will continue to monitor him for active periodontal disease and continue to provide supportive therapy of full mouth ozone every 3 months. We will retest with MyPerioPath if the patient show signs of periodontal relapse.

About the Author:

Tonya Sneed is graduate of Howard College and has been practicing since 1987. At Dr. Tim Tannich's office she is the Total Body Wellness Coordinator, including the ozone department. Her passion as a career periodontal hygienist is showcased by her roles as a Soft Tissue Management consultant and a Health Coach. She has a background in Plantrician and attended Frontiers in Medical and Dental Ozone.

Michelle Wilson is a graduate of UT Houston and has been practicing since 1991 and is the clinical periodontal hygienist for Dr. Tim Tannich.

Both hygienists have advanced laser training from WCLI, have Advanced Ozone Training, and consult with other dental offices in the implementation of Ozone and LAPT. Both have attended Perio Passion and AAOSH.