Periowave Blog

April is Dental Awareness Month, and for most people, this means the state of their teeth. However, teeth are only a part of dental health; soft (gum) tissue and hard (bone) tissue, are also very much part of the equation. Dental Awareness Month is therefore a very good time to focus on the bone and gum tissues that support a healthy mouth.

The Periowave Handheld Laser

There are many reasons why we should take some time this month to learn about periodontitis which most people know as gum disease. Gum disease is the most common human infection, affecting not only our oral health, but our overall systemic health too. It is well worth remembering what the bard once wrote: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Prevention of gum disease is a good example of this lesson, as early intervention can be highly effective and not very involved while postponing treatment can lead to extreme consequences such as loss of teeth, bad breath and the risk of some serious long term chronic health issues like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, etc.

When not brushed and flossed properly, a bacterial infection might develop where the gums join the teeth. This includes plaque and tartar building up at the base of the teeth, filling up inflammatory pockets. Several adverse effects result since plaque contains bacteria; damage of tissue (teeth and gums), infection, and tooth abscess. Bacteria from the plaque may also travel into the bloodstream and increase the risk of heart diseases, diabetes, arthritis, and other diseases. This is why regular brushing and flossing is crucial.

Some common treatments of periodontitis include the application of antibiotic microspheres (containing minocycline), antibiotic gel (containing doxycycline), antiseptic chips, anti-microbrial mouthrinse, enzyme suppressants, or oral antibiotics. These forms of treatment rely heavily on patient compliance and can lead to resistance, as in the case of antibiotics. However, there is a non pharmaceutical alternative that has shown, through a numerous clinical trials, significant gains in clinical attachment and overall improvement of oral health. Periowave™ Photodisinfection System is a non-antibiotic approach to the treatment of gum disease, providing a simple solution to complex oral infections.

Periowave™ is a new approach to the treatment of gum disease that harnesses the powerful photodisinfection reaction to inactivate the bacteria and toxins that are left behind after scaling and root planing. The application of Periowave™ is essentially a two step process. The first step is called irrigation, where a specially formulated photosensitizing solution is topically applied to the gums at the treatment site. This photosensitizing solution preferentially attaches to the harmful bacteria and toxins associated with periodontal disease (Figure 1). Next, a thin plastic light guide is placed into the treatment site. The light guide illuminates the treatment site with a specifically calibrated laser light, activating the photosensitizer solution and destroying bacteria beneath the gum line (Figure 2). The entire treatment is painless, creating less stress for both the patient and the dental clinician.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Photodisinfection has many clinically proven advantages, offering superior patient outcomes and better overall oral health. Photodisinfection instantly inactivates host inflammatory factors, eradicates P. gingivalis from dental implants without altering their surface chemistry, and does not generate antibiotic resistance. One trial demonstrated that Periowave™ kills 99.99% of all P. gingivalis biofilm within 60 seconds, the standard duration of treatment. No other therapy can match these results without the risk of damaging human tissue.

Periowave™ is an innovative technology that has the potential to drastically decrease periodontitis in a safe and timely manner. The benefits of Periowave™ include: no patient compliance after the treatment, rapid action, high specificity to disease-causing bacteria and anti-inflammatory impact. The combination of these benefits results in better patient outcomes, including a healthier mouth leading to improved overall systemic wellness. Periowave™ is minimally invasive and has changed the way dentists treat gum disease. Photodisinfection serves the dental clinician both as a therapy for severely diseased gums and as a preventative intervention. Periowave™ is, therefore, the ounce of prevention that patients have been looking for. For a dentist with Periowave™ nearest you, click here.

The Periowave team wishes to congratulate a dear friend and colleague, Dr. George Freedman, on his Irwin Smigel Prize In Aesthetic Dentistry. This award recognizes his outstanding contributions to the field of aesthetic dentistry.

Dr. Freedman, long considered an international leader in cosmetic and aesthetic dentistry, has had quite the career. Here are some of his achievements:

- Founder of Post-Graduate Programs in Esthetic Dentistry in the US, Europe and Asia
- Director and past president of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.
- Author/co-author of more than 700 dental articles and 12 textbooks
- Held numerous visiting and adjunct positions at top universities
- Delivered more than 600 lectures worldwide

Dr. Freedman is married to Dr. Fay Goldstep, an internationally known speaker and author. Dr. Goldstep sits on the Oral Health Editorial Board (Healing/Preventive Dentistry), and has served on the teaching faculties of the Post-graduate Programs in Aesthetic Dentistry at SUNY Buffalo, the Universities of Florida (Gainesville), Minnesota (Minneapolis).

Join us all in congratulating Dr. George Freedman on this well deserved award!

It is hard to imagine that any patient would prefer to have their gums flapped open, bone recontoured, tissue grafted from their upper palette and gums stitched back up again.  In fact, if faced with this option, I would pay a hefty premium to avoid this ordeal.  A 1994 NHANES study discovered that almost 3/4 of patients who were diagnosed with gum disease did not seek treatment due to fear of pain, cost and embarrassment.  Fortunately, Photodisinfection is a completely pain-free procedure that is significantly cheaper than gum surgery and with better outcomes for the patient.  Finally, there is a minimally invasive and non-antibiotic way to arrest gum disease.  With the indisputable links to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s, pre-term births etc., there is no longer a good reason to put off getting back to healthy gums. To find a dentist offering Periowave nearest you, please click here: Find A Dental Professional

México siempre ha sido uno de mis lugares favoritos, principalmente por la gente  cálida y vibrante. Hace 20 años tuve la grata experiencia de hacer negocios en México, cuando trabajaba en la gestión de cartera en un gran banco Canadiense. A principios del mes tuve el gran placer de atender a la reciente conferencia anual de la Asociación Mexicana de Periodontología en Guadalajara, Jalisco.

Ha causado gran orgullo en mí que nuestro sistema de fotodesinfección Periowave haya sido aprobado  por las autoridades regulatorias mexicanas y que Periowave acaba de sostener su primeros talleres para especialistas periodontales en México. Nuestro Director de Tecnologías de información, el Dr. Nicolás Loebel presentó cinco conferencias durante los 3 días que estuvimos en Guadalajara.

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By: Veronique Benhamou, DDS, BSc, Cert. Perio, FPFA, FADI, FACD

INTRODUCTION

It has been known since the beginning of the last century that microorganisms can be killed by various combinations of dyes and light. Ancient Egyptian, Indian and Chinese civilizations used light to treat various diseases, including psoriasis, rickets, vitiligo and skin cancer. In 1901, Niels Finsen used light to treat smallpox and cutaneous tuberculosis and in 1903, he won the Nobel Prize for his work on phototherapy (Nature 2003, Dennis et al) However, the interest in antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy (aPDT) was diminished concurrently with the introduction of antibiotics; it is only in recent years, with the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis that a search for alternative treatments has stimulated a revival of interest on aPDT. It is an effective antibacterial therapy that involves the use of specific-wave light energy to activate a photosensitive compound (photosensitizer), which interacts with locally present molecular oxygen. APDT has the potential to be a powerful alternative to antibiotic therapy, particularly for the treatment of localized infections of the skin and the oral cavity. Microorganisms that are killed by this technique include bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa. Read More

One of the things we enjoy most is hearing the stories of people we’ve helped. Periowave’s been used over 100,000 times on thousands of patients all over the world, and we’ve helped them greatly improve their oral health. Yes, gum disease is not a hot topic like cancer, AIDS, or diabetes, but it’s certainly an issue that many people struggle with. In this video, patients of Periowave share how this technology has helped improve their oral health. So, check it out!

Wow, how time flies! Today we celebrate Leanne’s 30^th anniversary as a dental hygienist. This is an amazing milestone that few have managed to reach. I have had the great fortune of working with her for the past few years , and I can tell you from firsthand experience, Leanne is an amazing person.

I first met Leanne a little over two years ago, and immediately took a liking to her after she had brought home-baked cookies for everyone in the office. At the time, I was still an intern, and after all the wonderful stories I had heard, was quite nervous about meeting her. But Leanne is an absolute joy to be around. After seeing me at my corner desk, she made the long walk over to me, introduced herself, and insisted that I take one of her delicious home-baked cookies. I thought to myself “Wow, she’s super cool!”

Leanne Carlson w/ Dr. Claude Ibbott

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From my observations, many people tend to be passive participants, leaving their oral health in the hands of their dental practitioners. Most people go to their dental clinic expecting that the dentist alone can prevent the onslaught of gum disease, abdicating their home care diligence in favour of bi-annual dental checkups. One dentist I know likes to use this phrase to coax patients into improving their oral hygiene practice at home: “Only brush & floss the teeth you want to keep!” While this phrase is always guaranteed to get a smile out of the patients, unfortunately, it makes light of a very serious issue. Tooth loss, after all, is not the most significant potential outcome of gum disease. In fact, gum disease has long been linked and associated with serious conditions like heart disease, stroke, cancer, arthritis, diabetes, pre-term births and others.

Given the list of unpleasant symptoms of gum disease that are both socially undesirable and physically painful:
1) Red, swollen, and puffy gums
2) Horribly bad breath
3) Bleeding gum tissue
4) Tooth and bone loss

…it is truly a wonder to me, that in this day and age, gum disease is still the most common human disease in the world, affecting ~75% of the adult population even in North America.

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5:31pm: And that’s a wrap!!! We did it!  This years PDC has been our best performance yet. We convinced a whole lot of people of the value of Periowave^TM and how it will help their patients. We had a blast doing it too. Thank you to everyone for reading our live-blog. The PDC has officially come to a close and the Periowave^TM team had an amazing time. Don’t worry though, we’ll be back again next time at the JDIQ. Until then, to get more updates from the team, don’t forget to visit this blog and check out our Facebook and Twitter pages too. Have a great night!!

The Periowave Team had a blast at the PDC! From Left: Peter Geimer, Linda O'Connor, Maria Castro, Leonie Markhorst, Kristine McKinnon, Tom Dawson. Absent: Michelle Janke and Leanne Carlson (they're on a flight back home!)

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