The benefits aren’t limited to your gums.

Treating gum disease with Perio Protect positively affects your gums and your general health. Perio Protect treatment is also comfortable and easy to use. It gives you whiter teeth and the freshest breath of your life!  Plan to get closer to the people you love.

Your Health  |  Your Comfort  |  Your Smile

Your Health  |  Your Comfort  |  Your Smile

PERIO PROTECT & YOUR HEALTH

Infected gums have a direct entry point to your bloodstream. Chronic infection also increases the inflammatory burden on your body.

Studies have traced pathogens that lead to gum disease to the same pathogens known to cause other systemic inflammation and illness.

Gum disease is a source of chronic inflammation that taxes your immune system. The more  sources of inflammation you have, the greater the risk you have for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, respiratory disease, inflammatory driven dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, colorectal cancer, pre-term births and low birth-weight babies.

Talk to your doctor today or find a provider below to get your gums healthy with Perio Tray™ therapy from Perio Protect.

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Heart-Disease

Heart Disease

Gum disease can lead to heart disease, stroke, blood clots, chronic inflammation and atherosclerosis. Inflammation of the arteries is the common denominator. And that can be caused by oral bacteria entering the blood stream and combining with fat deposits to cause plaque and restrict blood flow. Restricted blood flow can lead to additional buildup, causing clots that can trigger all of the above.

“The mechanisms underpinning the independent association between periodontitis and CVDs have been demonstrated by the chronic entry of periodontal bacteria into the vascular system (bacteraemia) and their systemic inflammatory sequelae and by increased levels of systemic inflammation resulting from periodontitis lesions. In addition, periodontitis and CVDs share numerous common genetic and environmental risk factors (e.g. tobacco smoking).”

Periodontitis increases the risk of coronary heart disease (i.e. coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction), cerebrovascular disease (i.e. ischemic stroke, hazard ratio-HR = 2.20; 95% confidence interval-CI [1.27; 3.81] for severe periodontitis), and peripheral artery disease. It is also associated with higher mortality rates due to coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease, with an increased risk of a first cardiovascular event and a higher incidence of atrial fibrillation.

Evidence for an association derived from intervention studies

Whilst there is no direct evidence for the benefits of periodontal treatment on complex cardiovascular outcomes, there is clear evidence for the effect of periodontal therapy on surrogate measures of cardiovascular diseases, arterial blood pressure and stiffness, and sub-clinical cardiovascular disease markers.

 
See: Van Dyke TE, Kholy KE, Ishai A, Takx RAP, Mezue K, Abohashem SM, Ali A, Yuan N, Hsue P, Osborne MT, Tawakol A. Inflammation of the periodontium associates with risk of future cardiovascular events. J Periodontol. 2021 Mar;92(3):348-358. doi: 10.1002/JPER.19-0441. Epub 2021 Feb 13. PMID: 33512014; PMCID: PMC8080258.
 
Periodontal diseases and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and respiratory diseases: Summary of the consensus report by the European Federation of Periodontology and WONCA Europe
21 March 2024 https://doi.org/10.1080/13814788.2024.2320120
Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetic patients with gum disease have reported higher blood sugar levels than diabetic patients with healthier gums, and it is harder for diabetics to maintain gum health. The association is so strong that periodontitis has been called the “sixth complication of diabetes mellitus.” For most patients with diabetes, initial periodontal therapy alone is insufficient. Patients need on-going maintenance and additional adjunctive care.

A review including 35 studies (3249 randomized participants), concluded that periodontal therapy resulted in clinically meaningful and statistically significant reductions of HbA1C levels in people with type 2 diabetes of 0.3% at 6-months and 0.5% at 12-months, similar reductions to those achieved by adding a second medication to a metformin regime.

Poorly controlled diabetes is associated with an increased risk and severity of periodontitis relative to normoglycemic people with diabetes or those without diabetes. In the periodontitis–diabetes direction, severe periodontitis is associated with elevated serum HbA1C levels in people without diabetes (glycemia) and those with diabetes (hyperglycemia). Patients with periodontitis exhibit an increased risk of developing pre-diabetes and diabetes. Moreover, there appears to be a direct relationship between the severity of the periodontitis and complications of diabetes, including retinopathy (background and proliferative), nephropathy (macroalbuminuria and end-stage renal disease), neuropathic foot ulceration, various CVDs, and mortality.

 
See: Nibali L, Gkranias N, Mainas G, Di Pino A. Periodontitis and implant complications in diabetes. Periodontol 2000. 2022 Oct;90(1):88-105. doi: 10.1111/prd.12451. Epub 2022 Aug 1. PMID: 35913467; PMCID: PMC9805043. Păunică I, Giurgiu M, Dumitriu AS, Păunică S, Pantea Stoian AM, Martu MA, Serafinceanu C. The Bidirectional Relationship between Periodontal Disease and Diabetes Mellitus-A Review. Diagnostics (Basel). 2023 Feb 11;13(4):681. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics13040681. PMID: 36832168; PMCID: PMC9954907. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9954907/pdf/diagnostics-13-00681.pdf
 
Periodontal diseases and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and respiratory diseases: Summary of the consensus report by the European Federation of Periodontology and WONCA Europe
21 March 2024 https://doi.org/10.1080/13814788.2024.2320120
Lung-Disease

Respiratory Disease

The bacteria present in gum disease has been identified in the lung tissue of patients with lung abscesses. Researchers explains that “unhealthy oral cavities can predispose (patients) to respiratory infections and suggest that oral or non-oral pathogens present in the oral cavity could contribute to respiratory disease.”

Several hypotheses have been proposed, including the role of oral and respiratory microorganisms when aspirated within oral secretions exacerbating pulmonary inflammation and endothelial dysfunction; modifications of the oral and dental plaque/biofilm and low-grade inflammation associated with periodontitis; and the impact of cytokines on pulmonary epithelial cells [19]. Furthermore, periodontal and respiratory diseases share some common risk factors, including smoking, obesity, and diabetes.

People with periodontitis are at increased risk of having/developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (a meta-analysis of 11 studies, OR = 1.33, 95% CI [1.20; 1.47]; p < 0.001) [19]. In addition, a meta-analysis of the effects of periodontitis on the functional capacity of the lungs [(FEV1/FVC)*100] demonstrated a statistically significant effect, with periodontitis patients presenting with a 4.94% lower FEV1/FVC*100 [19]. This 5% reduction in functional lung capacity is considered highly relevant clinically.

Periodontitis has been linked with a higher prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) (meta-analysis of six studies)

For COPD patients, smoking cessation must be promoted in all smokers in oral care settings, directly or by a referral to the family doctor. This will decrease the risk of developing both diseases and their associated comorbidities

For OSA patients, since obesity is an established risk factor, strategies for weight loss and healthy lifestyles should be recommended in both primary medical and dental care settings. A discussion with the patient on the potential side effects on oral health (e.g. dry mouth, increase in periodontal inflammation, increase/alteration in biofilm formation) of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP) machines, may be necessary.

 
See: Bui FQ, Almeida-da-Silva CLC, Huynh B, Trinh A, Liu J, Woodward J, Asadi H, Ojcius DM. Association between periodontal pathogens and systemic disease. Biomed J. 2019 Feb;42(1):27-35. doi: 10.1016/j.bj.2018.12.001. Epub 2019 Mar 2. PMID: 30987702; PMCID: PMC6468093.
 
Periodontal diseases and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and respiratory diseases: Summary of the consensus report by the European Federation of Periodontology and WONCA Europe
21 March 2024 https://doi.org/10.1080/13814788.2024.2320120
Birth

Pre-term & Low Birth-Weight Babies

Research has shown that pregnant women who have periodontal infections had more than 7 times the risk of preterm delivery of low-birth-weight infants than women without the infections.

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Alzheimers

Alzheimer’s Disease

The bacteria associated with Alzheimer’s Disease have been isolated in the periodontal pockets and along the nerves from the teeth to the brain tissue. When these bacteria are introduced into brain cultures, beta amyloid is formed, which is the substance associated with Alzheimer’s. in one meta-analysis, “In this meta-analysis, there was an association between periodontitis and cognitive impairment, and moderate or severe periodontitis was a risk factor for dementia. Additionally, the deterioration of periodontal status was observed among dementia patients.”

 

See: Guo H, Chang S, Pi X, Hua F, Jiang H, Liu C, Du M. The Effect of Periodontitis on Dementia and Cognitive Impairment: A Meta-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jun 25;18(13):6823. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18136823. PMID: 34202071; PMCID: PMC8297088.
Colorectal-Cancer

Colorectal Cancer

A common anaerobic bacteria prevalent in periodontal disease has been identified as a driver of colorectal cancer.

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Your Health  |  Your Comfort  |  Your Smile

PERIO PROTECT & YOUR COMFORT

Perio Protect is comfortable, convenient and easy to use. The Trays are non-invasive, and treatment is self-administered at home.

Perio Tray™ carriers are custom-made to fit comfortably over your teeth and gums, delivering prescription medication deep below the gum line.

The trays are non-invasive, and since treatment is self-administered in the comfort of your own home, it won't disrupt your schedule. Treat gum disease while you watch TV, mow the lawn, or take a shower.

Our goal is to help patients avoid repetitive scaling and surgery when possible. When patients can't avoid surgery, Perio Protect can be a welcome compliment to put the disease in remission. Talk to your doctor today or find a provider below.

Find a Perio Protect Provider Near Me

Your Health  |  Your Comfort  |  Your Smile

PERIO PROTECT & YOUR SMILE

Side effects include fresher breath and whiter teeth.

By drastically reducing bacteria, Perio Protect also freshens your breath.

In addition, the same antimicrobials that treat gum disease also happen to deliver prescription-strength whitening benefits.

So, you can treat gum disease while freshening your breath and whitening your teeth. As far as side effects go, those are worth experiencing.

Is This for Me?

Patients are empowered to care for themselves daily—beyond brushing and flossing.

Patients are empowered to care for themselves daily—beyond brushing and flossing.

DR. MELBA BONELLI
Dentist

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