Perio Protect in Calgary, Alberta
Periodontitis or gum disease is devastating because it can result in tooth loss if ignored or treated too late. A frustrating symptom of gum disease is gum pocketing. Food debris, tartar, plaque, and bacteria settle into pockets or lesions around the gums that toothbrush heads are too big to access. Another symptom which is commonly experienced is bleeding of the gingival (gum) tissues.
Without effective treatment of your gum tissues, the trapped items can cause further erosion of your gingiva or gums. However, Perio Protect, a gum disease treatment you can get here in Calgary, can stop additional gum damage.
What is Perio Protect?
This gum disease treatment is a non-invasive way to get medication to your gums that is effective. It uses the Perio Tray® to get medication into gum pockets caused by gum disease. The trays are custom-made for you.
Although you will start the treatment in our office right here in Calgary, much of the therapy is actually done at home! Our dentists and hygienists will walk you through the process to ensure you are comfortable taking better care of your gums at home.
How Does the Perio Tray® Work?
Our dentists at Dental at the Met will take measurements of your mouth to size the set of trays that you will receive. This is done using digital impressions or with the aide of impression materials. The Perio Tray is then made by a local laboratory (this process takes about a week). You take the custom made Perio Tray home along with some tubes of the Perio Protect Gel Medication.
At home, you would apply a thin layer of the gel inside your Perio Tray. You would then wear it for the recommended time (usually 15 minutes) and the recommended number of applications a day (usually 2). That’s it!
The Perio Tray has internal seals to prevent the gel medicament from leaking out of them. The seals also deliver the medication where it is most needed, between the teeth and gums inside the spaces where you can’t reach easily.
Most patients will wear the trays one to three times a day for 15 minutes. The timing of the treatment allows for the medication, which is a hydrogen peroxide gel, to fight inflammation, and change the environment in the pockets so that it’s harder to for infectious bacteria to grow and spread.
Also, since hydrogen peroxide is also one of the active ingredients in teeth whiteners, Perio Protect slowly whitens teeth too! The concentration of the H2O2 in the medication is similar to what’s in commercial teeth whiteners from many pharmacies. However, it is important to note that the gel is DIFFERENT from the whitening solution you would normally get as it has activators and other ingredients to allow it to more effectively work over time.
How Long Does Perio Protect Work?
Rather than “curing” gum disease, Perio Protect is a way to manage it. The gum disease treatment that can be done right at home works to reduce inflammation, stops your gums from bleeding, and fights bacteria. The treatment plan designed for you will recommend the number of treatments you need per day to manage the disease.
If you have gum disease, book an appointment with our Perio Protect dentist in Calgary to receive periodontal treatments near you.
