Ozone Therapy

Ozone gas has the ability to penetrate into dental caries, destroying the pathogenic bacteria in the site. This makes ozone a great adjunct in the management of deep caries, allowing disinfection of the affected areas prior to restoration. While ozone proves efficient in this regard, it’s pivotal to understand that it complements, not replaces, traditional cavity treatments for deep decay, serving as an adjunctive measure to enhance outcomes.

There are times when ozone gas is indicated for management of caries without traditional treatment. This would include noninvasive ozone gas treatments of incipient, or reversible, enamel caries. Another indication would be a young child with active caries who is unable to tolerate dental treatment. In this instance, ozone gas could be utilized in the lesions to eliminate the pathogenic bacteria and arrest the decay process until the child is old enough and cooperative enough for proper care of the lesions. In both of these circumstances, it is very important to pair this with daily use of a remineralizing toothpaste containing nano-hydroxyapatite.

The addition of ozonated water to routine dental cleanings and lavage is very effective at breaking up the bacterial biofilm that grows more pathogenic as it matures. Enhancing the elimination of oral pathogens leaves a fresh oral environment for a healthy microbiome to repopulate.

In treatment of periodontal disease, ozone gas is a very effective disinfectant and oxygenator of deep periodontal pockets. Introducing ozone gas into these pockets disrupts the pathogenic anaerobic bacterial populations in the base of the sulcus, introducing oxygen to enhance healing and leading to an improvement in gum health with a decrease in inflammation.

Ozonated olive oils (OOO) bring with them an array of therapeutic attributes beneficial for both hard and soft tissue health. OOO can be a very effective topical treatment to speed healing and reduce discomfort of cold sores and other traumatic or inflammatory lesions of the oral mucosa. We will oftentimes incorporate ozonated olive oil into our homecare recommendation for periodontal inflammation and occasionally for incipient caries, as well.

If the pulp tissue of a tooth becomes infected or necrotic, that infection can only be removed by extraction of the tooth or by root canal treatment, which saves the tooth but removes the infected pulpal tissue. The network of pulp tissue inside teeth can be very complex, particularly in molars and premolars. When saving the tooth is the ideal treatment, then root canal treatment must sterilize the canal system to the highest degree achievable. Coordinated with strict mechanical debridement, irrigation with ozonated water and insufflation with ozone gas will not only sterilize the main canal system, but will also infiltrate the complex network of lateral and accessory canals. A sterile canal system maximizes the success of root canal treatment and minimizes the chance of reinfection.