Perfect Teeth Wins Orkos Award: "My Gums Have Never Felt Healthier"

August 31, 2016 - Dr. Brian Daub and hygienist Melinda Evans at Perfect Teeth in Scottsdale, AZ are the recipients of the Orkos Award. Perfect Teeth is a network of dental practices in Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. The Orkos award recognizes dental practitioners who have demonstrated professional excellence in treatment for gum disease (periodontitis or gingivitis) with a case study report. To receive the award, doctors and hygienists submit documentation of significantly improved clinical outcomes for a patient after treatment.

The patient in this case study is like many with gum disease. She has a long history of disease treatment, including regular 3-month visits to the dentist, yet she struggles to maintain healthy conditions. Bleeding gums, the most obvious sign of infection, was present at 63% of the sites of her mouth. 37% of her pockets, the space between teeth and gums that measure up to 3mm when healthy, were deeper than 3mm. In addition to non-surgical cleanings of the teeth and root surfaces at regular intervals, she also had antibiotic therapies. The disease persisted.

This situation is not unique. Millions of Americans, roughly half of American adults, have chronic periodontitis, the more advanced form of gum disease. And millions more have gingivitis. In the earlier stages of gingivitis, the disease is relatively easy to treat and often reversible, but periodontitis is hard to treat because the bacterial infections causing the damage are deep under the gums where toothbrush, rinse and floss can't reach. This is why patients struggle even with frequent professional treatment: the bacteria grow back and patients can't fight the stubborn infections effectively at home.

Dr. Daub and the patient's hygienist Melinda Evans recommended prescription Perio Trays® (Perio Protect, St. Louis, MO). The trays are custom fabricated according to individual patient conditions and are used at home, in 15 minute increments, to deliver medication deep under the gums. Dr. Daub prescribed Perio Gel® (QNT Anderson, Bismarck, ND) with 1.7% hydrogen peroxide to be used in the trays. The patient went home on June 23 with instructions to use the trays for 15 minutes, three times a day for two weeks.

On July 7 when she returned, bleeding was reduced from 101 to 7 sites and deep pockets decreased from 37% to just 2%. The patient was then asked to incorporate the trays into her regular homecare, using them one time a day for 15 minutes.

"At Perfect Teeth – Frank Lloyd Wright, we present Perio Protect® trays to all qualifying patients based on a diagnostic profile of need," explains Dr. Daub. "The sense of gratitude, and the hope and confidence that Perio Tray® patients express is so rewarding. Most periodontal maintenance patients are stagnating, merely maintaining conditions and not improving," said Dr. Daub. "With this tray delivery, even the patients notice and appreciate the results."

Melinda Evans, a seasoned hygienist of 25 years, described chronically bleeding gums as a condition of periodontal disease "locked in time. The pocketing and bleeding simply never changes. So when we introduced the Perio Protect tray delivery system," she recalls, "the results were beyond my expectations. To this day, I still smile every time I show a new patient the results we are getting. Then," she adds, "when they return and tell me 'my gums never felt healthier' the treatment restores my hope for my profession."

The Orkos Award was founded by Perio Protect, LLC to recognize the contributions of individual dental professionals in the fight against gum disease. According to Dr. Tanya Dunlap at Perio Protect, "The ancient Greek word Orkos is associated with the 'Hippocratic Oath,' and with this award we want to honor those professionals like Dr. Brian Daub and Melinda Evans who share our passion and our vision for the most effective, comprehensive, and minimally invasive periodontal care."

For details on the award and other recipients, visit www.theOrkosAward.com/studies. More information on the Perio Trays® is available at www.PerioProtect.com. Patients looking for Perio Tray® providers like Dr. Daub and Ms. Evans at Perfect Teeth can consult www.PerfectTeeth.com/perioprotect.