Effective immediately, dental insurance provider Southland Benefits Solutions offers coverage for Perio Tray prescriptions
Periodontal medicament carriers, best known by the product Perio Tray (manufactured by St. Louis-based Perio Protect), place medication deep into periodontal pockets, the spaces between teeth and gums that can harbor bacteria. In healthy gum tissue, pocket depth ranges from 1-3 mm. When a pocket becomes infected, the space can exceed 3 mm, a depth almost impossible to clean with a toothbrush, rinse, or floss.
Southland expects that research showing improvements in pocket depths and bleeding conditions with Perio Tray delivery will translate into better treatment outcomes for patients and a reduction in long-term health costs. In a July 2014 survey of dentists with extensive experience prescribing Perio Trays, surgical costs were reduced by 43%, extractions were reduced by 35%, and repetitive procedures to clean teeth below the gums were reduced by 32%. The survey was conducted by Perio Protect and Actuarial Worksite Marketing.
Perio Trays have an internal peripheral seal fabricated to place medication deep into pockets. Patients can only obtain a prescription Perio Tray through a licensed dentist who will develop and monitor a comprehensive treatment plan according to individual patient conditions.
The U.S. Center for Disease Control estimates that 47% of Americans have periodontitis. The seriousness of this statistic is compounded by the associations between gum disease and systemic diseases like cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes.
__
Editor's note: This article first appeared in the Apex360 newsletter. Not a subscriber? Go here to sign up for the latest industry updates, delivered twice a week to your inbox.
__
Related Articles
We need a new CDT code
Code D5994 applies to perio trays starting in 2014
