By Dr. Ron Schefdore
It has become evident to many dental professionals that in order to achieve enhanced, long lasting, oral wellness and longevity of dental treatment a systemic approach (nutritional support) must also be part of the patients “at home” oral care program. A house, regardless of its magnificence, cannot stand on a faulty foundation. It is this realization that has driven the dental field towards the application of nutraceuticals as an adjunct to periodontal treatment, implant placement, and full mouth rehabilitations. In the past, periodontal disease has been treated using only a topical approach, effectively treating only the symptoms of these concerns. However, now it has become evident that Oxidative stress, high cell turnover, and many times just poor nutrition are major issues of periodontal disease. In addition, the nutritional needs of the oral cavity increase when recovering from dental treatment; so a tested dental nutraceutical is now being recommended by dentists and hygienists for patients to take during these periods and to help maintain good oral health. One of the “roots” of gum disease lies in poor nutritional support, leading to an overall weakened immune system. So, it is no surprise that diabetic patients and the nutritionally deficient have a 200% to 300% greater risk of developing periodontal disease. What do these risk factors have in common? They both affect the patient internally, and therefore, must be treated internally. Before nutraceuticals, the only systemic care a patient would receive would be antibiotics targeting the release of the enzyme Collagenase. Unfortunately, the scope of antibiotics is far too narrow, and prolonged usage of antibiotics has shown to damage the immune system. Nutraceuticals are “non-antibiotics”. They inhibit the release of multiple enzymes, including collogenase. They also effectively help prevent further plaque buildup, strengthen the immune system of the host and enhance soft tissue healing. In Pharmaden’s double-blind Loma Linda University double blind study (the first and only study of its kind testing periodontal patients), 63 patients with 4 mm, to 7 mm, pockets were randomly selected for a 60 day assessment of the effectiveness of their supplements. The results were peer reviewed and were published in Compendium as far back as 2001. The goal of this clinical trial was to measure the improvement in the patients' pocket depth, gingival index, bleeding index, and attachment level. Patients taking only two daily tablets of Pharmaden’s nutraceutical, Periotherapy, showed clinically significant improvements in all of these fields. The average pocket depth was reduced by 1.37 millimeters, and was achieved with no additional intervention. This shows that Periotherapy appears to offer patients a noninvasive, systemic, adjunct to treatment and for patients to use with their at-home oral hygiene regimen. These findings have caused a stir in the industry, even resulting in praise from publications such as DentalTown magazine, which honored Pharmaden nutraceuticals as their favorite dental antioxidant in their December 2011 issue. Dentistry Today magazine named Pharmaden Nutraceuticals as a Top Product. Pharmaden’s’ PerioTherapy nutraceutical is the only nutritional supplement on the market specifically double-blind tested that shows a significant decrease in pocket depth, plaque, and bleeding. Also, Pharmaden’s line of supplements contain only natural ingredients (a list of oral health nutrients can be found at www.pharmaden.net) and are manufactured within the United States in FDA-approved facilities designed for pharmaceuticals. Finally, there is a specially designed dental nutraceutical formulation which is backed by science and years of clinical use that today’s dental professional can use to help improve oral health. For a bibliography on Pharmaden's PerioTherapy, go to PerioTherapy. In closing, in order to address periodontal disease, the healing process after dental work, and the maintenance of oral health, nutritional issues must be addressed. Antibiotics do boast specific applications, but prolonged use of these could cause issues and still does not address the nutritional needs of the host. Nutrition can be regulated through proper diet. However, most patients will either ignore this advice entirely or abandon a new diet quickly; the obesity epidemic in the United States proves this point. Many times hygienists that treat periodontal patients with scaling and root planing see the patients’ periodontal condition deteriorate in the first year or two after treatment. In school, hygienists learn about the importance of nutrition and oral health but were not given any direction about which supplement to use or why. Many store bought vitamins are have low absorption rates, synthetic ingredients, and are made in unregulated facilities. Pharmaden nutraceuticals, on the other hand, offer a systemic adjunct to periodontal therapy by achieving high absorption rates, contain all natural ingredients, and are manufactured in facilities which are monitored by the American Food and Drug Administration. They are clinically time tested by dentists and hygienists. Finally, dental professionals have a tool to help them achieve better treatment outcomes and long term oral health for their patients.
Ronald L. Schefdore, DMD, graduated in 1983 from SIU School of Dental Medicine and has a full time adult private practice in the western suburbs of Chicago. His seminars have been recognized as one of the top CE by Dentistry Today magazine for the past five years. He is President of Pharmaden Nutraceuticals, Healthy Heart Dentistry chair side blood screening tests, founder of Americans against Diabetes, and Dentistry against Diabetes programs. Contact him at: [email protected].
