Patient Education
When talking to patients, in addition to focusing on the comfort and efficacy of this convenient treatment, especially for patients with co-morbidities, and on its cosmetic benefits, please consider sharing these value talking points:
Our goals with Perio Tray therapy are to get your gums so healthy that you
- don't lose any bone and become a periodontal patient who has to come to the office every 3 months for cleanings
- avoid another round of scaling any time soon.
- avoid surgery and additional loss of teeth.
- keep your implants (or crowns) as healthy as possible so that they will last longer/for your lifetime……..
- approach others with confidence, knowing that you have a healthy, beautiful smile and the freshest breath of your life.
The point is that health has lasting financial value and improves our quality of life.
Oral Infection and the Immune System
Gum disease is a chronic tax on the immune system. Chronic infections and inflammation of the gingival tissues
- make it harder for type 2 diabetics to manage blood sugar
- lead to inflammation in the cells lining the arteries
- speed up the progression of dementia
and there are so many other connections, including some cancers, ED, pulmonary diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, and pregnancy complications.
Keeping Your Teeth
Gum disease is also the number one cause of tooth loss. Research shows that continuous lack of bleeding on probing was a 98% accurate predictor of no further periodontal damage.* It’s so important to keep your teeth. While our doctor does beautiful restorative work, its always best to keep your natural teeth when you can.
Side Effects
The best long-term treatment results come with prescription Perio Tray therapy. The side effects of the trays are the best! You’ll have whiter teeth and the fresher breath.
Hint:
Be sure to refer to patient brochures, the chairside guide, the counter card, and the body poster as you talk to patients. These materials are included in the Perio Protect Starter Kit.
*Continuous lack of bleeding on probing was measured over 2.5 years according to Lang, Adler et al. Journal of Clinical Periodontology, 1990.
Two Protocols for Perio Tray® Therapy
Controlled clinical trials demonstrate scientific support for prescribing Perio Tray® therapy in maintenance and in initial therapy; thus, there are two separate protocols depending on your patient needs.
At the bottom of this page, you will find sample comprehensive patient protocols with in-office templates, the Perio Protect Treatment Guidelines, and a short instructional video for the Perio Tray® delivery appointment.
Here is a sample consent form for your review and use.
Maintenance Protocol: 2 - 1
Maintenance patients are obvious candidates for Perio Tray® therapy. Prescribe Perio Tray usage 2x/day for 10-15 minutes for at least two weeks and, upon evaluation with improvement, drop patients to 1x/day.
Good news! Controlled clinical trials show that smokers do as well as non-smokers during maintenance therapy with Perio Protect.
A sample timeline after SRP:
- SRP completed
- 4 weeks later @ SRP recare, rechart and take impressions/scan
- 3 weeks later deliver Perio Tray® to patients (2 weeks later if digital scanner is used). Rx tray therapy 2x/day until D4910
- 5 weeks later @ D4910, evaluate and drop to 1x/day with improvement. Document with photographs. Retreat or refer PRN.
A sample timeline after D4910:
- Chart and take impressions/scan at D4910
- 3 weeks later deliver Perio Trays to patients (2 weeks later if digital scanner is used). Rx tray therapy 2x/day for 2 weeks.
- 2 weeks later, quick reeval to determine if patient can drop to
- 1x/day. Document with photographs.
- 7 weeks later @ D4910, evaluate and drop to 1x/day with improvement. Retreat or refer PRN.
IRx Protocol: 3 - 2 - 1
The IRx (Initial Prescription) Protocol is the most innovative approach with Perio Protect. Perio Tray® therapy gives you the option to treat the cause and debride the chronic wounds before acute care with scaling, lasers, or surgery is performed.
The benefit of the IRx approach is the reduction of bleeding, inflammation and bacterial loads that will give you better visibility during your in-office procedures, make the procedures more comfortable for the patients (due to less inflammation), make the procedures faster and easier on the dental professional, and contribute to higher success rates for your treatment because you start with the healthiest tissue possible.
Patients with comorbidity or who want to exhaust all non-surgical options before agreeing to surgery are excellent candidates for this approach.
To make this easy, think in terms of 3 - 2 - 1: 3x/day, then 2x/day, then 1x/day.
A sample timeline:
- Diagnose, take impressions/scan.
- 3 weeks later deliver Perio Trays and Gel to be used 3x/day for two weeks. (2 weeks later if digital scanner is used.)
- 2 weeks later begin in-office procedures and drop tray usage to 2x/day between these appointments
- x weeks later at recare, evaluate to drop to 1x/day, retreat isolated areas, or refer PRN.
Helpful Hints
- 15 minutes is best, but 10 is beneficial. Wear trays for at least 10 minutes to get therapeutic benefit. It is fine to wear the trays longer than 15 minutes, but it doesn't produce better results.
- Two 10-minute treatments are better than one 15-minute treatment. The more frequently the gel is applied deep into periodontal pockets (for at least 10 minutes), the faster the infection will resolve and the tissue will heal.
- Long-term usage is designed for long-term disease remission. For patients with periodontitis, a Perio Tray is as important as a tooth brush for good oral health.
- Remind patients that as the tissue heals, they can drop the frequency of usage.
- Perio Tray therapy is not just fighting bacteria but the peroxide is releasing oxygen to create the right conditions for healthy bacteria to repopulate. The frequency of usage helps your body heal better.
Video Instructions for the Office Team
Perio Tray Delivery Appointment Instructions
Talking To Patients about Perio Protect
Video Instructions for Patient Viewing