It’s not the kind of thing you’d expect the state of Wisconsin to brag about in its PR materials, but according to a new paper in the Journal of the American Dental Association, we have the lowest rate of severe gum disease in the country. Yay, us!
But before we toss too much confetti, let’s put this in perspective. While only a sliver of Wisconsin’s population struggles with severe periodontitis, that doesn’t mean that everyone else has healthy gums. It’s estimated that right around 47% of American adults have some form of gum disease, from mild gingivitis on up the ladder. Yes, we’re doing better than most states, but “less terrible” isn’t exactly the goal we’re shooting for.
After all, gum disease is the number one reason for adult tooth loss.
Treating gum disease effectively requires more than just the conventional scrape-and-hope approach. As a biological practice, our goal is to support your body’s natural healing capacity, not just fight bacteria with brute force. One of the tools we use to do this? Dental ozone, which was the focus of a recent systematic review.
Looking at clinical trials from between 2018 and 2024, its authors set out “to evaluate recent advances in the use of ozone therapy in dentistry, focusing on its efficacy, safety, and clinical outcomes based on clinical trials.” The results were particularly encouraging with respect to periodontal health.
The review found that ozone therapy led to “considerable improvements in periodontal parameters” – meaning shallower pockets, less inflammation, and better overall gum health. Compared to conventional treatments alone, ozone’s results were superior in reducing inflammation, managing pain, and reducing the bacterial load within periodontal pockets.
And ozone does more than just kill harmful bacteria (though it does that very, very, very effectively). It also supports your body’s own healing mechanisms. It increases oxygen delivery to your body’s tissues, stimulates circulation, and helps modulate the immune response. All of these are vital for creating an environment in which healthy tissues can regenerate.
The review found that ozone can benefit in other ways, too, such as supporting soft tissue healing. Ozone was found to speed up healing and reduce inflammation around dental implants, which is critical for their long-term success. In our own practice, we go one better and use platelet rich fibrin (PRF), as well. Made from a small sample of your own blood, PRF adds your body’s own growth and healing factors to ozone’s antimicrobial power and oxygen delivery to promote excellent, uneventful healing.
The findings for some other procedures were more mixed. Not every study showed significant effects on plaque formation or gingivitis, for example, and outcomes seemed to depend on factors such as the ozone’s specific concentration and how it was applied. Still, overall, the evidence points to ozone therapy as a valuable tool in dental care.
That’s why we use it as part of a comprehensive approach, starting with the ozonated water we use in all of our treatment rooms. This means that virtually every procedure we do benefits from it. Not only does it support infection control and tissue healing; it also helps keep our dental unit waterlines pristine.
Then there are all the ways we can use ozone in other forms for specific treatments – ozone gas to treat inflamed gum tissue, say, or treating early decay; relieving tooth sensitivity or preparing a tooth for a restoration.
Of course, the best way to deal with gum disease – or decay – is to not get it in the first place. Regular cleanings, good home care, healthy eating, and addressing systemic factors that can affect oral health – these are the foundation for a healthy mouth. We’re proud and grateful to be a part of helping you build and maintain that foundation for a lifetime.
