Profitable preventive dentistry using Ozone

KaVo's groundbreaking Ozone delivery system to treat carious lesions in teeth without intervention received registration from the Therapeutic Goods Administration for use in Australia in December. Australian agents for KaVo, Ivoclar Vivadent, will host a lecture program by Professor Edward Lynch in April.

Recent research from Queens University Belfast and many other centres on the use of Ozone to treat caries could fulfil the profession's wildest dreams. The published University research papers in February 2004 in the American Journal of Dentistry as well as in the international journal Gerodiontology in Dec 2003 have proven an average reversal of caries of 95% in teeth treated with Ozone. Several studies in general practice show that patients accept this new Ozone treatment method very easily.

In the paper, Professor Freeman reported a general practice study of 277 Patients where 100% of the Patients would like to receive this treatment again and even more surprising was that 95% of Patients would actually pay more for this treatment (lasting seconds) than they would for conventional treatment lasting more than 30 minutes! This simple, fast, novel method avoids the need for local anaesthesia, drilling and filling and has been successfully researched in 15 UK sites as well and numerous sites internationally, all of whom have reported significant reversal of caries.

Ozone readily penetrates through decayed tissue, eliminating any bacteria, fungi and viral contamination, eliminating the ecological niche of cariogenic microorganisms as well as priming the carious tissue for remineralisation. Remineralised lesions are the ideal "filling materials" as reversed lesions are more resistant to future decay than sound tooth tissue.

For Root Caries, Dr Aylin Baysan's (University of Birmingham, Dental School) research shows that 99% of microorganisms are eliminated with "just a single professional 10 seconds" of treatment with ozone; over 97% of lesions clinically reverse, and the remainder do not progress, with follow up periods of 12 months.

Dr Aylin Baysan was awarded her PhD from the University of London on the reversal of root caries using Ozone and her longitudinal study proving clinical reversal of root caries and long term elimination of cariogenic microorganisms has been published in AmJDent 2004.

Dr Holmes has published 100% reversal of Root Caries assessed after 18 months in the December 2003 issue of Gerodontology.

Dr Layla Abu-Naba'a and Dr Hisham Al Shorman published reversal of Occlusal Pit and Fissure Caries without any injections, drilling or filling and Dr Layla Abu-Naba'a was awarded her PhD on the reversal of occlusal pit and fissure caries using Ozone.

After 12 months, 315 patients with 1918 occlusal pit and fissure carious lesions, were recalled for re-evaluation in Dr Holmes general practice study and 99% of the ozone treated primary occlusal fissure carious lesions had clinically reversed (P<0.001) when the Ozone treatment was combined with the use of the HealOzone remineralising toothpaste, rinse and spray. The control primary occlusal fissure carious lesions, which had not received any ozone treatment, did not significantly change.

Professor Megighian from Milan Dental School has published excellent clinical reversal of fissure caries as well as how happy the Patients were with the Ozone treatment method. Dr David Reaney (Kings and Guys Dental School, Univ of London) has recently reported clinical reversal of occlusal caries after ozone treatment and was awarded a distinction for his MClinDent thesis on this work in GKT. Similar results have also been reported in many other independent clinical trials, such as 6 more published studies presented at the annual American Association for Dental Research in San Antonio, by Dr Newton Johnson as well as 5 other studies carried out in 5 general dental practices by Dr Tom Daly, Dr Julian Holmes, Dr Paul Jackson, Dr Pearce Stinson and Dr Richard Morrison.

Dr Ola Abu-Salem and Dr Mousa Marashdeh presented in San Antonio the significant beneficial effects of the HealOzone treatment on deciduous caries showing a significant clinical reversal of lesions and Dr Ola Abu-Salem has successfully defended her thesis on this reversal of deciduous caries after 12 months. 15 research studies have also been published and presented at the International Association for Dental Research meeting in 2003.

Professor Adrian Lussi has shown significant reversal of deciduous caries in Berne dental school in Switzerland. Professor Reinhard Hickel and Dr Karin Huth have published significant reversal of occlusal caries lesions in Munich dental school in Germany. Dr Mark Cronshaw published 89% reversal of occlusal caries from his study in England and Dr Chris Clifford published excellent results combining the use of air abrasion with Ozone treatment in his study on the Isle of Wight.

The technique uses laser detection of caries and Ozone treatment takes less than 2 minutes. This is a radically different approach to the traditional "amputation" approach to removing the infection in caries! The medical profession has used ozone for some 100 years.

Professor Freeman's research shows this Ozone treatment significantly reduces Anxiety. Dr's Husseys and Armstrong's published research reports that Ozone does not affect adhesive bond strengths to either enamel or dentine so caries can also be sealed easily after treatment.

Professor Martin Grootvelds (University of London) data records the molecular mechanisms involved and has published excellent results using NMR. Dr Chris Silwood (PhD, University of London) has published the beneficial molecular effects of using Ozone on caries.

The HealOzone research has already been awarded prizes for this novel new treatment method, which is revolutionising the treatment of caries in the practices of more than 4000 Pathfinder Dentists, who have already purchased these units in the first wave of sales.

Millions of Patients worldwide have already been treated using the HealOzone and not a single side effect has ever been recorded. More than a million Patients have now been treated in the UK alone with Ozone to manage their Dental Caries.

The HealOzone is 100% safe. The HealOzone unit has been awarded a prestigious Medical Design of Excellence Award 2002 in the USA as well as the First Prize at the Central European Meeting in 2003.

Dr Colm Smiths study in general practice has shown that 100% of Patients would recommend, to their Relatives and Friends, this Ozone treatment from the HealOzone unit. Dr's Campbell, Hussey and Cunningham has recently proven that Ozone does not damage any filling materials.

Professor Hamid, Eastman Dental Hospital, London University presented his reversal of caries studies at IADR 2004 along with 10 other research studies from 10 other centres (including Dr Joshi, London and Dr Liviu Steier Germany), showing the same significant reversal of caries. Dr Julian Holmes was awarded first prize at the IADR 2004 for his research arresting root caries using Ozone. Recent clinical trials from Rome University and Milan University have also proven the reversal of pit and fissure caries in 2004.

However the technique is contraindicated to be used alone for approximal lesions as well as large "hidden" occlusal caries lesions. Excellent results are achieved with early occlusal pit and fissure caries lesions as well as non-cavitated root caries.

Edward Lynch is Professor of Restorative Dentistry and Gerodontology, Queens University Belfast and is on the three specialist lists for Restorative Dentistry, Endodontics and Prosthodontics.