OZONE TREATMENT FOR TOOTH DECAY Treating Tooth Decay Up to now, there has been no alternative to eliminating decay, other than the traditional method of cutting it out with a dental drill and then filling the cavity left behind with a restorative filling material. Occasionally, some decay can be left behind because the bacteria causing the decay are difficult to detect. The use of dyes to highlight decayed areas can be used, but complete removal can still be difficult to achieve. Incomplete removal of decayed tooth can lead to failure of the filling and result in toothache or the tooth becoming abscessed at a later date. Stuart can now use ozone to treat certain forms of tooth decay, using the Healozone Unit from Kavo. What is Ozone? Ozone is a colourless gas form of oxygen and is present in our atmosphere. It has been used to purify water throughout the world for many years. When applied in specific concentrations, ozone has been shown to be highly effective in killing bacteria present in certain forms of tooth decay. Massive reduction is effected almost instantaneously and ozone has been shown to be of considerable benefit in bacterial reduction and control. Ozone Treatment This new technology uses the direct application of ozone the the tooth surface in a controlled manner through the use of the HealOzone Ozone Delivery handpiece. The procedure take between 40 and 120 seconds, depending on the depth of decay and is completely painless. Decay forming bacteria are killed in the process. We then place a flouride releasing filling in an ozone treated cavity and wait for the decayed tooth to re-mineralise and harden. Special mouthwashes and toothpaste are given to encourage the healing process and we regularly review the teeth to monitor healing. How will we know if Ozone has worked? We will review patients after 3 months, or sooner, to monitor and measure the healing process. Many research studies have shown that the re-mineralised tooth surface is more resistant to further decay. The cavity can be sealed or restored at a later appointment, once the decay has healed and this means that the filling needed to restore the tooth will be much smaller than if the traditional method of drilling and filling had been used. What are the alternatives to Ozone? The traditional treatment of drilling away the decay and placing a filling, probably with a local anaesthetic injection, is one alternative. Another is the use of Carisolve gel, which uses a special gel to dissolve away the decay . However, this still leaves a larger hole than if ozone was used to encourage the decay to harden and re-mineralise. Ozone treatment is ideal for children and adults alike and in many cases, can avoid the use of drills and uncomfortable local anaesthetic injections. If you are interested in exploring the possibility of ozone treatment with Dr Stuart Clark, then please telephone the practice for an appointment or send an e-mail.