Deeter Dental Clinic Receives Perio Protect Orkos Award for Excellence in Case Study Research

Feb. 8, 2011 - PRLog -- Dr. Terry Deeter, Amber Olson-Rambur RDH, and Shannon Davis RDH, of Deeter Dental in Bismarck, ND have received the Orkos Award, a recognition honoring dental practitioners in the US and Canada who demonstrate significant clinical success in a case study report on gum disease treatment.  

The Orkos Award was founded by Perio Protect, LLC to encourage and celebrate the contributions of individual dental professionals treating patients with periodontal disease.   According to Dr. Tanya Dunlap, Program Development Director of Perio Protect, “Orkos is an ancient Greek word associated with the ‘Hippocratic Oath,’ and with this award we want to acknowledge those in the dental field who share our passion and our vision for effective, minimally invasive oral care.”   To receive the award, doctors and hygienists provide documentation for a patient with significantly improved treatment outcomes.

The case study for this award involved a patient who experienced substantial reductions in bleeding on probing after treatment with the Perio Protect Method®.  The Method emphasizes minimally invasive dentistry, combining customized prescription tray delivery of medication with traditional mechanical debriding techniques or newer laser technology. At her initial appointment on August 5, 2008, the patient’s gums bled at every site. Her deepest pocket depths, the spaces between teeth and gums that harbor localized bacterial infections, measured 6mm (1-3mm being a health range).  Dr. Deeter’s office is participating in a research study on the effectiveness of the Perio Protect Method® and enrolled the patient in the study group using customized prescription trays to deliver medication before mechanical or laser treatment.  

The patient received her prescription trays and medication (active ingredient 1.7% hydrogen peroxide) on August 26, at which time she was instructed to delivery medication with her trays four times a day and to continue brushing and flossing. No other procedures were performed at this time. When she returned to the office for her first recall visit on September 10, an examination found that bleeding was reduced to 57% and pockets had responded with 1-2mm depth reductions. The patient was instructed to continue with the specialized tray delivery of medication four times a day and to return in a month. At the second recall visit on October 8, bleeding on probing measured 4% and pocket depths showed continued improvement.  The few pockets over the normal depth of 3mm were treated with laser therapy on January 13, 2009.  

Twelve months later, the patient returned for a final study recall visit and all pockets except for one measured within normal range. Bleeding remained low at 2%. This patient carefully followed her treatment protocol as outlined by Dr. Deeter and emphasized by hygienists Olson-Rambur and Davis. “The treatment results are exciting,” said Olson-Rambur, “because we were able to obtain such good results with the medication in the trays before site-specific treatment with the laser. Patients like the minimally invasive approach. The side effect of gradual tooth whitening is also appreciated.”

The substantial reduction in bleeding in this case study is highlighted because gingival bleeding is a sign of inflammation associated with serious systemic illnesses and because so many people have bleeding gums, a prominent symptom of gum disease. US Surgeon General David Satcher described gum disease as a silent epidemic in 2000, affecting 3 out of 4 American adults thirty-five and over. Bleeding gums are easy to ignore because they are difficult to see, but inflammatory conditions should be taken seriously and treated.

Once an individual is diagnosed with gum disease (periodontitis or gingivitis), several treatment options are available, including intensive cleaning of the teeth above and below the gum line, a practice often requiring a local anesthetic and repeat procedures.  Severe cases may require surgery.  Both options prove unpopular with patients, many of whom choose to leave their disease untreated. It is hoped that minimally invasive therapies like the Perio Protect Method® will help improve patient treatment acceptance.

Dr. Deeter has been prescribing the Perio Protect Method® since 2004. He is the senior partner of Deeter Dental and has been practicing dentistry for more than 30 years.  He currently sees patients at two locations, Deeter Dental Clinic of Bismarck, ND and Garrison Dental of Garrison, ND. Dr. Deeter is committed to providing “every guest with the highly personalized care that he or she deserves.”  According to Deeter, “we are willing to sacrifice patient volume to ensure that all procedures are performed properly and to the best of our ability.”  For more information about Dr. Terry Deeter and Deeter Dental, visit http://www.deeterdental.com.

Additional information about the Orkos Award and current award-winners can be found at http://www.theorkosaward.com.  To learn more about the Perio Protect Method® visit http://www.perioprotect.com.

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Perio Protect, LLC is a dental company that trains and certifies dentists in a minimally invasive gum disease treatment methodology. Courses are given in the United States and Canada. Over 20,000 dental professionals have been trained for gum disease Tx.