Perio Protect honors dentist, hygienist

ST. LOUIS, Missouri--Dr. Caron Glickman and Barbara Tritz, RDH, of Duvall, Wash., are the recipients of the Orkos Award. They are the first recipients of the award.

To read more about Perio Protect, go to Perio Protect.

The award honors dental practitioners in the U.S. and Canada who have demonstrated professional excellence in treatment for gum disease (periodontitis or gingivitis) with a case study report.

The Orkos Award was founded by Perio Protect to encourage and recognize the contributions of individual dental professionals in the fight against gum disease. To receive the award, doctors and hygienists submit documentation demonstrating significantly improved clinical outcomes for a patient after treatment.

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 celebrate those in the dental field who share our passion and our vision for effective, minimally invasive oral care.”

Gum disease has been described by the U.S. Surgeon General as a silent epidemic, affecting approximately 85% of American adults age 35 and over. The disease starts with an inflammatory response to a bacterial infection in the gum tissue. Gum disease is not only the leading cause of adult tooth loss but has also been linked to heart disease, diabetes, upper respiratory disease, and other inflammatory infections.

Once an individual is diagnosed with gum disease, the standard treatment available involves intensive cleaning of the teeth above and below the gum line, a repetitive practice (every three to six months) that often requires a local anesthetic. Severe cases may require surgery.

Both options are generally unpopular with patients, many of whom leave their disease untreated, perhaps because the disease is easy to ignore in the early stages.

Perio Protect offers a methodology designed to reduce the need for repetitive invasive procedures. The method combines a customized tray delivery of medication below the gum line with professional cleaning procedures.

It is important to clean below the gum line and deliver medication there because that is where bacterial communities thrive. The noninvasive prescription tray delivery of medication can be done by patients at home between office visits.

Dr. Glickman has been offering the Perio Protect Method to patients since January 2010. After graduating from the University of Washington, School of Dentistry in Seattle, Wash., she opened a dental practice in 1992.

Since then, she has remained passionate about minimally invasive periodontal therapies. For the last 17 years, Tritz has worked with Dr. Glickman as periodontal therapist. Together, they keep up with current dental research and the latest dental products and treatment programs.

The efforts of dental professionals, such as Glickman and Tritz, are helping to increase awareness of gum disease and encourage patients to fight it.

Additional information about the award and current award-winners can be found at the Orkos Award Web site at www.TheOrkosAward.com.

To learn more about Perio Protect, visit www.perioprotect.com.

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