Periogen

[Sekiseishi]

So I happened upon this product called Periogen while shopping around for Waterpik units on Amazon today. I've read that it's "100% effective at removing tartar." Of course, now I'm curious. Anything that does 100% good for your teeth is something I'm interested in! Does anyone know if it actually does what it says? Or if it's at least 90% effective or more?

Mostly I'm curious because I've learned in environmental micriobiology that everything is said with a 95% confidence interval. That is: "We are 95% confident that ____ affects ____; We are 95% confident that ______ happens when _____;" etc. So anything that is "100%" is an anomaly to me. 99.99% is more realistic simply because it's not 100%. It's nearly impossible to get 100% of anything, especially microorganisms like the ones that cause plaque and tartar, out of anything. I can understand if it's "We are 95% confident that 99% of the tartar is removed from areas that are treated with Periogen," but ... well, you get the point. 100% sounds too good to be true!

Is it? Or am I over-analyzing?

Have any dentists on here tried it or seen its effects?! Tell me everything!

 

[Jaylah]

I'm not a dentist, but based on the results I found with a Google search, it sounds like this is a rip-off.

 

[Sekiseishi]

I kinda thought it was too good to be true! Lol. I was curious if anyone actually tried using it, too, and if they even got any results.

 

[Jaylah]

The only "periodontal product" that's ever been recommended to me by a dentist, and that actually worked, was packets of this powder stuff called "Amosan" (sold under the name "Bocasan" in the UK), made by Oral-B. Amosan was discontinued in 2010 and is no longer manufactured.

It did not "remove tartar." I don't think any oral rinse can do that.* It was, basically, some sort of hydrogen peroxide in a powdered form. After brushing and flossing, you mixed the contents of a packet with a couple of ounces of warm water and then swished that around in your mouth for 60 seconds. It would foam up, just like peroxide does. I think you could probably achieve the same effect by mixing equal amounts of hydrogen peroxide out of a bottle (that you can buy in the health-and-beauty section of any store) with water and using that as a mouthwash.

Having said that, tartar is basically plaque that has been left on your teeth long enough to harden. And there are pre-brushing rinses that do help with removing plaque. "Plax" is one, and there are a lot of generic store-brands of "Plax" that work just as well.

When it comes to products that make these stunning claims, I tend to figure that if they really worked as good as they say they do, professionals would be all over them. You're always seeing commercials on television for "amazing weight loss pills" that don't require you to limit your caloric intake or exercise at all, yet claim you'll lose 50 pounds per week, or whatever. Given the health costs of America's burgeoning obesity problem, I have to figure that if those things really worked, doctors would be handing them out like candy.

So I figure if there was any truth to the claims Periogen is making, dentists would be insisting that all of their patients use it.


* I suspect that if you used LimeAway as a mouthwash, it might remove some tartar. It would most probably dissolve your teeth as well, and would definitely "remove" all of the skin in your mouth. The only sane way to remove tartar is by having the dentist scrape it off, which is undoubtedly why dentists/periodontists don't recommend rinses to remove tartar.

 

[andy]

Periogen does work...although for me it was a very slow process, like watching paint dry. It took 2 months to remove my tartar, although some people have claimed much faster results. I used to get my teeth cleaned every 4 months and they would scrape a ton of tartar of my lower front teeth. After two months of Periogen, nothing there. I skipped the dental visits for 18 months and finaly went back last October for the obligatory x-rays and cleaning. She said my teeth looked great,then asked about the Periogen use. She stated that I missed acouple spots of tartar on the back of two wisdom teeth. I told her I would focus my efforts there and come back to see her. I have numerous pilot friends using the product and all have reported positive results. In summary, I think the product is great as it has saved me money in dental cleaning visits that are not covered by insurance...cheers