Perio Protect – Is it right for you?
Do you have gingivitis or periodontal disease? There is a product on the market called Perio Protect and it’s supposedly one of the latest and greatest tools for helping you fight the battle against gum disease. But it’s not cheap. And if your dentist is suggesting you try Perio Protect, you may want to do a little homework on the subject. So before you fork over the big $$$ read this honest Perio Protect review to see if this product is right for you. Here is my experience with Perio Protect…
*I am not a medical professional. Dental and orthodontic procedures were administered under a professional dentist’s supervision.
Do you have gum disease? Thinking of trying Perio Protect? Before spending $ read this first. Share on X
Why I Needed Perio Protect
I have managed to go through my entire 40 something years on this planet without having one cavity in my entire life. Woohoo!
But I can’t celebrate too much. Because while I have never had a cavity, I have been unfortunate enough to have something which might be even worse.
Advanced periodontal disease.
I did not get this disease overnight and it’s all my fault.
In my early teens I had to wear orthodontic braces to fix my overbite and buck teeth. They were the old fashioned metal and rubber band kind and they made brushing and flossing really difficult.
Ok, who am I kidding – I never flossed.
Since it was so hard to clean my teeth while wearing braces, my gums started to become puffy and swollen and they also bled.
I had to have my first deep cleaning when I was 15 which is much worse than it sounds.
Basically they have to inject your gums with Novocaine and use lots of noisy and sharp tools to clean underneath the gums. It’s not a fun experience.
Braces make cleaning your teeth a bitch.
In my mid-20s the gingivitis turned into periodontal disease. I had to endure several more deep cleanings as the “pockets” between my gums were getting worse.
Then once I hit my 30s, during a routine dental check-up, the dentist looked at my X-rays and was shaking his head. He kept saying “Oh my ” over and over. I was like WHAT?!
He said that I was one of the youngest patients he has ever had to have such significant bone loss.
I was like bone loss? What does that mean?
I was not prepared for what I was about to hear.
I have loose teeth!
No. This can’t be happening! The thought of losing my front teeth has me terrified. I have nightmares about it and what really sucks is that is a REAL possibility – not just a bad dream. I can’t afford to have implants and I don’t want to wear dentures.
So ever since then, I have been brushing and flossing my teeth religiously and see a dentist every six months.
I have nightmares about looking like this guy. I don’t want to lose my teeth!
What’s even more fun is my dentist calls me a “Tartar Magnet” meaning that I have an issue where tartar (calculus) builds up on my teeth very quickly if I don’t keep it under control.
I’m not going to get into what Tartar is in this post, so if you want to know more you can click this link.
Alas, they said it is often genetic. Some people have problems with rotting teeth, other people have problems with gum disease. I happen to be one of the latter and I honestly don’t know which is worse.
But my dentist said there is a new product on the market that he thinks I would be a perfect candidate for. It’s called Perio Protect and it is supposed to control bacteria and even reverse bone degeneration.
I was like, this product sounds amazing! Tell me more!
What is Perio Protect?
According to the manufacturer :
Perio Protect® is a comprehensive treatment approach that combines professional cleanings with a special, comfortable tray delivery of medication that you use at home between office visits. The Perio Tray® by Perio Protect is similar to a mouth-guard, but it has a special sealing system to deliver medication below the gums. You put medication in the tray and wear it for a few minutes a day.
Medicine delivered in a tray that you just have to wear in your mouth a few times a day? Easy! No sweat! And there is the added bonus of whitening due to the peroxide medicine that you use with the trays. Sweet!
Perio Protect Trays and Gel
*You can not use just any trays for Perio Protect such as a mouth guard, or Invisalign. The trays are specifically designed to cover up the gum line so that the medicine gets into every nook and cranny.
But you also have to be dedicated. I was told I would have to use this product 4 times a day for 15 mins at a time. You can’t just leave it in your mouth for an hour.
You have to remove the trays, rinse them out, then reapply the medicine and leave in your mouth for 15 mins each time. Every day. Suck it up buttercup, we can do this. I’ll make it work somehow.
I asked my dentist how much it would cost, they said it was not covered by my insurance (shocker) so it would cost $650 for the trays and then I would have to get the medication separately. $650 is a lot of money. But if this would save my teeth without having to get surgery or dentures, I was willing to give it a try.
The Perio Protect is cheaper than the alternatives and of course better than losing my teeth!
My dentist was very convincing.
I patiently waited to get my tax return that year and planned to use some of my refund on the Perio Protect treatment. But I had several months to wait, so during that time, I went online to read the reviews and do a little research on the subject.
And the weird thing is I did not see many reviews from actual patients. However, I DID see many reviews from dentists’ websites.
That should have been a little warning sign and I should have kind of taken that into account before committing to trying this product. Hence, this is why I’m writing this for YOU!
My First Experience with Perio Protect
The first thing you need to do is have molds taken of your teeth. This process kind of freaks me out.
I had flashbacks to when I had to get my braces and almost suffocated from the clay they had shoved into my mouth filling up the back of my throat, eyes bugging out of my head.
I expressed my fear to the hygienist taking the mold and she said don’t worry, this doesn’t take nearly as long. And she was right. The bottom mold was first and it was quick and easy.
Taking molds of my teeth make me panic!
But then came the scary one. The top mold.
I wasn’t going to panic. It would all be over soon…
I closed my eyes and tried to relax while breathing out of my nose trying not to think about that clay slowly filling up the roof of my mouth inching toward the back of my throat. If I would have inhaled through my mouth, it could have literally killed me!
About 2 mins later, she removed the cast. And it was no good. She had to do it again. Dammit.
Try #2 – Ok, I can do this. Breath in and out through the nose. Picture myself with perfectly healthy teeth. Two mins later, the mold pops off. And again it was no good. F*ck! I was starting to get irritated. But I just kept thinking to myself this is for my own good. I will not go through life with missing teeth.
Here we go again…
Try #3 – Do not be discouraged. It will all be over soon. Two mins later, she pops off the mold. And again, it cracked. By this time, I was getting pretty mad. I told her that if we can’t get it right on the 4th try, that I would like someone else to do it. She apologized and said she thinks she knows what happened (whatever that means) and will get it right this time.
Try #4 – Thinking happy thoughts. Beautiful white teeth…Pop! She removes the mold and thinks it will work. Thank goodness! It took all of my power and strength not to have an anxiety attack for the last half an hour.
Now I just have to go to the front desk and fork over the cash, wait 2 weeks for my trays to be ready, and have them order the medicine. Cool.
So a week or two goes by and I get a call from the dentist. “Melanie, we need you to come back in to redo your molds. The one we sent over cracked”.
Are you freaking kidding me?! $#@*!!!
I told the dentist that I wanted a different person to do it this time. I did not want to go through that whole shenanigan again. This time I had a different girl do the mold for me and she got it right on the first try. Thank the universe!
Another 2 weeks go by and I get my Perio Protect kit from the dentist.
It came in a cute box with a little plastic case for the trays and space for the tube of Perio Gel and your toothbrush.
And then I was informed that it would be another $70 for the medicine. $20 for the gel and $50 for the medicine. Every 2 months. Goddammit!
I didn’t really take that into consideration. But I am committed. We are doing this!
What Came with the Perio Protect Kit
Perio Protect Kit
Since I was using it for bone loss, I had to get a 3oz tube of Periogel (a hydrogen peroxide-based gel used to kill disease-carrying bacteria, while promoting and supporting the reduction and the growth of beneficial bacteria), a glass bottle of Vibramycin a.k.a. Doxycycline – supposedly the magic ingredient for regrowing bone, a few plastic syringes, and some teeny tiny brushes.
How to Use Perio Protect
To fill the Perio Protect trays:
- Cut the tip of the Periogel tube and put a few tiny dots of the gel into the tray.
- Shake up the Vibramycin and fill up the syringe with a very small amount and just place about 3 dots of the liquid into each tray.
- Use the brushes to mix everything together and spread it along the inside of the trays.
If you can taste the product, you used too much – which I did the first few weeks.
It tastes nasty and I had to get up to spit every 5 minutes.
After a while I learned that you really only need a super tiny amount of product – you don’t need to fill every crevice of the mold. Just a dot every few teeth.
This is what the Perio Protect trays look like in your mouth.
Vibramycin is kind of gross. It’s extremely sticky and when I shook it up, it leaked out from under the cap and became a gooey mess. I actually ended up losing a lot of product.
This gook cost me $50. Every drop was precious!
So when it came time to get the product refilled, I asked if I could get a different bottle since mine leaked. They said the only other option was a plastic one that has a little hole at the top for the syringe. This was a much better choice!
You just put the syringe in the hole, tilt the bottle and fill it up. Much less mess.
You have to wear the trays 15 mins at a time 4x a day.
I didn’t want to take the whole kit to work with me so I had to figure out exactly what time I could use the Perio Protect.
What I did was use it first thing in the morning while I was getting ready for work. Then after I was done eating for the night around 9pm, I would do the procedure 3 times in a row for 15 mins at a time. It would take about an hour in total (for rinsing and refilling the trays).
How Did Perio Protect Work for Me?
After about 3-4 months of using the product, I began to notice something that freaked me out a little bit.
I had this brown/black gunk between my teeth, especially in the back.
I was like WTF is THAT?! It literally looked like I was eating poop. I still brushed and flossed twice a day so I was baffled.
I thought this was supposed to whiten my teeth? What is going on?
Perio Protect stained my teeth
I went home and looked at my syringes and lo and behold the tips of the syringes were stained dark brown too. It was then that I knew it was from the Perio Protect.
I also looked at the plastic kit that I used to store my trays. The bottom of the case was black. OMG so gross!
*Tip – If you dry your trays before putting them away this will help keep the gunk away.
The stained syringe tip. And before you ask, yes I washed it after every use.
Then I did a Google search and looked up “Perio Protect Stained Teeth” and other similar searches and only found one hit with a patient sharing a similar problem.
Are we two seriously the only ones who experienced this?
Fortunately, I found a product online that helped remove much of the stains called Whitening Nano Strips which was a great temporary fix.
Perio Protect 6 Month Check-Up
At my 6 month dental check-up, I told them about the stains I was experiencing and they said it is because of the Vibramycin.
I really wish I was told about this upfront. But the good news is, I didn’t have any tartar for them to scrape away and my gum pockets had been reduced.
They did have to scrape away those nasty brown stains, which fortunately were removed from a thorough dental cleaning.
But the big question was are my teeth tightening up? The answer was unfortunately no.
Consequently, I was told that I might have to use the product for another year (18 months total) before I would start seeing results.
I figured had already invested $650 for the trays plus $70 every 2 months for the medicine. But I was going to stick with it.
I was going to keep my teeth!
Perio Protect 12 Month Check-Up
Another 6 months go by. I had gotten tired of using the trays 4 times a day.
Some nights I would forget to put them in until it was too late and I just didn’t have the time to wear them that long before bed. I started using the trays 3x a day instead of 4.
Dental check-up
The cost of my medication went up also. The Periogel was up to $26 and the Vibramycin went up to $60.
At my 12 month appointment, I asked if they saw any improvement. Unfortunately, my pockets got deep in a few spots again and I was still dealing with the stains.
My teeth were still loose. But I was not ready to give up so I kept at it.
Perio Protect 18 Month Check-Up
At my 18 month appointment, I told the dentist that if my teeth aren’t getting any better I was pretty much done. She checked the movement of my teeth and they were still loose with no improvement.
I wish my teeth and gums were this healthy.
It was then that I made up my mind. I was over it. She agreed with me.
She said that she has had patients who have used the product for 2 years and have not seen any improvement in regrowing the bone.
The only thing to do is to have periodontal surgery or she suggested getting a permanent retainer to keep my teeth in place.
I was tired and broke, and a retainer would make it impossible to floss. It is not really an option. Needless to say, I felt defeated.
How Much Perio Protect Cost Me
Overall, this is what I ended up spending on Perio Protect:
$650 for the trays
$210 on medicine for the 1st 6 months ($70 every other month)
$516 on medicine for the last 12 months (when the price went up)
Total spent over 18 months = $1376
Keep in mind, this was the cost from my dentist here in Phoenix, AZ. How much Perio Protect will cost will probably vary from place to place.
(Psst. I found a Perio Gel alternative!)
Final Results
- No change in bone loss.
- Reduced my gum pockets and overall health of my gums.
- Kept tartar away the entire time.
So if your dentist recommends that you try Perio Protect, I hope that you have found this review useful.
If you have gingivitis or early-stage periodontal disease, it would probably be really beneficial for you.
But if you are trying to use it to regrow bone, all I can say is it didn’t work for me. I kind of feel like a sucker.
Now What?
I have since stopped using the trays. But I still go to the dentist every 6 months for my perio maintenance to help with my gum disease.
But if my teeth get any looser, I’m going to go straight to a periodontist to get a quote for surgery. I’m already making plans for my tax refund. 🙁
I looked on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doxycycline I did not see evidence that Vibramycin a.k.a. Doxycycline, is indicated for bone loss treatment.
Right. Yet some dentists claim that it can help with bone loss when used with periotrays.
Perio protect will prevent more bone loss and reduce perio pocket depths. It will not regrow bone or make you’re teeth less loose.
It worked for me as far as reducing pockets and “mobility” of one tooth. 1x per day 15 minutes no Vibramycin. And the whitening is a nice side effect. I had the “deep cleaning” 3 times over many years and it cost about the same as the perio-protect because the antibiotic they used with it is insanely expensive, now I won’t need that again. Cheaper and much better to be healthy and not need the deep cleaning treatments at all!
The idea it would fix existing bone loss was highly dubious at best, but you already paid for the trays and I suggest you keep up with them without the Vibramycin. That will cost less and it should keep the pockets minimal and prevent further deterioration. And use a little more gel so it definitely gets in there.
Sounds like your brushing and flossing routine is good. Add disinfectant mouthwash if you don’t already. The vibramycin raised your cost and stained your teeth and shouldn’t have been used long-term. Drop that like it’s hot but keep on with the trays.
That’s amazing! You got those results just from using the Periogel 1x per day? I’m definitely going to look into this. I appreciate your comment.
I’m in the process of getting ready to get LANAP for my periodontal disease and am having a hard time getting as many testimonials as I’d like to not feel as scared as I do. I happened upon the periotrays and started to look into reviews for that when I ran into your review. Thank you for posting your experience and opinion. I wish I could find the same sort of honest and thorough review for the LANAP.
I’m very curious about this procedure also. Please let me know how it goes!
dentist here 🙂 I would recommend LANAP or ANY perio laser (I use Waterlase) instead of perio surgery if you are a candidate. We also use a diode laser at hygiene appointments to keep bacterial load down and encourage mitochondrial activation for self repair. We also prescribe Perio Protect!
How long did the tube of Peri-gel last you? I started using it about a week and a half ago and the tube is almost empty, I would say that I have maybe a week left if I’m careful. The dentist told me that the tube should last me 6 to 8 weeks which I think is highly unlikely when I have to use it 4x a day. My dentist didn’t mention any bone loss but I do have gum disease with very deep pockets. I hope this helps because like you said it’s pretty darn expensive. TIA
Hi Mary. I want to say a tube last me about a month. It sounds like you may be using too much product. You only need like 3 tiny dots in each tray and then just use the brush to spread it around. If it’s spilling over the top in your mouth, then it’s too much. Also, make sure to replace the cap quickly so it doesn’t seep out of the tube.
I’m just getting ready to start using this product. Total price for a year is $1,100.00 billed in one chunk to my Carecredit account. They used a sonar like device to take a computer scan of my teeth and I should get the Mouthpieces in a month.
I’m 64 and have deep pockets which I hope will help stop or even reverse them. Thanks to all for your remarks. My first thought was to investigate the ingredients to make sure there was nothing that could harm me. Thats what I’m doing now.
I’ve been using perioprotect for over two years. My dental insurance doesn’t cover my biological dentist, plus I live on an island and need to take a boat to see him, plus he retired (although somebody took over his practice)… So I have not been back for quite a while to have the labs done to check the progress. But my biannual checkups at my regular dentist have been great. No additional recession or issues. Several years ago I had gum line fillings done, but otherwise my periodontal disease was mild. BUT about 8 years ago I had a filling done at my old dentist and had the weird sensation, as the novocaine was wearing off, that my front tooth was loose. The next day I bit into a piece of dark chocolate and my teeth literally moved so I could no longer bite properly. Long story short, I needed to go out and get invisalign (which I was not happy about, since I’d had braces for four years as a teen and was already paying out of pocket for my daughter’s braces). My bite has never been the same (the orthodontist sort of gave up- my back teeth don’t meet like they used to), but I’m not in any pain. When I did go back to have my labs done at the bio dentist, the results showed a decrease in bacteria. I’m very interested in hearing about others’ results. I continue to use the trays. I do wear a clear retainer at night (the kind that looks like invisalign). Melanie, would that help prevent your teeth from shifting?
Hi Mary. Yep! I had Invisalign and wear my retainers nightly. The dentist thinks it’s very helpful to keep the teeth in place. I’m really glad that you found something that worked for you!
I went to my Western Dental appointment a few weeks ago, and while waiting for the dentist, the front counter clerk tried to “push” this “Perio Daily Defense” product on me. I said that I’ll think about it. Right after the clerk was done with me, she went into the next stall and recited the the entire sales pitch word-for-word. My BS meter went crazy.
I did some research on this stuff and its only FDA “cleared” and NOT FDA “approved”. In which its a big difference.
When you have periodontal disease that badly you need to be seen every 3 months for cleanings and check ups, that is how you keep your teeth and keep tartar away. Try using a water pik, they are amazing! Using it 2 times a day will help because it cleans under the gum level 2-4 mm while flossing is only 1 mm.
LANAP is a great procedure people use for bone loss and deep pockets, its an alternative for traditional gum surgery but is seen differently by a lot of dentist. If seen by a doctor who has done many over the years they will tell you want stage your at and what will work the best.
Reading this, makes me think two things one you need to find a new dentist, and two you should have done independent on perio-protect and advanced periodontist.
If you would have looked into it first. You would know antibiotics aren’t going to regrow bone. You would also have figured out that your Dentist is an idiot if he suggested using the perio protect gel with the doxycycline was “supporting the growth of beneficial bacteria”. Antibiotics kill all bacteria, good bad and indifferent it does not differentiate.
Based on those two super basic medical facts that your dentist completely missed or lied to you about I would find a more competent one. That understand the basic functions of antibiotics and their limitations as it pertains to bone regrowth.
Research, don’t be lazy it could mean the difference between keeping your teeth, or them falling out of your guns like you are in a nightmare.
I will leave you with one last piece of knowledge that will save your teeth, but you will need to do the majority of the leg work.
Lookup: how to use BPC-157 to treat periodontal disease. Its a peptide you’ll thank me later, BPC-157 is something that actually can regrow bone.
Along the way also check into: using bacteriophages to treat periodontal disease. They sell phage gel on Amazon now not hard to get and safer and more effective than antibiotics. No chance of resistance and bacteriophages actually do promote the growth of healthy bacteria while killing the bad.
Last nugget, TB-500 aka thymosin beta 4, another healing peptitde that can help the BPC-157 do its job faster.
Or you can always ignore me and not look into any of it. You would be a fool, but you also don’t seem to do any e extensive independent research even when your teeth are at stake you trust some guy to have your best interest at heart instead of his pocket book. Shame on you, you should only be mad at yourself for wasting your money no one else take some personal responsibility for your failure to do research,and quit blaming everyone for your short comings. Maybe next time you’ll remember research first then make a decision.
Thank you for your thoughtful and courteous comment. Unfortunately, there was not much information available when I initially started with the product. I trusted my dentist at the time, and have since moved on to a different one. I will look into the information you mentioned. Maybe it will be helpful to some of my readers as well.
First of all…JOHN HOLMS??? REALLY???? While you providing her with other alternatives is nice of you, you could change your tone and not be so rude. Her dentist is a professional so why wouldn’t she trust him. Yes. I get he is trying to make his pocket book bigger, however, when you use a product that a professional suggests. You don’t expect it to change your personal appearance (ie discolor your teeth). He being the professional with the shiton years of school should have warned her of the side effects that his product and doxy could Cause (assuming she disclosed she was taking doxy, if not then that is not the doctors fault). Have you ever hard the saying “it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it”? Not everyone knows how to do research properly or is limited in the information they find. Like the OP said, at the time, there was little information about it, probably because the product was too new. Anyways, I just think you could be a bit nicer rather than putting her down and treating her like she is dumb for it researching a product her professional dentist should have researched because that is his job.
Thank you for backing me up. I sincerely appreciate it as well as your comments ♥
There are other holistic ways to irrigate your pockets at home. Please check out orawellness.com.
Happy I found this. Went to the dentist yesterday. They recommend Perio Protect to me @ $800 per tray with no mention to cost of the gel or anything else. Except that I would sleep with the trays & gel in at night & might need to use them a couple of times during the day. Since money was a block for me I told them I wouldn’t be able to do it right now. But Now I’m glad it was & that I wasn’t able to jump right in. Sounds like I was going to get ripped off. Also thankful for a lot of the other comments on here that seem helpful. Thank you for posting!!
Ouch! Don’t you love how they conveniently forget to mention the cost of the gel? Apparently, the product works for some people and if money was not an object I would say go for it. But honestly, if you just see your dentist regularly and take good care of your teeth at home, I don’t think it’s necessary. That’s just my opinion though. Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
Not all antibiotics work the same. An antibiotic may target gram positive bacteria, gram negative bacteria, aerobic, or anaerobic bacteria. And some antibiotics are more narrow spectrum to target a small subset of bacteria based on a unique property of that subset. Doxycycline is a broad spectrum, 2nd generation tetracycline antibiotic that treats many different infections. It can help fight off bacteria that cause gum disease, however prolonged use is known to cause staining of hard tissue (teeth & bones), like Melanie experienced. That should have been explained before starting. I’ve never heard of reversing bone loss with antibiotic Tx (I’m a dentist). I do know that there are some procedures periodontists can perform to help regenerate bone and attachment of the gum tissues. These procedures have a wide variety of success or failure because of many factors including systemic health conditions, patient compliance with regular periodontal maintenance, and diet/hygiene. Someone with loose teeth due to periodontitis needs to be seen on a 3 month basis to monitor progress of the disease.
PerioProtect is a highly efficient PREVENTIVE oral health system. It is very good at promoting healthy gums if you have gingivitis or stable gums if you have periodontitis. It is also great at controlling calculus (tartar) buildup.
Thank you so much for taking the time to post this. I appreciate your honest opinion. I wish all dentists were like you!
Melanie
I am like you. I am 43 and I am one of those unlucky ones with the teeth. Have severe periodontal disease. I have been taking good oracle care combined with 3 month period maintenance for the last 10 years. Yet, I had to go through multiple SRPs and a couple of Gum surgeries. I ran out of options. I brush and floss twice a day, use inter dental brushes, oil pull sometimes. I was researching and came across this product Perio protect. While I know that it will re-grow the bones, will it at least prevent the periodontal disease from the progression? Can someone please af=dvise?
Low dose doxycycline (20 mg twice a day) may be beneficial.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5709545/
Thank you so much for posting your experience. It is hard to find information about periodontal disease from the patient experience. I just had an appointment today with my Scottsdale dentist and had a discussion about the trays. My checkup was status quo, so I am looking for information again on what I can do to keep the gum line from getting worse. I am not doing the trays as I wasn’t convinced it was a good therapy after all these years. The teeth structurally are doing well right now. Again, thank you for your experience and all the comments.
I’m so glad you found the post helpful! If the trays weren’t so expensive, then I think they would be a good option. But as long as you keep an eye on it and see your dentist regularly, you should be good 🙂 Thank you so much for reading and for your comment!
Thanks Melanie. That was very helpful. I want more info because I am hesitant that it is another money-maker with modest to no benefit.
I have been using perio gel for a year and a half and it’s a game changer. My gum numbers are significantly better with no bleeding anymore. There is nothing that can regrow lost bone. Your dentist was inept to recommend this gel or anything else to regrow bone.
I’ve been using the Perio Gel for about 6 months, was hopeful it would provide good results at my upcoming Dentist cleaning, but its been postponed due to the Virus. I am glad you’re getting good results.
great review, thanks. im wondering what makes those trays sealed, which is the supposed reason for obscenely overpriced tray
Love your detailed, funny, informative writing with such clarity. It’s fantastic that you shared your experience to help us know what to expect. This is very helpful since I was looking into this.I hope you write to make a fun living.
God bless!
Elsa B
This may be long, but I think it is important for everyone to understand. I am a dentist who has recommended Perio Protect for over ten years with a better than 70% success rate. Reading your story, if you were my patient, the easiest thing I could have done was refer you to a periodontist. But I am not sure you would have gone, and you would not have been happy with the expense, the continuing care, and the discomfort that you would have experienced. Your tax return would not have paid for the treatment.
Gum disease CANNOT be cured, it can only be MANAGED. We clean our teeth everyday to CONTROL the amount of bacteria. We clean EVERY surface to reduce the bacteria – that means brush/floss. We need to give our mouth a good pH (reduce the amount of acid) so that germs to not get out of control. That costs money for brush, floss, toothpaste, etc and dedicated time to get it done. If it is not done, then bacteria gets out of control, acids eat away bone, your body’s immune system kicks in to cause bleeding gums and your cells help dissolve the bone. Now the usual methods do not work, whether by neglect or inability. Bone loss causes teeth to be loose.
That means that other means need to be used to CONTROL the bacteria. Frequent cleanings are one way; peridontal surgery is another way; extracting all your teeth would be a way to virtually resolve the infection – but that causes other problems. Perio Protect is another way. But they will all cost more because you have an infection that cannot be cured, only controlled – just as a diabetic can never be cured – only controlled. So there is no cheap way to get it done.
The Perio Protect goal is to reduce the amount of bacteria in gum pockets that you cannot reach with brush or floss. Perio Protect is successful when your gums do not bleed. It does not mean that all of the bacteria is gone, it means that your body is okay with the amount of germs and is not reacting to it – melting away more bone. Most of the damage is done by our own immune system. Why is it that some people never get sick and others get sick if you mention the word? Because we are all different, and our immune systems are different.
Doxycyline is a form of tetracylcine which has been used for years to help periodontal disease. Low dose tetracylice (Periostat) has been used to control the disease (also used for acne), but many folks are not interested in taking antibiotics everyday. So doxycyline with the gel is really a topical application (like putting Bacitracin on a cut rather swallowing penicillin for a week).
Teeth whitening? That is a bonus if it happens because the gel is hydrogen peroxide. New bone – also a bonus if it happens, but do not expect it. Teeth can only tighten if the bone is strong and there is enough of it.
I am disappointed in the expense for this service, but it is driven by the cost for the trays and the cost for the gel. The tray is a one time expense as long as you keep your teeth healthy. It is specially designed to keep the gel in the gum pockets under pressure, because if you did not do that, the gel would ‘sweat’ out of the pocket in ten minutes. The gel is an ongoing expense, just like toothpaste, but it is specialized for this situation.
This lengthy explanation shows that gum disease is complex, with a number of possible ways to control. Sorry you had a bad experience.
Thanks Dr H, I’ve been using it with the Gel and Mouthpieces for 6 months now. Ive had to change Dentist in that time and I dont know when My new Dentist will open back up after the Virus. I appreciate the in depth post.
Once you have perio disease you don’t maintain by going 6 months. You go 3 months. It’s like diabetes too. You must maintain it or it will get worse. Also, the only perio procedure that regrows bone is laser (look up LANAP) on YouTube. I work in dentistry and perio is our thing.
I work at a dental office and have seen many patients benefit from using Perio Protect. It all depends on the severity of the gums and the way you practice dental hygiene. You still have to floss and brush daily. This product WILL NOT grow your bone back or miraculously heal your gums. This product Helps you prevent further damage. It will help you fight gum disease, preventing any more bone loss and within time, it will help the gum pockets close (healthy range is between 1-3mm). The antibacterial gel fights the bacteria that accumulates under your gums, in deeper levels than what a regular toothbrush can reach. Unfortunately, a lot of dental practices push for sales and the staff is not properly trained to explain what the product does. It is a very pricey item and once patients hear the price they immediately shut down and think it’s a scam. If one is serious about taking care of their teeth this is a great investment. Our bodies react and heal differently And there are cases where the gum disease is so advanced that other procedures have to be done. You cannot depend solely on this product. **Life hack: buy your own trays but make sure they are the type where your can mold your teeth to and just buy the gel product at your dentist office. Typically the gel costs around $25. Buy a tube squeezer so you can make the product last longer and you’re set! Good luck everyone
Thanks for the info, its appreciated.
You described my experiences from age 8 to the present age of 50 dealing w/various forms of sadistic dentists, orthodontists, and especially their assistants. I was forced (by Mom Ratchet) to wear the Bane-like headgear to elementary school which does wonders for a 9yr old boy’s self esteem. On more than one occasion these yahoos forgot (or not) about me while that hot ass blow dryer used to dry the cement on those metal braces that were stuck on my teeth. I’m going to stop now because the PTSD is starting to kick in. Great article, made me laugh only because I know exactly what you went through. Those fing molds. The horror.
Late
Norm
Try Molecular Iodine rinse, dental offices are using it for pre procedure rinse because it kills covid-19 in 23 seconds compared to peroxide needing 15 minutes. Very nice company that sells to the public also. iotechinternational I think out of Florida. NO it does not stain, I also got the nose spray that I use after my run if I passed by other people also working out. There is a good you tube video called the new norm Dr. Lou Graham Episode 41. Hope this helps
Thank you so much and all the commenters, as well. Hubby and I were BOTH signed up for this–now there’s some serious $$ out of our pockets! No one said anything about the cost of the gel, or having to use the tray multiple times a day. I think I’ll pass. I am sorry for your experience, but you are an angel for sharing your experience. Thanks–D
This perio protect is a total scam. I also got conned into the treatment (luckily I was only out $350 or so) and after a couple days I finally thought to look at the tube of perio gel and it said the active ingredient was hydrogen peroxide. Freaking hydrogen peroxide which costs all of a dollar at the drug store. So I’ve been washing my mouth out with that every night before bed. I figure a liquid is going to get in between my teeth and gums better than a gel will, and the bubbling that goes on afterwards lasts about 15 minutes, which is how long you are supposed to wear the molds with the gel anyway.
Thanks for posting this. I feel justified in my irritation at my dentist now. Lol
You should be being seen for periodontal maintenance every 3 months not 6 months.
My mouth was throbbing while wearing the trays. Is that normal, or are my trays too tight/need adjusting??
Hmm, I don’t remember feeling throbbing. Are you using medicine in it?
I’ve been using Perio Protect for about 2.5 years and it has been very good for me. My teeth and gums feel amazing ….. very strong and tight. The dental pockets have gone down significantly. The cost is not cheap but try losing a tooth which require implants (about $5,000 per tooth).
I’m a dentist I’ve excellent results from a form of Perio Protect. I dont use their brand but I’m able to fabricate my own for our office because we have all the equipment. In response to LH, yes it is only hydrogen peroxide, but it’s hard to find a 1.7% hydrogen peroxide gel. I’ve tried to formulate a gel myself using, glycerin, KY jelly, aloe, but it doesnt blend well. If you can find a 1.5-1.7% gel, then order it online and you dont have to go thru your dentist. This one is the same but I think its only half the amount.
Use the trays and gel the reduce the bacterial load on teeth, gums and sulcus, which in turn will reduce inflammation. I use this primarliy on patients that have difficulty brushing, limited brush mobility, root decay. The gel hydrolyzes cell walls of bacteria. Dont use 3% its too strong, and dont use in liquid form, its going to run everywhere. Good luck!
Melanie – thank you for your information, and care and concern for others. I was prescribed biophosphonates 18 years ago which resulted in severe gum recession and major periodontal issues. For me, biophosphonates are lethal meds that are brutal – for my body and my gums. My Gyn told me I needed to take these for the rest of my life. He said they were good for me. After two years of religiously swallowing these things, my alarmed dentist referred me to a periodontist. The periodontist told me the prescribed biophosphonates had left me with severe, irreversible bone loss. He said the biophosphonates resulted in 80% bone loss in my jaw and he was worried about biophosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw. Even more alarming was that these drugs have a half-life of 15 years and would always remain in my body. On his recommendation I stopped taking the medication. My Gyn was furious that I discontinued his biophosphonate therapy on the basis of a recommendation from a periodontist. The gum recession progressively worsened. So – the reality of life: I have a dental cleaning every three months and my periodontist in St. Petersburg, Florida, checks everything like a hawk, at every visit. He checks the teeth for signs of looseness, revisits every area of my mouth even though the hygienist has already checked it, is caring and compassionate when I cry because an appointment shows deterioration even though I am meticulous about dental hygiene. A few months ago I had a deep cleaning and root planing. I was hoping PerioProtect would help me. We all catch at straws. They say you know what’s important to a woman when you look in her medicine cabinet. The cosmetics were replaced years ago with various types of dental floss (my current favorite is CocoFloss, developed by a dentist in California). I use a Sonicare Toothbrush which has helped. I will ask my periodontist about PerioProtect at my next appointment. Your experience with it has been invaluable to me.
This string has been a very interesting read with an explanation to follow. But first, I suffered from deep pockets and bleeding gums as far back as I can remember. Brushing, flossing, mouth washes, regular cleanings did little if anything to reduce the bleeding and constantly irritated gums. To compound the problem, I tend to be a mouth breather and worse, I started using a CPAP in 2003. Add dry mouth and bad breath to the problem. I just accepted it as one of the less desirable things life gave me until Perio Protect came my way. After 6 months of using the trays once a day for at least 15 minutes the bleeding was gone. The irritated gums were gone and there was a significant reduction in my pockets at my next cleaning. There was also an unexpected benefit. Using Perio Protect reduced my dry mouth, especially when using the CPAP and greatly improved my breath. While it may not work for everyone it’s worked very well for me for over two years.
My introduction to Perio Protect didn’t come from a dentist. It came from my wife who has been a dental hygienist for 35 years. I recall hearing her talk about it and eventually bringing it into the office where she worked around 10 years ago. As she became more familiar with it, she started promoting it with her peers within the industry. After she became the Director of Clinical Hygiene for a corporation with dental offices in 3 states, she successfully introduced Perio Protect to them. And now, she has actually been working for Perio Protect for the last 3 years and really believes in the product. Being the sometimes stubborn husband I am, I resisted her recommendation of using Perio Protect for a long time because I just didn’t believe the hype even coming from her. Yes, I was stupid and really wish I had started using Perio Protect that first time she suggested it.
What prompted me to comment was in reading the string about Perio Protect, I realized that there’s a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding about it. So why not at least go to Perio Protect themselves for information regarding whether or not you want to try their product? Or why it might not be working for you.
Update my first checkup since starting the Perio Protect.
Ive been using it every other day since last Dec. Had sixes and eights on some pockets.
Last week at cleaning had no eights and only one six!
Lots of threes and a couple of fours.
So a nice improvement.
Doug
The Bonner Method of treating aggressive periodontitis is interesting. There’s a YouTube channel. Important to understand what’s truly at the root of this condition.
Interesting that we have trained professionals in here saying how well Perio Protect works… and then there’s you. So, you used the product for 2 DAYS and are now claiming it is a scam? Maybe you should take some time and actually read the posts on this thread.
I am not sure where you got 2 days from. I used the product for 18 months! I read and appreciate every single comment on this thread – including yours. Thanks for your feedback.
Who is this comment directed to?
I am a 100% disabled combat veteran and a registered nurse. I had an extremely deep dental pocket on one of my lower front teeth. It was 19mm deep and loose grade 3 out of 4. 4 is pretty much is about to fall out.
The VA dentist didn’t give me anything for my infected dental pocket, it burst open with pus and still had active pus and bleeding when I saw them. They just wanted to pull my tooth and “wait and see” after they did that.
Their periodontist said I could see a civilian dentist at my own expense and get a second opinion.
I saw that dentist, and not only did he want to pull my lower tooth, he also wanted to pull 4 different molars, then use a laser to clean the pockets, then “wait and see”.
Now feeling very despondent, I was referred to Dr. Wilson at TLC4gums. http://www.tlc4gums.com by my brother that is a captain in a local fire department.
The eval was free, and the cost of treatment appeared high at face value. However, if you look at the fact that I did this damage to myself over the course of 20 years, the cost is cheap. It is also very inexpensive when compared to dentures, dental implants, jaw surgery, etc .
The deciding factor for my was that his office guarantees a 75% improvement in dental pockets, bleeding, and health of gums.
This was insane, as a nurse for 25 years, I have NEVER seen any provider guarantee their work!
I signed up as my brother had great success, so Dr. Wilson had several pluses in his column.
I was diligent with my homework, putting my trays in 5/6 times a day with the Periogel and antibiotic drops, hydrocare, flossing and brushing guidelines.
During my 8 week evaluation, my front lower tooth pocket went from a 19 to a 3! Plus the looseness of the tooth went from a 3 to a 1!! The other teeth that had bleeding and pus were also showing exceptional improvement.
So, about a third of the way into my treatment, I was doing great. My periotrays are still crystal clear after 3 months of use (no black anywhere).
Dr. Wilson did the LANAP laser treatment, he was one of the first dentist in the world to use it. I have friends and family that constantly ask me “who’s a good doctor for this?”, I don’t recommend providers as a general rule.
However, what Dr. Wilson has done has been remarkable. I still have to do my homework with the trays and periogel, but considering that multiple (6) different dentist said that I would be definitely losing some teeth, looking at jaw surgery, dentures and implants I am very, very pleased with the progress so far.
90% of my treatment is me being diligent with my home care. The office staff, dental hygienist Michelle, have all been attentive, warm, compassionate, and always go above and beyond.
I am sorry to hear about the bad experiences with other dentist, but Dr. Wilson and staff have done their homework and they get positive results. He truly cares and he is one of the top in his field!
If you need this type of dental work, his first consult is about an hour. It’s free, informative and you will then see for yourself that he is a excellent dentist.
Thanks,
Major Mike, USAF Retired, MBA, MIT, BSN, RN
Thank you Melanie for posting your description of your use of the PerioProtect. I just had the impressions taken today along with another side of deep cleaning. As much as I don’t like paying what this may cost, I did this to myself in that I had stopped going to the dentist about 6 yrs ago. I was very diligent prior to that all my life, cleanings on time, periodontist as needed, but guess the costs were hitting us and I just stopped. Insurance coverage wasn’t the greatest and yet if our teeth are a part of our overall health, why isn’t it covered like normal medical! Well now I’m 65 and the teeth are badly needing attention. So reading your article made me feel a bit better about it all.
Melanie, I relate to your story so much. I am going to tell you my success story. Look up Judy Carroll, PerioPeak. She is based in Washington state and she turned my gums into a miracle story and I’m not the only one. I’m not going to lie. It’s expensive. 5 grand that I put on a care credit card but she helped me. My pockets shrunk from 14mm in some places down to 6 and all my 4-10s became 2s. She used emdogian (sp?) which is pig teeth stem cells to help regrow bone. I needed to get full saliva and blood work done to find the root cause. She is one of a handful of people in the entire world who uses a microscope to clean the gums, watching it on a screen. It’s not considered surgery, but rather a scaling, but since she uses a microscope it’s 100xs more effective than when it’s done in a dentist office. There was literally people from 3 different countries watching her perform this on me so they could learn. When I went to a new dentist afterwards, he couldn’t tell id had advanced periodontal disease except for the bone loss. My teeth did tighten up a bit afterwards but I don’t think I gained new bone. I have compared X-ray side by side. I would wake up with blood on pillow and deep aching and throbbing in my mouth before I saw her. It’s been the best thing I ever could have done. I highly recommend you look her up and see if she’s the right choice for your next move. She is getting into her late 50s and is wanting to teach more people because it’s getting hard on her body. Feel free to ask me more questions.
Please post how your progress has been with Perio protect. I was just told about it today. They want $850 intially with what I’m told is a 4 month supply. They are making it seem like they’re giving me the gel free. Not if it’s $650 like in this article. So does it work? I am told I will need gum grafting surgery after all this hygiene and clean up is done to the tune of $3500! All of a sudden I am hearing from new dentists to me that I have cavities, need crowns, root canal, and I have such little experience with thisl The prior dentist days ago was absolutely ripping me off saying I had 7 cavities, all needing crowns at over $1K each! I am reporting him.This is a dental nightmare. Hey kids, be a dentist! You can gouge people, too!
Yikes! Yeah, some people really seem to like Perio Protect. For me it was inconvenient and didn’t give me the results I was hoping for. I just posted an update of my Periodontal Disease Progression. Dental work is crazy expensive – especially when the procedures aren’t covered by insurance. Good luck with everything!
The gel along with the trays have the ability to hold the hydrogen peroxide in place and can reach up to 8 mm. While you may see some slight benefits with rinsing your mouth daily with “plain ole” hydrogen peroxide there is no way at all it can reach pocket depths that deep. We do the same thing for patients who are high risk for decay, holding a Rx strength fluoride toothpaste in place with trays for an extended amount of time. I think that perio protect is a great product to use in conjunction with recommended treatment by your dentist and hygienist to treat gum disease and periodontal disease. It is also important to know that checks up should be more frequent than 6 months once diagnosed with periodontal disease- as a couple of commentators mentioned, it is a disease that can’t be cured, just like diabetes cannot be cured. It can be treated and maintained with recommendations given by your health care provider. If you’ve walked away from your appointment feeling unsure or confused you should reach out to your provider and ask them more….if they are like me, they will absolutely 100% want to make sure you feel confident in the treatment they recommended, and if you decide it’s not for you then they will want to help you find a plan B you will be comfortable with!
I have enjoyed reading all these comments (minus the rude man who said you’d be an idiot for not taking his advice 🤦🏼♀️) as I do believe it’s important to do your own research, be informed, and do what feels right for you!
I have been using Perio Protect trays and gel since early March, 2021. I was recommended by my dentist to use it 2 times a day for 10 minutes, once in the morning and again at night. I love the clean breath and feel on my teeth after I rinse after using and my teeth are whiter. They no longer bleed at times when I brush. I return in June for my periodontal cleaning and will find out if it is improving my gum disease. The initial making of the molds for the trays was all done via a scan of my mouth. A great improvement from the horrible molds they made for my mouth guards years ago. My dentist took the time to explain the treatment and also stated this is a maintenance not a cure for gum disease. Hope this helps anyone considering purchasing the Perio Protect trays. I feel it was money well spent if it helps me keep my teeth!
I think you’re the one being courteous, Melanie. I think you handled the situation and the story well. This person appears to have an ego problem. He makes a lot of assumptions, specifically that he’s more knowledgeable than you or your readers. If he’s so smart, why doesn’t he write his own article, instead of dropping this snarky comment on your article. I’m not sure I would be able to be as polite as you are in your response to this comment…
Hah! I know which comment you are referring to and my “thoughtful and courteous” response was actually a passive-aggressive attempt at sarcasm. LOL! But I truly appreciate you having my back. Thank you so much for reading and commenting on my post. ♥
Mary what Island do you live on????
Melanie, thank you SO MUCH for your enormously helpful and super honest advice and experience. I appreciate it so much! I believe you just saved me a lot of time and money! You are awesome!
I’m definitely trying the Perio-Care. Going to order it TODAY!
YOU’RE THE BEST!
You’re very welcome! I’m so glad it helped.
Thank you! I hope it works for you 😊
john holmes I’m trying to find a source for BPC-157 any ideas. A response would be appreciated.
I had my first check-up today after using Perio Protect trays and gel for 7 weeks twice a day. Dentist started by cleaning my teeth with a Cavitron scaler. In the past at another dental practice my gums would always bleed from that and that procedure hurt badly. Today no bleeding and no pain at all. He then measured my pockets–last time a lot of bleeding and today none. In summary 7 weeks ago I had 26 pocket readings of between 4 and 8. Today I had only 16 and all except 2 had decreased by 1 or 2. I will continue to use the trays twice a day for the next 7 weeks and see if the results improve even further. Sure beats gum surgery of LaNap! I am a real dental-phobe.
Nowadays, they scan your mouth with a modern device that uses cameras, so no need for those old-fashioned molds as described.
In my case, I have been using it after LANAP to improve overtime results and it seems to be working with the good side effect of teeth whitening.
What concerns me about your post, is that your conclusion was (in so many words) to say that Pero Protect did not work for you. But you added Vibramcin (Doxycycline) to the Pero Protect Gel. I assume that your dentist chose to have you mix the two medicines. Perio Protect Gel is simply supposed to get deep in the pockets between the teeth and gums, and the oxygen separates from the medicine and kills the bacteria. So, perhaps mixing Vibramcin with the Perio Protect Gel hindered the oxygen from releasing correctly, preventing it from doing the job. And yes, it would have been the Vibramcin that stained your teeth, not the Perio Protect Gel.
Interesting! Yes, I just did what the dentist advised me to do. Sounds like he might have had to do more research as well.
Had my scan done and waiting on my trays now. I have no bleeding no loose teeth but I do have bone loss and receding gums. I have had bone grafting done several times in all quadrants of my mouth. It feels great immediately after but never seems to last very long and it was very expensive. I have a nice priced mid-size car in my mouth! I am 67 and hoping to maintain. Excited about using the PerioProtect and appreciate all the information provided in this thread.
Best of luck, Ive been using it for a year now and the last 2 visits have shown no more loss, love hearing her say those low numbers instead if 6 and 8s!
Lanap, did you get it done? Did it reverse bone loss?
I had the perio molds done in 2022. What company or dentists use lasers to give you a periodontal tray I’m curious.
It’s the application that is the important part, the tray itself the way it is made holds the solution in place. If you think gargling or rubbing the solution on your gums is the same thing you will find you are wasting your time.
So many incorrect assumptions of perio protect from non-medical persons that literally know nothing at all.
First of all squeezing a $1 tube of CVS peroxide in your mouth gurgling and swishing it around ‘is not’ going to do the same thing as a custom purpose Perio Protect tray and gel.
The Perio Protect tray is made in such a way so as to keep the specific formula Gel in place where it needs to be for between 10-20 minutes each time.
To make the tray’s an impression needs to be taken by the doctor using medical grade impression material which is not cheap material, it takes time to take and form the impression, the impression is then packaged and hand delivered to the lab.
The tray is the pricey part the gel formula is not.
Can I use any old over the counter tray? NO… it will not hold the gel where it is supposed to be.
Is it beneficial? Yes. the FDA approves the trays and mentions it as approved on its website, which they do not do for scams.
Before anyone bleats you are a doctor selling it you would say that…
No, I am a DSO and I use the product myself, do I need it? No, I believe prevention is better than cure. If you as a professional bleat its a scam, don’t use it but to tell people its a scam with no real knowledge is a disservice to people that could greatly benefit from it.
Michelle is absolutely correct. Every 3 months should be your hygiene routine w perfect home care. Think of it like this, Melanie, for the rest of your life you see your hygienist every 3 months. And what they will do is simply separate bacteria by cleaning in your pocket areas (periodontal maintenance) so they do not colonize and assist the disease. The colonizing takes about 3 months which is why it is protocol for maintenance after scaling and root planing. Hope this helps
Absolutely! I am now seeing a hygienist every 3 months. But my dentist keeps insisting I need to have surgery and my insurance won’t cover it. I plan to do so when I can save up enough to get it done.
So I looked into what John Holmes said above. The suggested therapy doesn’t seem like something the average person that is not a scientist can do. Looks like the BPC-157 needs to be injected into the gums via a needle. The TB-500 is for lab experiments and not approved for human use and I didn’t find phage gel on Amazon.
Melanie, et al, thank you for ALL info & comments. I’m 78 now & starting to deal with these issues. Arrgghhh. I will be seeking an appointment soon. I appreciate everyone’s input. God Bless You!
I have used Doxycycline- antibiotic for acne. I was told dentist loves this stuff as it helped w/ my gums and I never had an issue. But with being on antibiotic, cannot be on it forever, which I was on it for about 4-5 years. Then I had to stop using Doxycycline as my body was getting use to it. And yes, you guess it, my gums started to get worse. SO, the Doxycycline is not what it is all about. Please do research on the meds to understand the affects it has on other areas of your system/body. As for the Perio gel, it made my teeth more sensitive to cold. I spent $800 here in PA and nope, not covered by insurance. I feel that this stuff is a gimmick for the pharm company and medical offices kickback to market out. Again, the key word is if insurance is not going to cover for it, and it is a medical need, need to turn it away from the product and get a second opinion on your teeth and take the product to that dentist for their opinion.
That is great advice and I totally agree with you. Thanks for commenting!
I started using perio protect and experience bone pain. I was able to narrow it down that I was only experiencing the pain when I use the bottom tray. My doctor’s answer to that is not to use the bottom tray. Which is very frustrating to me since I spent $800+ for the trays. I can’t find anything on side effects. Has anyone else experienced pain when use the trays? I’m currently just using the upper tray for now. It was also weird that the pain would come later in the day not immediately after use. I was eating Tylenol like tic-tacs. The pain was completely eliminated when I stopped using the bottom tray…. any help would be appreciated…
I’m wondering if they might have screwed up that tray when they were making it and it doesn’t fit properly. Your doctor’s answer sucks 🙁
I have been diagnosed with periondental disease 2 months ago. I have searched a lot and cames across many possible treatments. I have been thinking about lanap and perio protect. Lanap will cost me about $5,500 and perio protect about $1200. I am leaning towards lanap as it’s fda approved and while perio protect is fda cleared. Any thoughts? Thank you.
i got the trays. my dentist charged over a 1000.00. i got the gel. then noticed in the ingredients it has “natural flavors” which is actually a lot of chemicals. before i saw this i noticed that after using it my gums seemed to feel better but also for some reason at the same time my teeth actually seemed sore or something. then i saw the “natural flavors” in the gel ingredients. i started using my own 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide. deluted it to 3%. my pockets are deminishing much qucker. my teeth and gums feel good. so i paid over a 1000. basically for the tray and a plastic stander. i could have just gotten tray molds from amazon and used my hydregen peroxide. or paid 650 for professional trays and used my hydre4gen peroxide. Also i have Garden of Life vitamin code Growth factor . it is a whole kit i think it cost $65.00. it is suppose to regrow your gums bone and teeth. i used it a little bit before and it seemed to work. but now i will use it relegiously and see what happens.