A research group led by Professor Keiichi Sasaki of Tohoku University has succeeded in demonstrating the clinical effectiveness of the radical sterilization periodontal disease treatment device that has been researched and developed at the university in a doctor-led clinical trial.Apply for approval as a purely domestic new medical device, aiming for early clinical introduction.
Periodontal disease is a disease caused by periodontal disease-causing bacteria contained in dental plaque.As the condition progresses, the bones that support the teeth are lost, eventually leading to tooth loss.In severe periodontal disease, the periodontal pocket becomes deep and the treatment equipment does not reach the affected area sufficiently, making treatment difficult.The number of patients with periodontal disease in Japan (those with periodontal pockets of 4 mm or more) increases with age, and the morbidity rate of 35 years or older is as high as 40% or more.
The research group used hydrogen peroxide to effectively treat periodontal disease.We devised a sterilization method that applies hydroxyl radical (a type of active oxygen represented by OH ·) generated by irradiating 3% hydrogen peroxide used as a disinfectant with blue light.With the support of the Clinical Research Promotion Center, we have developed a radical sterilization periodontal disease treatment device for patients with moderate and severe chronic periodontitis.
From 2015 to 2016, a clinical trial (53 subjects, 142 teeth with periodontal disease) was conducted under the initiative of Tohoku University Hospital in order to verify the clinical effectiveness of the developed treatment device.As a result, periodontal disease treatment using this treatment device is more effective in treating moderate and severe periodontitis than conventional treatment methods, and has the effect of reducing periodontal disease bacteria and shallowing the periodontal pocket. Proven to be excellent.
In the future, Tohoku University and companies will work to obtain approval as a new medical device so that the research results can be returned to patients with periodontal disease as soon as possible, aiming for early clinical introduction.