Perio Protect® is a gum disease treatment that uses custom-made trays to hold prescribed gel against the gums at home, alongside in-office care. We offer it in Redondo Beach, a short drive from Torrance, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach.
The trays are made from an impression of your teeth, so they fit your mouth and hold the gel at the gumline, where a toothbrush and floss do not reach well. Treatment is one part of a larger plan for gum disease treatment that your dentist builds from your gum measurements. If you have been told you have gum disease, or you are in maintenance and want to ask about take-home trays, call Redondo Beach Dental Group at (310) 542-6988.
How Perio Protect Works
Perio Protect® is the name of the system and the company that makes it, and Perio Tray® is the name of the tray, which works as a reservoir. A thin tray with a seal at the gum edge is molded to your teeth. A small amount of medicated gel goes into it, and the seal keeps the gel against the gums and in the spaces between the gums and teeth instead of letting saliva wash it away. The manufacturer describes the trays as prescription items, made in a dental lab from an impression your dentist sends, and worn at home for about 15 minutes at a time.
The gel used in the published research is a low-strength hydrogen peroxide gel, meant to help break up the bacterial film that builds in gum pockets. Your dentist decides which gel, how often and for how long.
Perio Protect is a complement to professional care, not a replacement. It does not remove the hardened tartar that forms below the gumline, and it does not replace the scaling and root planing that removes it. The trays are typically used between visits, alongside scaling and root planing or periodontal maintenance.
What the Research Shows
The most cited study on this method is a randomized, examiner-blind trial of 30 adults with moderate to advanced gum disease, published by Putt and Proskin in the Journal of Clinical Dentistry in 2013. Everyone had scaling and root planing. Half also used Perio Trays with a hydrogen peroxide gel at home. In pockets deeper than 5 mm at the start, pocket depth in the tray group had dropped by an average of 1.50 mm 23 weeks after scaling and root planing, compared with 0.55 mm in the group that had scaling and root planing alone.
The authors describe that difference as clinically relevant, and it should be read with its limits in mind. The trial was small, several people dropped out before the six-month exam, and it lasted only six months. The authors also note that the lower bleeding in the tray group was no longer statistically different from the comparison group at six months. The paper is listed on the manufacturer’s own publications page, and the text we reviewed does not carry a funding statement, so treat it as research connected to the company that sells the product rather than as fully independent.
Risks and Limits to Know About
- Sensitivity: a few people in the trial’s tray group reported mild sensitivity, and teeth with exposed roots may be more sensitive. Tell us about any sensitivity before you start and if it appears.
- Daily use matters: the benefit described in the research depends on wearing the trays as directed.
- It does not rebuild what is gone: bone lost to gum disease does not grow back with trays, and roots that are already exposed need gum recession treatment rather than trays.
- Who the study left out: the trial excluded people with conditions such as diabetes and people who were pregnant or nursing, so it cannot say how the trays work for them. Share your health history, medications and any pregnancy with your dentist.
- Pockets that stay deep: if pockets are still deep after treatment, trays may not be enough on their own and other treatment may be needed. Your measurements decide that.
Step by Step: What Starting Perio Protect Looks Like
Starting Perio Protect typically follows this order. Ask us about timing and who handles each step at our office.
- Exam and gum measurements: pocket depths and bleeding around each tooth are measured, and X-rays are reviewed when needed.
- A decision on the plan: your dentist decides whether trays are appropriate, and whether in-office treatment such as a deep cleaning comes first or happens alongside them.
- Impressions: an impression of your teeth is taken, and the manufacturer says its lab uses it to make trays for your mouth. Ask us whether we take a physical impression or a digital scan.
- Fitting and instructions: when your trays arrive, you are shown how to seat them, how much gel to use and how long to wear them. Tell us if they feel loose or uncomfortable.
- Daily use at home: you wear the trays with the gel as your dentist directs.
- Follow-up: your gums are measured again at later visits, and the plan may change depending on the numbers. Ask us to go over them each time.
Who May Be a Candidate
Perio Protect is generally discussed for people with gum disease, bleeding or swollen gums, pockets that stay deep after treatment, or a history of scaling and root planing who want something more to do between visits. Whether it suits you is a decision for your dentist after measuring your gums.
Who You Will See
Dr. Moshe Eizdi leads care at Redondo Beach Dental Group. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at the University of Southern California, where he graduated with honors, and his work covers cosmetic and restorative dentistry, including implant restorations.
Cost and Insurance
The cost of Perio Protect depends on the trays, the gel you are prescribed, how long you use it and how often it is refilled, and on any follow-up visits. Because the trays and gel are take-home items, a dental plan may handle them differently from in-office treatment, so ask us how your plan applies before you start. We also offer payment plans through Cherry, CareCredit and LendingClub, plus an in-office plan for patients without insurance. Ask for an estimate before you start.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Perio Protect used for?
Perio Protect is used to help manage gum disease by holding prescribed gel against the gums at home in custom trays. It is meant to work alongside in-office care such as scaling and root planing and maintenance visits, not in place of them.
Is Perio Protect worth the money?
Whether Perio Protect is worth the money depends on your gum measurements, whether you will wear the trays daily and what you are being asked to pay. One small six-month trial found deeper pockets improved more with trays plus a deep cleaning than with a deep cleaning alone, but the study was small and connected to the company. Ask us for an estimate and whether trays fit your plan.
How much does Perio Protect cost?
The cost of Perio Protect depends on the trays, the gel prescribed, how long you use it and how often it is refilled. Ask Redondo Beach Dental Group for an estimate before you start, and ask about payment plans for the balance.
Is there an alternative to Perio Protect?
There are other ways to support gum health, and the right one depends on how deep your pockets are. Scaling and root planing and regular periodontal maintenance are the usual foundation, and other medicated or surgical options exist for pockets that stay deep. Ask us which options fit your measurements.
Where can I get Perio Protect trays?
Perio Protect trays are prescribed by a dentist and made from an impression of your teeth, so they are not an over-the-counter product. Redondo Beach Dental Group offers them in Redondo Beach, a short drive from Torrance, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach.
Can I shrink gum pockets at home?
Pocket depth is measured and changed through professional treatment, and home care mainly keeps plaque from building back up. Brushing, cleaning between the teeth and, for some patients, prescribed trays support that work, but they do not replace a deep cleaning. Your dentist measures your pockets to see whether they are changing.
Does Perio Protect whiten teeth?
Perio Protect can lighten teeth as a side effect, because the gel contains a peroxide, but its purpose is gum care. If whitening is what you are after, teeth whitening systems are designed for that purpose, and we can explain the options.
Ask About Perio Protect in Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach Dental Group is at 2511 Artesia Blvd, Redondo Beach, CA 90278. We are open Monday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Tuesday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Wednesday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Call (310) 542-6988 or request an appointment online.
Perio Protect® and Perio Tray® are trademarks of Perio Protect LLC.