Photos provided by Gary Jackson.

Ozone Protects More Than the Earth

COLUMBUS, OHIO - There are a few steps that are
covered during every trip to the dentist, including iden-
tifying the problem areas, visualizing the problem, and
then eliminating the problem. But there is one infection

Photo credit: Picture America

elimination technique that dentists can incorporate into
that cycle, but many do not use, according to Philip
Mollica, DMD, who spoke at the Updates in Contem-
porary Dentistry Meeting.
Dr. Mollica told the audience in attendance that they
should consider incorporating ozone into the elimina-
tion portion of their routine examination.
Discussing different facets of every dental visit, Dr.
Mollica said he uses sensors, like the Schick CDR wire-
less to detect problem areas. These digital x-ray sensors
use Active Pixel Sensor CMOS technology to produce
clear images that appear on a computer screen, which

Photo credit: Picture America

enables him to quantify the depth of the caries problem.
When addressing cavities, Dr. Mollica uses ozone as
part of the cleaning process. Citing published data, Dr.
Mollica said that using ozone has been shown to acti-
vate the process that removes bacterial waste products,
halts dental cavities, and begins repair via accelerated
remineralization.
Although many people avoid using ozone because
of concerns over FDA approvals, ozone was actually
grandfathered in for use several decades ago. Ozone
has been used to expedite wound healing and to treat
a variety of diseases for generations, because the ozone
molecule has been shown to be deadly to bacteria, vi-
ruses, and fungi. Dr. Mollica said the ozone molecule
kills 3,500 times faster than chlorine.
He notes that if there is still structure remaining in
a cavity preparation, he cleans the area, using ozone.
Dr. Mollica said that currently, ozone’s use in dentistry
could include caries arrestment, treating periodontal
disease, root canal therapy, and soft-tissue lesions.
Ozone Use Recommendations
Typically, Dr. Mollica recommends 6 µg/mL to 30
µg/mL for internal use range, and 40 µg/mL for external
use range. He offered this pearl for dentists using ozone:
“Administer slow and low.”
Dr. Mollica said that the advantages of oxygen/ozone
exposure include: caries arrestment, dentin cleaning,
reduced post-op sensitivity, and enhanced root canal
treatment outcomes.
“When I was in school, the concept of letting a tooth
heal itself was strange,” Dr. Mollica said. “But the truth
is, teeth can heal themselves given the proper environ-
ment.” He said that about 80% of the time, if you see
a carious lesion, “if you ozonate it, and restore it, the
tooth will be fine. If you arrest the infection, the tooth
has an opportunity to heal itself.”
Another Therapeutic Option
Summarizing his presentation, Dr. Mollica said that
ozone presents a new therapeutic option in an era where
therapeutic options are constantly dwindling.
“We’re seeing a lot of problems associated with anti-
biotic therapy. In some hospitals, we’re down to last line
antibiotics, and we now have highly resistant forms of
bacteria,” Dr. Mollica said. “We have to start asking our-
selves, ‘Where do we go from here?’” —Colleen Platt
Philip Mollica, DMD graduated from the
University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey
Dental School in 1983. He entered a 1-year resi-
dency in ora-facial pain at NJDS, finishing in 1984.
Dr. Mollica completed his Master’s Degree in Human
Anatomy in 1979 from Fairleigh Dickinson University,
School of Dentistry. He completed a Doctorate in
Integrative Medicine and Naturopathic Medicine from
Capital University of Integrative Medicine in 1999. Dr.
Mollica is an Emeritus Professor of Integrative Medicine at Capital Univer-
sity of Integrative Medicine. He currently is President and Professor at the
American College of Integrative Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey. Dr.
Mollica has lectured around the world and authored text on Integrative
Biologic Dental Medicine and Oxygen/Ozone Therapy in Dental Medicine.
Dr. Mollica discloses he has worked with Longevity Resources.

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