The breakthrough study shows that eliminating the bacteria contained in dental plaque should be as vital a part of dental hygiene as brushing your teeth and flossing. The breakthrough study shows that eliminating the bacteria in dental plaque should be as vital a part of dental hygiene as brushing your teeth and flossing.

HELSINKI, Finland (October 13, 2022) Europe’s most extensive periodontitis study is currently being carried out at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. The first results of the three-year study indicate that using the Lumoral device created by Finnish health tech company Koite Health reduces gingivitis and improves dental hygiene significantly. Lumoral utilizes an efficient antibacterial method developed by Finnish researchers that eliminates disease-causing bacteria from dental plaque.

Periodontitis, a chronic infection caused by bacteria, is a disease that affects as many as 70% of people in Western countries. Periodontitis is the world’s sixth most common disease, which can also lead to other conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. 

Infections in the mouth are mainly caused by accumulated dental plaque that can lead to tartar build-up if not removed properly. 

Brushing and flossing aren’t enough – more than half of the participants achieved healthy gums after only three months of antibacterial treatment.

The report covering the three-month results has been submitted for publishing in a special edition of the Dentistry Journal. The report is currently available at Preprints. The study shows that 54 per cent (N=59) of participants that used Lumoral were healed from inflammation of the gums based on the BOP(bleeding on probing) index – 2.5 times more than in the control group who didn’t use the device. Only 22 per cent of participants had healthy gums in the control group after three months. The participants that used Lumoral had a significantly lower amount of plaque build-up, whereas the control group still had the same amount of plaque left.

” You can only remove half of the plaque by brushing your teeth – it’s no wonder cavities and gingivitis are among the most common diseases in the world. If we want to improve the results of dental care treatments, we need to focus on removing the plaque that is left on the teeth after brushing them“, says Professor Timo Sorsa from the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases at the University of Helsinki.

“Our hypothesis was correct: because bacteria in the plaque cause 95 per cent of dental diseases, regularly eliminating dental plaque improves dental hygiene and prevents and treats dental and gum disease. The results are exceptional and prove that using Lumoral when treating gum disease makes the treatment a lot more efficient than before“, explains one of the developers of Lumoral, heart surgeon Tommi Pätilä.

Deep gum pockets can store bacteria: Lumoral removes bacteria from where your toothbrush can’t reach

Periodontitis is prevalent, as up to half of over 50-year-olds suffer from the disease. In periodontitis, the advanced gum inflammation caused by plaque and tartar damages the periodontal fibres. The process leads to the deepening of the gum pockets. As the disease advances, the infection causes tissue loss and may lead to losing one or more teeth. Taking good care of dental hygiene is essential, but in cases of chronic gum disease, a professional must regularly clean the gum pockets. However, cleaning gum pockets with traditional methods can be difficult. In time, this may lead to more bacterial load in the gum pockets, thus causing further infections.

“Periodontitis is often asymptomatic for a long time. Unfortunately, pain is often the first motivator to get treated“, Sorsa continues. 

The research shows that two out of three (67%) participants that used the Lumoral device were able to reduce the number of deep gum pockets by half compared to the initial situation. Four participants were able to eradicate deep gum pockets completely. The results are significantly better than the participants in the control group.

“We want to improve at-home dental hygiene permanently. Until now, advanced gingivitis has only been treated at the dentist, where the waiting lists are long, and the treatment might be expensive. Using the Lumoral device combined with proper treatment from professionals reduces the number of infections in the mouth. Without proper at-home care, treatment done by oral health professionals is not as effective as desired, either, so using Lumoral is also beneficial for them. We expect the further results to be even better after the participants have been using Lumoral regularly for six months“, Pätilä concludes.

About the study and Lumoral

In the study carried out at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, periodontitis is treated with the currently best-known methods that include teaching the participants a proper toothbrushing technique and providing them with new, modern electric toothbrushes. All participants’ teeth and gum pockets are cleaned properly before the study commences. After that, the participants are divided into two groups. One of the groups will use the antibacterial Lumoral method at home and the other group is a control group and won’t use the Lumoral device. The participants’ oral health is checked after three months and again after six months in total.

The study is carried out in groups of 50. Both groups consist of 100 participants that already suffer from periodontitis. In the study, every tooth is measured from six different measuring points. For example, if a participant has 25 teeth, they will have 150 measuring points in total. Bleeding gums are a sign of periodontitis advancing and causing damage in the mouth.

The Lumoral device combines antibacterial photodynamic treatment (aPDT) with antibacterial blue light (aBL). The Lumoral method is based on the antibacterial “red” PDT-light that promotes oral health and how it activates the light-sensitive Lumorinse mouth rinse, thus creating a reaction that eliminates harmful bacteria from the mouth. There is no similar product on the market, and similar treatment has only been provided at dental clinics.