What is Ozone?
Ozone is 3 oxygen atoms lightly bound together forming “O3”, a very unstable gas. Then, it turns back into oxygen within seconds and must be used right away, therefore always being made fresh.
• Ozone dates back to the 1800s when it was discovered. Soon after, it was used widely in Europe and in other countries in dental and medical settings for its non-toxic disinfection properties.
• One molecule of ozone will kill the same number of bacteria as 3-10 thousand molecules of chlorine and will do it 3,500 times faster!
• It is considered natural because ozone is made in small quantities by our own immune system to fight off infections!
• Ozone is a very powerful disinfectant and in therapeutic doses kills bacteria, viruses, fungus, and mold with minimal to no side effect on the individual.
• Ozone is used in dentistry due to its powerful antibacterial properties. It stimulates the body’s circulation, immune system, and mainly initiates a healing response in the individual.
• Ozone is a powerful antibacterial agent and does not discriminate unlike antibiotics when killing pathogens by attaching and lining their cellular walls.
• How ozone is made in the office: Inside a dental Ozonator, a simulated lightening process takes place, splitting the medical-grade O2 that is fed into the machine and random rearrangement into O3. Ozone gas then bubbles through the water and this water is used for all the dental procedures throughout the office, including all the dental cleanings.
• The ozone water is made fresh at the beginning of each day because the disinfecting properties of ozone water last for about 10 hours at room temperature and for about a week if left refrigerated. Frozen ice cubes can last for many months & be very therapeutic for anyone with stomatitis pain, helpful for any soft tissue/gum ulcers in children and adults.
• Ozonated oils are also available and can used to brush, floss, and on the skin as a natural antibiotic ointment.
• For some chronic dental infections that may have resulted in sinusitis or ear infections, ozone ear insufflations and nose insufflations is available.
• As with many alternative modalities, we’re a bit behind on the wide use of this wondrous medicine but it is finally gaining popularity in the US. It is also being introduced into the filtration of pool systems and just recently into washing machines, thereby eliminating the use of any detergents!
• Ozone treatment is included in all dental cleanings at Nature’s Dental!
