According to a recent report in the journal Interventional Neuroradiology, dental practice and research in Europe has determined that ozone therapy can be used to slow the growth of tooth and gum infections. Clinicians are also finding that targeted exposure to ozonated water, gas and oils helps to manage viral and fungal infections, including oral herpes infections. Approximately a quarter of lesions treated with ozone do not reappear.

These treatments have also been used successfully on sinus infections and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction. Using ozone offers advantages over the use of antibiotics, which contribute to antibiotic resistance, according to the report. In addition, ozone gas has been shown effective in eliminating Enterococcus faecalis, one of the central bacteria involved in root canal infections, which can become increasingly resistant to the central antimicrobial treatment used in root canal therapy, sodium hypochlorite, and can thus decrease the risk of continued infection.

“Additionally, the bone at the end of the roots is often shown to harbor pathogenic bacteria for many years after traditional root canal therapy has been completed. Ozone can eliminate those bacteria that infest this region and remove toxic waste products that effectively prevent complete healing of the osseous structures,” writes study author and Doctor of Dental Medicine William Domb, director of the Inland Institute of Aesthetic Dentistry, in Upland, California.