Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Prepares Dental Patients For Extractions
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) offers benefits for a wide range of medical issues, from slow healing wounds to altitude sickness. It is a popular therapy among the broad demographics of professional athletes and nursing home patients. The healing power of Oxygen through HBOT serves the dental industry as well, as it prepares patients for dental extractions they may not be able to receive due to health issues, particularly the side effects of chemo and radiation.
Osteoradionecrosis and Late Radiation Tissue Injury
While chemo and radiation kill cancerous cells, they also damage blood vessels, normal cells, and contribute to bone loss in the process. Osteoradionecrosis and Late Radiation Tissue Injury (LRTI) can be the result of chemo and radiation therapy. Cancer in the head and neck can also damage arteries in and near the jaw, weaken the bone structure of the jaw, and reduce circulation.
A few symptoms of these diseases in relation to dental work are:
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• Redness, pain, and swelling in the gums
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• Slow healing wounds of gums and sockets after dental procedures
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• Numbness and heaviness in the jaw
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• Drainage
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• Bones becoming visible in the mouth
Many cancer patients and those in remission are unable to get the dental surgery they need with these side effects posing complications. Diabetics are also prone to ulcers and slow-healing wounds that prevent them from getting proper dental care. The good news is that dentists can recommend a series of HBOT sessions to prepare patients for necessary dental procedures.
How HBOT Works
The healing power of Oxygen through HBOT involves a number of repeated sessions to stimulate the growth of new blood vessels. With time, these sessions strengthen bones through the increase of blood circulation and flow of plasma, which carries red and white blood cells to fight infections.
Sessions in either a pressurized multi-person or single-person chamber last about 90 minutes. For the first ten minutes, the chamber is gradually pressurized to a level greater than sea level, and for the final ten minutes the pressure is gradually reversed. When 100% medical-grade Oxygen is administered, combined with the pressure of the chamber, the body is able to absorb three times as much Oxygen as breathing normal air.
HBOT increases the body’s ability to fight infections, expediting the patient’s recovery time. Increased oxygenation fights to prevent necrosis – further cell damage – of the bones after a tooth extraction or implant placement, and reverses the effects of chronic swelling, redness, and numbness of gums.
The recommended number of sessions HBOT to supplement the treatment of these diseases vary per patient and the severity of the condition. Treatments can be anywhere from one to three or between 20 and 40 sessions.
High Purity Oxygen Delivery for HBOT
Rocky Mountain Air offers high-pressure cylinders, cryogenic liquid cylinders, and cryogenic bulk tanks. Our cryogenics experts can assist in evaluating your monthly usage and a delivery schedule that works best for your application of medical-grade Oxygen. Our partnership with PurityPlus gives us the certification to promise you the highest purity medical-grade Oxygen on the market.
Contact your local RMA location today in any one of our five states (Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska) to learn more about how we can help supply your Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy system. We look forward to serving you.
