Hydrogel patch aids in healing mouth wounds

What can you do for a patient whose braces are shredding the inside of their mouth?

Dental implant maker MIS Implants Technologies has created a product called the PerioPatch that the company claims can help wounds in the oral cavity heal more quickly.

The PerioPatch, a hydrogel barrier, is the first nonimplant product launched by PeriZone, MIS Implants Technologies' new oral care products division.

One part barrier, one part exudate absorber, the PerioPatch sticks to the inside of a patient's mouth to protect an injury and help it heal, according to the manufacturer. All images courtesy of MIS Implants Technologies.

One part barrier, one part exudate absorber, the PerioPatch sticks to the inside of a patient's mouth to protect an injury and help it heal, according to the manufacturer. All images courtesy of MIS Implants Technologies.

"The patch works in two ways: as a physical barrier by covering the wounded area, and it absorbs excess wound exudates," said Noel Wilford, RDH, director of the oral health division at MIS Implants Technologies. "Whenever there is a wound, whether it be from scaling and root planing or a burn from a hot piece of pizza, this enables the doctor to give their patient a localized way to deal with discomfort, particularly after a dental procedure."

The patch sticks to the inside of the patient's mouth with a gum acacia-based adhesive. When the gum comes into contact with the moist oral mucosa, it securely sticks to affected area, the company explained.

"The backing falls off one to two hours after you apply it, and then you're left with the gel layer underneath," Wilford said. "So it still acts as a physical barrier, and that's when it's absorbing the excess exudates as well." That layer provides protection from further irritation that may occur while eating and drinking, she added.

The patch was developed by three periodontists in Israel who were looking for a combination of ingredients that would relieve inflammatory symptoms, according to Wilford.

"Although the concept of absorbing wound exudates has been used in medicine, it's a relatively new concept in dentistry," she said. "One of the problems of using a product like this in the mouth has been the fact that it's difficult to get something to stick to moist tissue. In the PerioPatch, there are three herbal ingredients that in combination really help with the adhesive ability of this product."

The active ingredients in the PerioPatch are ethylcellulose, polyacrylic acid, Sambucus nigra, castor oil, acacia gum, methyl hydroxylpropyl cellulose, glycerol, strawberry flavor, Centella asiatica, titanium dioxide, Echinacea purpurea, polysorbate 80, CI 77491.

While presenting the product during the ADA's annual session last week in Las Vegas, Wilford was pleased with the feedback she got.

"It's funny, the comments that we got at our booth, because when you touch the film with your hand it's not sticky at all," she noted. "A couple of people came by who either had braces or had some sort of ulceration in their mouth, and when they tried it they were surprised at how well it stuck to the moist tissue."

Small in size with a strawberry flavor, the patch is designed to be user-friendly enough to be applied by patients after they have left the office of their care provider. They are instructed to swallow and apply the lighter side of the patch to the affected area. Multiple patches can be applied at once. However, patients should not eat or drink for one hour after placing the patch, nor should they apply it before sleeping.

Each pack contains six patches, and patients are instructed to use three of them within 24 hours. The additional three patches can be used as needed, depending on how traumatic their injury is, according to Wilford.

"If it's a surgical procedure, they would benefit from using it for multiple days," she said. "For a simple cheek bite, they can be treated with one to three patches on a single day."

Studies by the company have shown that the product is the most efficacious after three applications on the first day, Wilford noted.

Cheek bite images from an internal study show the injury's progression with the aid of the patch.

Cheek bite images from an internal study show the injury's progression with the aid of the patch.

MIS Implant Technologies is currently giving away samples of the product through their sales representatives.

"Those who don't have a rep can request samples at perizoneonline.com," Wilford said. "It's only available to dentists with a current state license and that is requested on our page."

After a dentist orders the free samples, the company will follow up to gauge his or her opinion of the product.

"We see it as something that can be accepted by the periodontal community and by the general practitioner community," Wilford said. "There's a tremendous usage potential for the orthodontic community also; kids and adults who have brackets and bands that are always beating up part of their cheek, there's been a very good response to that sort of injury."