Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Widely used natural ingredients such as curcumin have undergone clinical trials to prove their efficacy in oral health. By Lynne Testoni
Dental treatments based on natural ingredients have often been controversial. While consumers have consistently expressed interest in using naturally derived products (from charcoal brushes to fluoride-free toothpaste) to improve their oral health, dental professionals have been reluctant to recommend them, frustrated by the lack of clinical evidence backing the efficacy of these products.
Many natural products have only anecdotal evidence of their healing properties, leading to a demand for peer-reviewed clinical research to confirm their efficacy.
Curcumin is one natural ingredient that is surrounded by a lot of buzz at the moment. A key ingredient in turmeric, curcumin has become known for its anti-inflammatory properties, but can be difficult to absorb.
A new product developed by Brett Chalklin and Associate Professor Ramesh Balasubramaniam addresses this issue. Both directors of Bharma Pty Ltd, they have developed a new oral health product called PerioGold Gel, formulated using natural ingredients, that includes curcumin, aloe vera, and elderberry with added xylitol.
While the ingredients individually have been scientifically proven to be effective, the PerioGold team has undertaken two scientific studies that prove the efficacy of the oral gel.
The difference to previous uses of curcumin and key to the product’s success is the discovery of micro-encapsulated curcumin, which allows the product’s active ingredient to be more absorbable, says Brett Chalklin.
“It was through further research and trial and error more than anything that we found and stumbled across this micro-encapsulated curcumin,” he explains. “This essentially makes it very highly bio available and absorbable onsite, because it can actually penetrate membranes.”
Chalklin is a dental technician, and he says that his research and work has helped him understand how prevalent gum disease inflammation disorders are which, in turn, has inspired him to find a natural solution.
A/Prof Balasubramaniam has been looking after the scientific aspects of the product. An oral medicine specialist, and discipline lead in oral medicine at the UWA Dental School, Professor Balasubramaniam worked with Chalklin on developing the product and testing it.
“When I developed some of the prototypes at home, I gave Ramesh a couple to have a look at and sample,” says Chalklin. “And I think he also had a family member that he was trialling some of these prototypes on and we got very good results very early on.
“This encouraged us to continue development. There isn’t a lot of representation in the marketplace for natural products, but I think the research really shows that there is an efficacy there for certain ingredients. And with our product each ingredient has been studied individually, with quite good outcomes and results.
There isn’t a lot of representation in the marketplace for natural products, but I think the research really shows that there is an efficacy there for certain ingredients. And with our particular product each of the ingredients has been studied individually, with quite good outcomes and results.
Brett Chalklin, co-director, Bharma Pty Ltd
“We thought it was a great idea to verify for ourselves—and for the confidence of consumers—how effective PerioGold Gel would be in these situations.”
A/Prof Balasubramaniam explains that while curcumin could be considered the main focus of the trio of ingredients in the gel, all three have been proven to be an anti-inflammatory. “I think what we’ve done well here is combine curcumin with the other two as well,” he says. “Aloe vera is antibacterial and known to soothe the mouth, while elderberry is antiviral and again has anti-inflammatory properties.”
He adds that that while curcumin is known to work as an anti-inflammatory, traditionally in Eastern medicine it is consumed with spicy foods such as peppers, which enable that absorption.
“However, as you can imagine, if someone’s got an inflamed mouth, you can’t exactly mix curcumin with something that’s going to burn,” he says. “So the nanotechnology and micro-encapsulation enables this Trojan Horse to take minute amounts of curcumin and make it very effective.
“This particular PerioGold product, the first one that we’ve just launched and is currently at pharmacies, has 0.1 per cent of curcumin, which is a tiny amount, but because of its absorption rate with the microencapsulation, the two studies have shown it to be effective and safe.
“The idea is that if someone uses this gel on a daily basis as maintenance, it is such a small amount, but you will still get the anti-inflammatory effects and it will help prevent gingivitis. And if you’ve got periodontitis, which is when gum disease progresses and the gums start receding, it can help manage the inflammation. I actually had a patient yesterday who’d come in with an area that was inflamed and after they’d been using the gel for a couple of weeks, they came back and the area that was inflamed and ulcerated had resolved. I think ultimately as the product evolves, it will also be able to be used as a spot treatment for ulcers or for children that are teething.”
A/Prof Balasubramaniam mentions that one of the scientific studies has also highlighted PerioGold Gel as a treatment for oral mucositis, which is a very painful inflamed mouth that occurs with radiation therapy and in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
“The other study found a few things,” he says. “Firstly, it’s an antioxidant. It also decreases inflammation. It’s been shown to be an antifungal and antibacterial.”
However, he stresses that PerioGold Gel is not a magic solution to gum care and should be viewed within a holistic context, along with other dental treatments.
“You’ve still got to brush your teeth. You’ve still got to floss. You’ve still got to do the right thing.”
PerioGold oral gel is distributed by Parker Agencies & Distribution at parkeragencies.com/.
