In the last twenty years there has been a proliferation of articles on the therapeutic use of ozone. As it is well-known, the term ozone therapy is very broad. It ranges from either systemic or loco-regional administration of unstable gaseous oxygen/ozone mixtures to the topical application of stable ozonated derivatives. Anyway, in relation to the absence of specific receptors and the extreme reactivity with the biological liquids with which it comes into contact, gaseous ozone cannot be classified as either a drug or a pro-drug. When the gaseous ozone impacts a biological matrix, both reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid oxidation products (LOPs) are formed. They represent the effector molecules responsible for modulating the therapeutic activity in the body. Apart from the merits of the action mechanisms resulting from the use of ozone, this article seeks to validate the practice of ozone therapy as an adjuvant treatment in full compliance with the physiology of the whole organism.
Peri-implantitis is a severe inflammatory pathology that affects soit and hard tissues surrounding dental implants. Nowadays, only prevention is effective to contrast peri-implantitis, but, in recent years, there is the clinical evidence of the efficiency of a therapy based on the application of radio frequency electric current, reporting that 81% of the cases (66 implants, 46 patients) were successfully treated. The aim of this paper is to present the therapy mechanism, exploring the distribution of the electric currents in normal and pathologic tissues. A 3D numerical FEM model of tooth root with a dental implant screwed in the alveolar bone has been realized and the therapy has been simulated in COMSOL Multiphysics® environment. Results show that the electric current is focused in the inflamed zone around the implant, due to the fact that its conductivity is higher than the healthy tissue one. Moreover, by means of a movable return electrode, the electric current and field lines can be guided in the most inflamed area, limiting the interference on healthy tissues and improving the therapy in the area of interest. In conclusion, it can be stated that this innovative therapy would make a personalized therapy for peri-implantitis possible, also through impedance measurements, allowing the clinician to evaluate the tissue inflammation state.
Such a measure could be integrated in electromedical devices designed, for example, for the therapy of peri-implantitis, in order to personalise the therapeutic dose in terms of intensity and duration and focusing it on the impaired area, minimising the effects on the surrounding tissues.
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