Customer Reviews

Dr. Katz Perio Therapy Gum Care, Gel, Toothpaste, Maximum Strength Clinical Formula , 3.5-Ounce Tubes (Pack of 2)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Please note the update at the bottom of this review.

If you are looking for minty-fresh or fizzy, this isn't what you seek, but if you want to take a good shot at fixing your troubled gums yourself, this is worth it.

I had one area of my mouth where gum loss was apparent - the gum had receded upwards leaving an evident "hole" next to the top of the tooth where gum should be. Trying different things, I'd coax it back down, but it would recede again. The two teeth in the area were getting wiggly too. Recently a swelling had appeared high over the tooth, initially not painful, but getting tender-er as it grew. I also developed something like a scab on the gum touching the tooth, perhaps gum disease, perhaps a small injury as the result of me doing too much brushing and disturbing the area further.

I had been trying different things as a fix (a spinning Oral-B plaque-remover, a Sonicare brush, swishing w/ hydrogen peroxide, applying Neosporin to the spot before bed, not recommended since it's not for oral use but I was getting desperate). Nothing worked long term. I ordered the kit containing this gel cleaner, the mouthwash, trays, and floss.

THIS was what I needed- something that worked AND encouraged regular use. Unlike my home-grown attempts, I used the kit with regularity and confidence. I have used only the mouthwash and toothgel and floss, and have not yet used the trays. (Not much floss was provided, so I have used regular floss too.)

Within a week and a half I could see a difference. My gum is back in place (no hole) and the swelling above is going down. The teeth in the vicinity are more firmly rooted. My mouth stays clean-feeling long after brushing and swishing. It's not "minty fresh" but there's an obvious lack of scuzz on the teeth for a long period of time, longer than with regular toothpaste and mouthwash, even after eating. I swish with the mouthwash anytime I think of it. The toothgel also has done a fine job of getting off some old tartar on the back of my bottom front teeth (a problem spot for me since childhood) that nothing else would remove, even the high tech brushes. Perhaps the combination of the brushes with this gel is a winner.

Like other users, during the transition, I developed a funky taste in my mouth that made even plain water taste icky, but that seems to have passed, lasting only maybe 4-5 days.

Some users want the minty taste we've been conditioned to think equals "clean". This gel is a little boring tasting. But you know what? Minty fresh gel or paste wasn't fixing my gums like this stuff is. I'm enough of a grown-up to pass by the pleasure of taste for something that actually works. If you need the strong mint taste, then brush once a day with the old stuff and be happy, or chew some Xylitol mint gum, but make this your mainstay.

My routine now is to swish with hydrogen peroxide, brush with PerioTherapy gel, rinse with PerioTherapy mouthwash. I do this three times daily and floss once or twice. Six or eight minutes a day is not a lot of hassle for healthy teeth and gums.

Today I'm re-ordering the tooth gel and if there's changes in the effectiveness in the future, I will gladly come back and edit this review, but for now I'm very satisfied. If you have gum issues and want to try to fix them without chancing a dental visit that could lead to more than you are ready to do, by all means give the kit a fair trial. Once you've done that and established that it works for you, you can re-order the components as needed to maintain the results.

[Ingredients:

Tooth gel: Sorbitol, hydrated silica, water, aloe vera, gel, glycerine (from vegetable sources), PeriO2 (stabilized Oxychlor compounds), tetrapotassium pyrophosphate, Xylitol, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, carageenan, sodium flouride, zince gluconate, CoQ10 (ubiquinone), essential oil of peppermint, natural flavor, sodium benzoate.

Oral rinse: Purified water, PeriO2 (proprietary stabilized Oxychlor compounds), Zinc gluconate, sodium bicarbonate, tea tree oil, essential oil of spearmint, citric acid, sodium benzoate, PEG 40, hydrogenated castor oil.]

Addendum, Dec 2011: I still think this is a good product but in the interest of honesty I have to add more information. Instead of being chicken, I should have gone to a dentist and gotten a real diagnosis. Self-treatment without professional diagnosis can be dangerous. It turns out I have somewhat advanced gum disease. The use of the product did not cause it, and may have slowed it, or maybe even covered it up for a while. I had no clue what was wrong until a slightly wiggly tooth got more wiggly and made me get to a dentist, who has sent me on to a periodontist for a series of stuff that will include cleanings and extractions. The puffy lump over the tooth was infection moving into the gum, and over time it has destroyed some bone so the tooth has nothing to cling to now. I was probably too far along for any product to save me.

I've learned that a lot of things can factor into gum disease, and poor oral hygiene is not always the cause. I have darn near flawless teeth and brushed and flossed and gargled more than most people so it blew me away to get this. My dentist has said of mouth care "It will become your new religion" and indeed it has because once you have gum disease it lurks and tries to come back. I will be getting professional cleanings 3-4 times a year. Every night in front of TV I am flossing, using tiny in-between brushes, rubber picks. Every morning I get up and water pic. I swish with Plax and brush after every meal or snack and usually water pic too. I am consuming lots of Xylitol (gum and mints and in toothpaste) and using Biotene PBF formula. The layman's explanation is that Xylitol is a sugar the bacteria in your mouth will consume, but they can't digest it so theoretically it starves them. Biotene PBF and Plax both focus on getting rid of plaque or "bio film" and we are going to hear more about this in time to come. Nutshell version is that there is a difference between free-floating bacteria and bacteria that has settled down in a single spot and become bio film or plaque. Bio film happens in your mouth when the bacteria is setting up housekeeping on a solid surface, like a tooth. Once that happens the bacteria gets sophisticated and begins to work together, and actually communicate, changing how it behaves and making it more destructive. The scientists call it "quorum sensing" and it's a little scary such small idiot creepies can do this anywhere, let alone in your mouth. Oh- and you can give gum disease to your spouse, or get it from them too.

I have been on the other side of the fence where you say "For Pete's sake, how much time do you want to spend on this?" My answer is "Whatever it takes so I get to keep my teeth."

So yes, I believe this is a good product, but be sure not to substitute it for getting real cleanings and getting the input of a professional.

I had a rude awakening at the dentist about three years ago when I was told my gums were practically going to rot if I did not do something about early onset for gum disease. Two hours of hell in that dentist chair to get rid of all the bacteria under my gums was enough to straighten me out. From then on I started flossing more and using PerioTherapy as toothpaste. From that point my checkups take maybe 30 mins and the tooth cleanings were painless! Thank you Dr.Katz for creating something that actually works well for people with this disease.

This toothpaste is a clear gel and works well with my Sonicare Electric Toothbrush. This is a perfect everyday toothpase.

(The Dr. Katz ultra whitening toothpaste is also wonderful, but I only use it occasionally--it is a little bit gritty and VERY thick, so it doesn't work as well with my Sonicare.)

I have tried MANY MANY brands of toothpaste in ALL price ranges. I look for brands that are organic or have natural ingredients--"healthy toothpastes." I have also tried virtually every brand available at Walmart or comparable stores.

Dr. Katz perio gel does a great job of cleaning my teeth and there is NO yucky aftertaste if I eat or drink something soon after brushing.

My husband has commented that he misses having a flavoring added to his toothpaste. However, I appreciate not having cinnamon, mint or some other flavoring added. So, this may be a personal preferance to consider. I told hubby he can use a mouthwash if he wants to minty up his breath. I like CLEAN in my mouth and this toothpaste gets me there.

I like the CLEAR gel. The clear gel minimizes the "white sprinkles" on my clothes problem--the sprinkles don't show if I make them.

Other than making my own toothpase, this is the best I have found that can be purchased in a ready to use gel.

The price of this toothpaste puts it out of reach for some consumers. This is unfortunate, because it is a wonderful product. Perhaps the price is high because of the "Perio" benefits it boasts and/or having Dr. Katz name on the label. Clearly, this product was intended for a niche market.

The ingredient list does not support the high price in my opinion. But, then again, the product is wonderful and I have not found any other brand of toothpaste that comes near to being comparable.

I would like to see the price on this gel toothpaste come down and see the marketing skewed towards regular oral hygiene. I think if the price dropped and the marketing was redirected, this gel toothpaste would have a great chance of capturing a significant market share. It is GREAT toothpaste!

Does the product live up to its perio claims? I don't know. I have used a sonicare for years and floss daily, so I didn't see a difference in my oral health. High quality ready made toothpaste is a conveniece.

When I make my own toothpaste, I use a mixture of Virgin Coconut Oil (gold label) from Tropical Traditions, aloe vera gel, emu oil (pharmaceutical grade), oregano oil and baking soda. Several months worth can be mixed up at a time. I am sharing this info because this is a great alternative to other toothpastes if you can't afford Dr. Katz gel and want a more natural solution for cleaning your teeth.

This product is highly effective. I have had gum problems for years. Your dentist/periodontist will probably deny that it is that effective. Mine blew it off as a good cure for things like bad breath. He emphasized that a lot on the Internet is not that good. That is true, but also he considers anyone without his particular education an idiot. Medical professionals sometimes feel threatened by anything that is not something they prescribed. Control and money issues. I would not depend on this to fix serious problems, but would use it in conjunction with regular visits to the periodontist and to prevent future problems once you have things under control.

I have been using this for a while and my gums have healed. My oral hygienist asked me what I was using.

This toothpaste is amazing. In fact, used with the mouth rinse, it's phenomenal. If you use as directed, you will be amazed at how clean and fresh your breath becomes. There is no morning breath either. I know some will have issues with the fact that there is no "mintyness" with the product, and some might have issues with the taste of the rinse, but honestly, I think the minty taste is not necessary. As for the rinse, I don't mind the taste. I always used Tri Oral and thats an excellent product, but this product in my opinion, is superior.

I think it works really well. I used the rinse also but not the tray. It taste pretty plain doesn't leave that fresh mint feel but definitely helps gums. Especially when I use it with battery powered toothbrush.

A couple of years ago I had to endure perio surgery...no fun ! I still go to my periodontis every six months...but only for routine cleaning... I have been using Dr. Katz Toothpaste and Oral Rinse for about a year or more and I believe it is very beneficial....highly recommend it.

Using this product for about a month, I noticed a sharp increase in tartar formation. I had been to the dentist in less than 5 months for a cleaning and I floss and brush every day, yet my teeth had patches of tartar that seemed to come overnight and my lower gums ached. At first I didn't connect the symptoms with this product, but while searching for solutions for the tartar problem and considering a product called Periogen, I came across Amazon reviewer comments discussing the possibility that some oral antibacterial products, by destroying good bacteria as well as bad, may somehow lead to more tartar growth. Periogen, apparently, is not in that category, and I plan to try it as a tartar dis-solver.

I don't know for sure if Katz Perio gel really caused the problem, but it seems a strong possibility since I made no other changes. I decided to go back to Tom's of Maine, which I've used for years, but had stopped using because they had discontinued using real peppermint oil in their toothpaste, and were now only using peppermint flavoring. For me, their product was much less effective with this change, but upon going back to the store and looking at another Tom's of Maine tube, I see the real peppermint oil is back again. Maybe they had complaints? Who knows, but I wanted to give this warning in case someone else experiences the trouble I had with Katz.

I should also mention that in the years before I had begun using Tom's of Maine, I always did have excessive tartar formation, so I must be prone to it, but nothing on the level of what happened almost overnight when using the Katz gel.

With the amazing reviews, thought this woud work miracles.

Though my teeth look nice, I can tell I am in the starting stages of periodontal disease, behind the lower front teeth especially, bleeding gums, receding gumline.

I ordered 4 products to battle this: This Dr. Katz toothpaste, his gum mouthwash, a bottle of some powder that you add to a water pick that eats tartar bellow the gumline, and a water pik.

So far... I'm not as amazed as I had hoped. Nothing after that first week changed... My gumline on top seems a litte better after 2 weeks. But the gum line behind the teeth on the lower front ((which was my major concern) seems to have receded even more. So now worrying even more...

will post this review on the other products, and update after another 2 or so weeks.

UPDATE: 1.5 months. Eh.. still undecided on this product. Would probably find a differant periodantal disease focused line if I hadn't bought a 2-pack. Have been noticing tooth sensitivity (pain) which I had never had before. Also, my front top teeth seem to becoming see through now.

I have, however, decided I like the powder product in my water pik, seeing much less residue on my teeth. And since I can't say for sure Dr. Katz hasn't had a helping hand, I suppose I will continue using the paste in hopes my teeth will improve. I am completley quiting the rinse though, as I read an article that it is possible it could be why I am now having sensitivity and possible staining (thinnning?).