What the Latest Science Says About Dental Ozone

We’ve all heard folks say something about how holistic therapies sound nice and all, but where’s the evidence? It’s as if anything outside of conventional protocols must be based more on hope than on hard science.

That’s most certainly NOT the case when it comes to the use of ozone in dentistry. There’s actually a substantial body of evidence backing it up, highlighted in a systematic review published earlier this year in BMC Oral Health. This type of paper is essentially a study of studies. Researchers gather all the relevant clinical trials on a topic, check their quality, and synthesize their findings to give us a bird’s-eye view of what the evidence actually shows.

The Evidence for Ozone in Dental Care

The research team looked at clinical trials on dental uses of ozone published between 2018 and 2024. A total of 11 studies from multiple countries met the team’s strict criteria, and the results favored a few uses of ozone in particular.

Ozone proved quite helpful in treating gum disease. When ozone therapy was combined with traditional scaling and root planing – a procedure often referred to as a “deep cleaning” – patients had significantly better outcomes than those who had only the cleaning. Their periodontal pockets were shallower There was less bleeding on probing. The healthier tissue returned to hold the teeth in place.

These improvements came courtesy of ozone, which helps disrupt the cellular walls of harmful bacteria colonizing below the gums. (It’s effective against viruses and fungi, too.) In addition to reducing the microbial load, ozone simultaneously promotes tissue healing.

The evidence was also in ozone’s favor when it came to the care of dental implants. Patients who received ozone therapy both during and after implant placement had faster soft tissue healing and less post-op inflammation. The review team also noted lower levels of C-reactive protein – a marker of inflammation – and lower pain scores in patients who received ozone compared to those who did not.

Multiple studies in the review found that applying ozone after hydrogen peroxide teeth bleaching had significantly less sensitivity or discomfort when ozone was applied after hydrogen peroxide bleaching. And it appeared to do without compromising aesthetics.

Ozone essentially has a dual mechanism of action. Unlike traditional antimicrobials like chlorhexidine (CHX) or hydrogen peroxide, ozone does far more than just fight bacteria. It actively enhances healing by increasing oxygenation, improving blood flow, and stimulating fibroblast activity. (Fibroblasts are connective tissue cells that produce collagen and structural fibers.) And because it can get through biofilms more effectively than some conventional treatments, it can reach bacteria that might otherwise evade treatment.

Ozone therapy appears to be a valuable tool in modern dentistry, offering advances in the treatment and management of pain in a variety of modalities. Continued research into its applications and mechanisms is essential to fully understand its therapeutic potential and ensure its safe integration into clinical practice.

The latter should not be hard, considering ozone’s excellent safety profile. It’s well-tolerated by most people, and no significant side effects have been documented through more than a century of use in both medicine and dentistry.

It’s an excellent addition to so many dental procedures – something Dr. T talked about with fellow biological dentistry Dr. Griffin Cole a while back on her podcast Your Mouth Matters. They also discuss ozone’s wide-ranging antimicrobial properties, how it enhances your body’s natural healing processes, and practical uses that could make a real difference in your dental care routine.

Whether you’re a dentist looking to expand your toolkit or a patient curious about holistic and natural dental treatments, this is an episode you won’t want to miss: