A Critique of 25 Years of Research Which Culminated in the Successful Therapy of Periodontal Disease with Coenzyme Q₁₀

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Periodontal disease involves in inflammation of tissues which support the teeth, and in primarily caused by the accumulating bacterial plaque on the teeth. The extraction of teeth is the end stage. Current statistics show that about 60% of young adults and 80% of adults in the U.S. have periodontal disease, i. e., this disease is not limited just to the older generations.
The initially available Coenzyme Q₇ (CoQ₇) was clinically found to improve therapeutically severe and destructive periodontal disease. CoQ₇ had been found to show 80-100% of the activity of Coenzyme Q₁₀ (CoQ₁₀) for NADH-oxidase.
The partially synthetic hexahydro-CoQ₄ (H₆CoQ₄) became abundantly available for clinical research, although it showed only 10-25% of the activity of CoQ₁₀ for NADH-oxidase. Over ca. five years, H₆CoQ₄ was clinically tested, including a double-blind trial, for therapy of periodontal disease, and was found to cause such extraordinary healing that H₆CoQ₄ was considered as conjunctive therapy for ordinary dental practice.
It had been determined that there was a statistically significant deficiency of CoQ₁₀-enzyme activity in gingival biopsies from patients with periodontal disease in comparison to control. In due time, CoQ₁₀ became available for clinical studies on therapy of periodontal disease. After an open trial of treating periodontal disease with CoQ₁₀, which was interpreted to the effect that healing was--“dramatically accelerated”--and was--“very impressive”, a successful double-blind trial was conducted with capsules of CoQ₁₀ and a matching placebo.
Subsequent trials were concluded with the observation that--“CoQ₁₀ could well become an essential modality of prevention and treatment of periodontal disease”.
These open and double-blind trials were largely based upon criteria of periodontal score, tooth mobility, gingival index and pocket depth. Recently, the bleeding index was another criterion of therapy, and the result was positive.
Currently, the reduction of subgingival microorganisms has been recorded, and concomitantly, it was recorded that CoQ₁₀ increased the levels of the T4/T8 ratio and that of IgG.
The repeatedly demonstrated successful therapy with CoQ₁₀ of periodontal disease is evident from several criteria showing reduced disease, from criteria of an improved immune system, and restored periods of natural prevention of disease.
CoQ₁₀ is, therefore, recommended for both prophylactic and therapeutic treatment of periodontal disease.