Abstract: An apparatus and method are used to deliver an electrical current to, through or across gingival tissues of a mouth in order to achieve a number of therapeutic, prophylactic, cosmetic, and or regenerative benefits. These benefits include killing or modifying oral microbes, increasing oral vasodilation, reducing oral biofilm, improving oral blood circulation, reversing oral bone resorption, promoting oral osteogenesis, treating gum recession, and fostering gingival regeneration. Other benefits include the treatment of gingivitis, periodontitis, and oral malodor, and other systemic diseases correlated with oral pathogens. Use of systems and methods according to the present invention may effectively tighten epithelial contact with one or more teeth (e.g., by the junctional epithelium and/or the sulcular epithelium) and/or cause a tightening of the oral epithelium, thereby improving an appearance of a human smile.

Abstract: A method for delivery of oral iontophoretic or reverse-iontophoretic effect by electrical current in combination with electrokinetic elements (e.g., ions, charged molecule(s) (such as a medication or a bioactive agent), and/or charged molecular complexes that may include uncharged molecules), the electrical current causing a motive force on such elements to and from biological tissues and fluids.