If you suffer from periodontal disease, you already know it can increase your risk of everything from tooth loss to heart disease. Periodontal disease is a bacterial infection that attacks the tissue and bone supporting affected teeth. Over time, periodontal pocket depth increases, and the active infection may start to spread to healthy areas of the gums. Application of special antibiotics below the gumline after a scaling and root planing kills bacteria living in periodontal pockets, usually resulting in significant improvement for patients.
How Do Dentists Apply Antibiotics Below the Gum Line?
During a scaling and root planing procedure, your Village Park Family Dental professional will insert a powder called ARESTIN® inside periodontal pockets that have an active bacterial infection. This powder contains microspheres that are smaller than grains of sand and are filled with minocycline. Placing these antibiotics below the gum line is a simple, straightforward addition to a standard scaling and root planing procedure. This combination of procedures has been proven in clinical studies to be an effective treatment for periodontal disease.
Used in conjunction with scaling and root planing, ARESTIN has been shown to reduce the depth of infected periodontal pockets and to aid in the prevention of periodontal disease progression, particularly in patients who smoke.
During clinical trials, ARESTIN was not found to cause any staining of the teeth or upset stomach, nor does it alter the patient’s sense of taste.
Our Village Park Family Dental team brings years of expertise and continuing education to the table with each and every visit, offering our patients the very best in general, family and wellness dentistry. If you’re ready to learn more about our treatments, including antibiotics below the gum line, call us today to make an appointment.