Treating Gum Disease With Local Antibiotics

Arestin is a locally administered antibiotic used in adjunct to scaling and root planing for treating periodontal pockets. Your gums wrap around the neck of your tooth creating a "pocket" or space between the tooth and the gum. In a healthy patient, this pocket should be 3-4 mm deep. For Arestin use, the periodontal pockets should be 5mm or deeper and exhibit active infection. This treatment can reduce harmful bacteria before infection spreads and periodontal disease worsens. In 2006, our report revealed that 65% of the patients who received Arestin as treatment had a reduction in pocket depth at their following recare visit.

Nikea Bowar, RDH