In order for teeth and gums to recover from periodontal disease, it is necessary that the mouth is cleaned from bacteria. This is done through a treatment such as scaling and root planing (SRP), which cleans between the gums and the teeth down to the roots. Scaling removes the plaque, tartar, and stains from the surface of teeth while planing smoothes the rough areas on the roots of teeth to promote healing. Frequently a local anesthetic is used to numb the gums and the roots of your teeth in preparation to the treatment.

Now dentists are using an antibiotic called ARESTIN^® to aid in the fight of gum disease and are finding that using this antibiotic with SRP results in nearly 3x more successful outcomes than using SRP alone.

What is ARESTIN^®

ARESTIN^® is an antibiotic that contains microspheres, which are tiny, bead-like particles smaller than grains of sand. The microspheres are filled with an antibiotic called minocycline hydrochloride, which is released over time, killing bacteria so gums can heal better than with SRP alone.

Why ARESTIN^®

Bacteria is the cause of gum disease. And antibiotics kill bacteria. Scaling and root planing (SRP) remove much of the bacteria that causes periodontal infection, but it doesn’t reach the bacteria that hides in the bottom of pockets.

A locally administered antibiotic (LAA) such as  ARESTIN^® helps to get at the bacteria hiding in these pockets. After the SRP treatment, ARESTIN^® is placed into the infected gum pockets below the gumline.

This procedure may happen at the time of SRP treatment or at a follow-up visit. Depending on the patient ARESTIN^® may also be used for routine periodontal maintenance. Getting ARESTIN^® is painless and will dissolve on its own, so no removal is required.

If you’d like more information on treatments to fight gum disease, ask Dr. Leardi on your next visit. He’ll explain the procedures commonly done to fight periodontal disease and share with you his experience in using the antibiotic ARESTIN^®. For more information about ARESTIN^®, you can also visit the official website at http://www.arestin.com.

In 2003 the World Health Organization published a comprehensive report on oral health with research showing that up to 85% of adults in the US have some form of gum disease. Unfortunately most of these people don’t know it.

The symptoms of gum disease include:

• Bleeding gums
• Sensitive teeth
• Obvious plaque, tartar or calculus
• Persistent b ad breath
• Swollen, red or tender gums
• Spaces developing between your teeth
• Receding gums (teeth appear longer)
• Loose or mobile teeth

These symptoms are part of your body’s response to a bacterial infection in the gum tissue around the teeth, and they are serious. Many people ignore the symptoms because they cannot see the infected areas. You can easily swallow the blood and bacteria when brushing and flossing for example, but it is not normal. If you were bleeding from an infected wound in your hand, you would treat it. The bacterial infection in your mouth should also be treated.

Treatment is even more important because research has linked infected gum tissue to:

• Type II Diabetes
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Blood Clots and Strokes
• Preterm and Low Birth Weight Babies
• Respiratory Disease
• Alzheimer’s Disease

Effective Treatment

The Perio Protect Method uses an FDA-cleared medical device called a Perio Tray that is custom-made for your mouth. The Perio Tray has a special, patented seal that holds medications in the infected area for enough time to kill the bacteria causing the disease.

Patients describe the Perio Tray as comfortable and Perio Protect treatment as easy to do. Your doctor or hygienist will tell you how often and long to wear your Perio Trays. For most people this amounts to only minutes each day When you consider treatment options, you should know that Perio Protect is a non-invasive treatment that effectively delivers antimicrobial medication around the teeth and below the gum line to kill the bacteria causing the disease, It also offers a long-term homecare maintenance program to manage the disease.

Gum disease or periodontal disease is a serious infection that can lead to tooth loss, eventually affecting your overall health. To treat this disease, your dentist may recommend a locally administered antibiotic. This antibiotic, called Arestin^®, helps fight infection that leads to gum disease right where is starts, in your gums. Denal professionals add ARESTIN^® (minocycline hydrochloride) to scaling and root planing (SRP) procedures, This combination treats perodontal discease better than SRP alone.

What It Is
ARESTIN^® is an effective antibiotic treatment in a powder form. This powder is easily placed inside infected periodontal pockets immediately after the dental professional completes the scaling and root planing process.

How It Works
ARESTIN^® contains tiny, bead-like particles that are smaller than grains of sand. These microspheres are filled with the antibiotic minocycline. They release the drug over time into the infected periodontal pocket. This kills the bacteria that live there for up to 21 days.

Proven Results
In clinical studies ARESTIN^® has been proven to be more effective than just using SRP. ARESTIN^® also ready reduced the size of periodontal pockets, killed the bacteria most commonly associated with periodontal disease and reduced bum bleeding during probing.

This comprehensive apporach gives patients two treatments that work together (ARESTIN^® and SRP) to effectively eliminate the harmful bacterial that lead to periodontal disease.