Localized Antibiotic Therapy

There are several options available to treat early periodontal disease. After scaling and root planning, antibiotic medication can be taken orally to treat gum inflammation, and oral antiseptic rinses can be used, but a more concentrated dose can be inserted directly into periodontal pockets of the gums to kill bacteria and allow pockets around the teeth to shrink and heal. This is localized antibiotic therapy (Arestin). It is effective because delivering it directly to the diseased site means a more concentrated dose can be administered than that given orally. (Oral medication becomes more diluted by the time it reaches the inflamed area.) There are also fewer side effects and fewer chances of resistant bacteria forming than with an oral dose of medication. Localized antibiotic therapy is usually given following scaling and root planning.