Regular brushing and flossing are essential parts of oral home care. But gum disease won’t go away on its own. Because it’s an infection, it needs to be treated professionally. In our office, we often combine scaling and root planing (SRP) with application of an antibiotic medication called Arestin®.
Because of the way gum disease progresses, the longer you wait to take action, the greater the chance you may need painful and expensive surgery to get it under control. Arestin® is a locally administered antibiotic (LAA) in powder form that we place directly into the infected areas—or pockets—in your gums. Arestin® powder is made up of 100,000 tiny microspheres, invisible to the eye. These microspheres contain the antibiotic drug minocycline, which is released over time into the infected pocket. This means Arestin® keeps working to kill bacteria long after you’ve left our chair.
Moft of the time, our patients are pleasantly surprised to find that their medical insurance's prescription coverage applies to Arestin®. It is typical that a $30 copay will enable our patients to receive $1,000 worth of this medicine.
How Arestin + SRP Works:
01. Your dental professional removes plaque and tartar above and below the gumline with SRP.
02. ARESTIN® microspheres are placed into infected pockets using a special plastic applicator.
03. The antibiotic is released over time, helping to reduce bacteria as your gums heal.
If you have any questions regarding gum disease or how Arestin® can help, let us know! We're happy to share some insights or schedule an appointment to help evaluate your unique needs and oral health.
Images and content courtesy of Arestin®.