Arestin as a Treatment for Gum Disease

Many people suffer from gum disease, also known as periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is a bacterial infection that affects the gums. If not treated, gum disease may destroy the gum and the surrounding bone, which support the teeth. By adopting the right treatment procedures, dentists can treat and fight the infection. Following successful treatment, the gums heal, get stronger, and hold the teeth firmly. The gums begin to pull back if you don’t seek treatment for gum infection on time. Pulling back of the gums creates pockets of diseased gum tissues between the gums and the teeth. As the pocket becomes deeper, the bacteria penetrate more into the gum tissue. Eventually, the teeth become weak and might even fall off from the gums. Northridge Dentist provides a reliable treatment for diseased gums through Arestin.

Arestin as a Treatment for Gum Disease

Arestin is an antibiotic commonly used by dentists in treating periodontal disease. A dentist places the medication directly into the diseased gum pockets. Before placing the antibiotic, a dentist first conducts an SRP (scaling and root planing) procedure. Combining Arestin and SRP fights harmful bacteria and is more effective than SRP alone. Arestin contains tiny particles known as microspheres, which contain an antibiotic. The microspheres release antibiotics gradually into the gum tissue over time.

Even if Arestin is a type of antibiotic, it is different from antibiotic treatment. Unlike oral antibiotics that patients ingest, a dentist applies Arestin directly to the infected area. The application of the medication at the infected area is more effective. It delivers the antibiotic right where it's required, and this speeds up the treatment procedure.

When a dentist performs the SRP procedure, he or she may not be able to reach certain areas. When a dentist places Arestin on the infected tissue, it penetrates deep into the tissue because it is in the form of fine powder. The antibiotic is able to penetrate and reach the base of the pocket. Therefore, it helps to fight bacteria that a dentist may not be able to eliminate through SRP.

Good Candidates for Arestin Treatment

You might be wondering whether you are a good candidate for Arestin treatment. If you have gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, you would be a good candidate for Arestin treatment. Gum disease refers to a bacterial infection that could harm the gum and compromise your teeth' support if not treated on time.

If you don't seek timely treatment for gum disease, the gums begin to pull back, creating gum pockets. Eventually, periodontitis could loosen your teeth and lead to tooth loss. Periodontitis is a common disease but one that is preventable. The leading cause of periodontitis is poor oral hygiene, mainly failing to brush your teeth regularly. You could greatly reduce your chances of getting gum disease by brushing your teeth regularly and regular dental check-ups.

You have healthy gums if your gums fit snugly around your teeth, and they are pale pink. How can you tell that you're suffering from periodontitis? Some of the common signs and symptoms of periodontitis are:

Puffy or swollen gums
Purplish, dusky red, or bright red gums
Your gums feel tender whenever you touch them.
Your gums bleed easily whenever you touch them.
A pinkish color appears on your toothbrush after brushing.
Spitting out blood when flossing or brushing your teeth
Pus between your gums and your teeth
A foul smell from your mouth
Loss of teeth or loose teeth
Pain while brushing your teeth
Receding gums or gums that pull away from your teeth makes your teeth appear longer than they are.
New spaces or gums appearing between your teeth
A change in your bite or in the way your teeth fit together.

If you notice any of these symptoms, you should visit your dentist and undergo a dental check-up for periodontitis. You should not wait too long to consult a dentist after noticing the signs and symptoms of periodontitis. The sooner you seek treatment, the higher the chance of reversing the periodontitis.

Risk Factors for Gum Disease or Periodontitis

It’s important to understand the risk factors for periodontitis. If you know that you are likely to develop periodontitis, you will be keen to seek regular medical treatment. Risk factors that often increase the likelihood of developing periodontitis are:

Poor dental or oral health
Chewing tobacco or smoking
Obesity
Gingivitis
Hormonal changes, especially due to menopause or during pregnancy
Recreational use of drugs, including vaping or smoking marijuana
Certain medications that cause gum changes or dryness in the gums
Vitamin C deficiency and other nutritional deficiencies
Conditions that could reduce your overall immunity like HIV, leukemia, and cancer treatment
Certain medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and Crohn’s disease

Untreated periodontitis could lead to additional complications. The bacteria responsible for periodontitis could enter your bloodstream through the gum tissue. These bacteria may end up affecting other parts of your body. For instance, it's common for people suffering from periodontitis to suffer from other medical conditions, coronary artery disease, diabetes, and respiratory illnesses.

Arestin and SRP (Scaling and Root Planing)

SRP is a commonly used form of treatment for gum disease. Scaling is the removal of plaque and tartar that could have accumulated on your teeth and the roots. Planing involves smoothing the rough spots on the tooth and the root in areas where bacteria are likely to gather. Root scaling and planing are commonly referred to as deep cleaning. This treatment is more in-depth than teeth cleaning. Therefore, it comes in handy for the treatment of chronic periodontitis.

In most cases, you’ll only require one dental appointment to undergo the SRP treatment. Depending on the severity of your periodontitis, the dentist may administer local anesthesia while conducting SRP. Local anesthesia may also be necessary if you have receding gums due to the advancement of the periodontitis. SRP will help prevent periodontitis from advancing and restore your dental health.

SRP procedure is highly effective in removing visible tartar and plaque. However, even with this procedure, the dentist may not reach the base of the gum pockets. The bacteria in the plaque often make the gum pull away from the teeth leading to gum pockets. When large pockets grow between the gums and the teeth, bacteria accumulate. It will be hard for you to remove these bacteria while brushing or flossing your teeth.

To ensure that they can remove the bacteria accumulated at the base of the gum pockets, most dentists combine SRP and Arestin. Arestin is able to reach and fight bacteria that are deep in the gum pockets.

When Arestin is used together with scaling and root planing, it reduces the infected gum pockets' depth. Arestin is effective because dentists apply it directly to the infected area, which helps prevent periodontitis from progressing. Combining SRP and Arestin is more effective than relying on a single treatment method. Arestin is particularly more effective in treating gum disease among smokers and people suffering from cardiovascular illnesses.

The Use of Locally Administered Antibiotic

The use of locally administered antibiotics to treat infections is not a new concept. For many years, dentists have prescribed antibiotics alongside SRP treatment. However, Arestin is the first antibiotic to be administered directly to the infected area. This antibiotic is encapsulated in microspheres and time-released at the infected area. Arestin is an easy and fast treatment for gum disease and does not cause any discomfort during the treatment method.

Periodontitis is a chronic bacterial infection, and just like other infections, it is effectively treated with antibiotics. Locally administered antibiotics are more effective than ingested antibiotics in treating bacterial infections. By administering the antibiotic directly in the affected area, dentists are able to eliminate all the accumulated bacteria in the gum pockets. Arestin microspheres contain minocycline. Minocycline has proved to be very effective in treating bacteria that cause periodontitis.

The Effectiveness of Arestin

When combined with SRP, Arestin is more effective in fighting bacteria than SRP alone. Is Arestin effective in smokers with gum disease? Yes, combining Arestin and scaling and root planing showed a higher reduction in gum pockets' depth than in relying on SRP alone. You might be wondering about how long the healing process takes after the application of the antibiotic. The healing period may vary from one person to the other.

It takes time to fight gum disease, and the healing process is often gradual. The healing process will depend on the number of pockets present and the depth of the pockets. For deep pockets, you may require future dental treatments to enhance full healing. To ensure that you get the most out of Arestin treatment, you should follow all the dentist's directions, especially during the recovery period.

The results from many clinical trials conducted to determine the effectiveness of Arestin have proved that the antibiotic is indeed effective in fighting periodontitis. Patients who combine SRP and Arestin record a significant reduction in pocket depth than patients who rely on SRP alone. When diagnosing and monitoring the severity of periodontitis, dentists consider the gum pocket depth.

Since the severity of gum disease depends on the depth of the gum pockets, the effectiveness of a treatment mode depends on how well the treatment reduces the gum pockets' depth. Clinical trials indicate that combining Arestin and SRP is effective even in people who smoke and those with cardiovascular illnesses.

Arestin is easy to apply, and this allows the dentist to apply it in hard to reach areas. Arestin is also adhesive, and this means that it can remain in the affected areas for long periods. Your dentist can apply Arestin right after completing the SRP procedure. Therefore, you can be able to undergo the entire periodontitis treatment within a brief dental appointment.

There is a link between periodontitis and other medical conditions, like cardiovascular illnesses, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Women who suffer from periodontitis also have a higher risk of getting low birth-weight babies and preterm babies. Therefore, timely treatment for periodontitis is necessary to prevent further complications from the illness.

Some of the quick facts that you need to understand about Arestin are:

Combining Arestin treatment with SRP helps prevent tooth loss and allows you to retain your teeth for a long time.
The application of Arestin is comfortable and does not require anesthesia.
Most people who receive Arestin treatment experience minimal or no side effects
Arestin is both bioabsorbable and bioadhesive. Therefore, once the dentist places Arestin in your gum pockets, you won't need to have it removed. Since it is bioadhesive, Arestin will not fall from the gum pocket after placement.
Treating gum disease with Arestin can help you remain the threshold for surgical intervention.
Arestin does not require stitches and bandages.

Before Arestin Treatment

Before commencing the Arestin treatment for periodontitis, your dentist will take you through various steps. First, your dentist will discuss your medical history with you and highlight significant risk factors. The dentist will consider your age and the progression of periodontitis. The dentist may consider you a high-risk patient if you suffer from conditions like cardiovascular illnesses and diabetes. The dentist will also consider risk factors for the progression of periodontitis, such as smoking.

Your dentist will then conduct a comprehensive periodontal evaluation. This evaluation includes looking for signs of periodontal disease. The dentist will consider factors like radiographic bone loss and increasing pocket depth. Other signs of periodontitis include bleeding and probing.

Your dentist will also discuss the potential outcomes of the treatment with you. For instance, the dentist may explain the safety precautions that you should take after the Arestin treatment. Your dentist will also explain the various side effects. You need to be aware of the normal side effects and abnormal or severe side effects.

The dentist will also consider other issues related to Arestin treatment. For instance, your dentist will discuss the cost of treatment and also help you determine whether your dental insurance plan will cover the procedure.

Application of Arestin on the Gum Pockets

Your dentist will apply Arestin on the infected gum pockets immediately after performing the scaling and root planing (SRP) procedure. In most instances, dentists apply Arestin on the same day of performing the SRP procedure. However, at times, your dentist may apply the antibiotic during a follow-up visit.

Is the placement of Arestin painful? No, the placement of Arestin is a non-invasive procedure. Therefore, you will not feel pain during the antibiotic's placement, and your dentist does not have to use anesthesia. Since the placement of Arestin is a non-invasive procedure that does not involve needles, the procedure takes between 1 and 2 minutes.

After applying Arestin on the gum, the dentist does not have to use bandages since the medication will not fall off from the gum pockets. You don’t have to go back to the dentist to have the Arestin removed. The antibiotic will be absorbed into the body naturally.

Depending on the progression of periodontitis, you may require more than one application of Arestin. At times, you may need up to three Arestin applications.

After the Placement of Arestin

You have to take precautions after the application of Arestin to ensure that you get the most out of the drug. You should avoid eating hard or crunchy food for seven days following the application of the medication. You should avoid chewing gum, chips, carrots, and other sticky foods. You should also avoid using toothpicks or dental floss in the treated area for up to ten days after treatment.

After the treatment for gum disease, through Arestin and SRP, you should continue exercising good oral hygiene. You should wait for twelve hours after treatment before brushing your teeth. You should also avoid touching the treated areas immediately after treatment.

It's normal for the first ten days after treatment to experience mild sensitivity in the treated areas. However, you should contact your patient if you have severe pain or signs of allergic reactions like itching and swelling. To promote efficacy, you should follow all the precautions given by your dentist after treatment. You should not floss or use tools that go between the teeth in the treated area. You may also have to follow some additional instructions depending on your dentist’s advice.

Periodontitis is a recurring illness. Therefore, even after Arestin treatment, you need to observe good oral hygiene to prevent the illness from recurring. You need to make regular dental visits to undergo check-ups and prevent the disorder from recurring.

The Side Effects of Arestin

You may experience certain side effects after undergoing Arestin treatment. You may experience non-dental side effects like soreness of the mouth, ulceration, headache, and infection. Some people also experience flu-like symptoms after the placement of Arestin. The most typical side effects include swelling on the gums, tooth pain, cavities, and tooth disorder. Even if it’s normal to experience mild side effects after using this medication, you should contact your doctor if you notice extreme side effects. You should inform your dentist or pharmacist if the side effects last long or get worse.

You should not receive Arestin if you are allergic to antibiotics tetracycline or minocycline. Any person who is allergic to these two classes of bacteria should never use Arestin. You should also not receive this antibiotic if you are pregnant or nursing a baby.

Arestin contains an antibiotic in the tetracycline class, minocycline. Tetracycline is not suitable for small children and pregnant women. Therefore, you should avoid this medication if you are nursing a child because the child may ingest the medication through breast milk. The use of tetracycline during the development stage could lead to permanent discoloration of the teeth. If you have any concerns regarding Arestin and pregnancy, you should seek counsel from your healthcare professional.

There are no studies on the interactions of Arestin with other medications. However, you should also disclose other details regarding your medical history before the application of Arestin. For instance, if you are on other medication for a different medical condition, you should inform the medical expert. You should not withhold any information on any medical conditions and health concerns that you may have. A physician who is familiar with your medical history can advise you on the best course of action.

Can you take penicillin before the placement of Arestin? There are no studies regarding the interactions of Arestin and penicillin. However, you should consult your dentist and your healthcare professional before consuming penicillin before dental treatment.

You can still receive Arestin even if you are allergic to gluten, red or yellow dye, or nuts. This is because Arestin does not contain nuts, red or yellow dye, and gluten.

Your dentist will only recommend this medication if he or she feels that medicine's benefits exceed the side effects. The majority of people who use Arestin do not have adverse side effects. You should inform your dentist immediately if you notice adverse side effects like jaw pain and jaw loosening.

It’s rare to get severe allergic reactions after consuming Arestin. However, you should seek immediate medical care if you notice signs of severe allergic reactions. Signs of severe allergic reactions include swelling, itching, rash, trouble breathing, and dizziness. You should be particularly concerned if you develop swelling and itching on the face, throat, or tongue.

It’s important to note that the outlined side effects do not represent the complete list of the possible side effects of Arestin. Therefore, you may notice some unique side effects other than the ones outlined above. You should contact your dentist immediately if you develop severe side effects.

Arestin Application and Dental Insurance

You don’t need to have dental insurance for you to get coverage for Arestin prescription. If you already have a dental insurance plan, you may ask your dentist whether the plan covers the Arestin application. Under certain circumstances, you may qualify for insurance coverage under your medical insurance plan.

You don't have to hassle to find out whether your medical insurance plan covers the application of Arestin. Most dental offices can handle all the paperwork for you to know if your medical plan covers Arestin. If your medical insurance provides coverage for Arestin, you won’t have to pay anything for the treatment. You should not give up if you don’t have any insurance coverage for Arestin. Instead, you should talk to your dental services provider to recommend other payment options.

Find a Northridge Dentist Near Me

If you have been struggling with chronic periodontitis for a long time, Arestin treatment can help alleviate the illness. Arestin helps to reach bacteria in areas that are hard to reach through SRP. Northridge Dentist provides effective treatment for gum disease. Contact us at 818-875-0216 and speak to one of our experts.

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