Non-Surgical Gum Treatment

We now have introduced two new medications to treat certain cases of gum disease without surgery ! An estimated 50 million adults have periodontal disease (gum disease) which is a painless, silent leading cause of tooth loss and bad breath. It has also been linked to several systemic diseases and can aggravate common medical problems such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, and other disorders. It is important to treat the disease when it is detected. Usually, gum surgery is needed to treat advanced cases of periodontal disease, but often mild and moderate cases can be treated successfully with a painless procedure called root planing and curettage plus the use of one of these medications. A choice of two new medications can now be used in selected cases and even in some isolated cases where surgery had not been successful in one or two areas (refractory periodontitis).

The first medication, Arrestin , is a special low dose gel form of the antibiotic called Doxycycline. This medication is used in conjunction with the non-surgical gum treatment of root planing and curettage, which is as painless as a dental cleaning, but different. During the root planing procedure, Arrestin is placed in the cleaned out periodontal pocket area between the teeth, where it solidifies into a gel. This gel slowly releases the medication and dissolves over the next seven days. It self absorbs and does not need to be removed later. One treatment of Arrestin can be used in multiple problem areas in one appointment. According to research studies, there is an average increase in attached gum tissue of almost 1millimeter and a pocket depth reduction of 1.2 millimeters. It has been determined as an effective treatment by the Federal Drug Administration.

The second medication, called PerioChip , is used in the same way as Arrestin , but is more practical in one or two isolated areas. It works in similar fashion but is an antibacterial agent instead of an antibiotic. Both Arrestin and PerioChip work by preventing bacterial enzymes from forming, thus disrupting the growth of gum disease bacteria and allowing the gums to recover from the gum infection. These exciting new treatments are totally painless and in many cases may eliminate the need for gum surgery. They are available in our office now and we will be glad to discuss it with you.