Antibiotic Therapies

Periodontal disease is primarily a bacterial infection in the mouth. As a result antibiotic therapies can be used to assist in the treatment of the disease process.

The effects of antibiotics are short-lived and do not cure the disease. Most commonly they are prescribed in conjunction with non-surgical therapy such as scaling and root planing. We have the option to provide an oral antibiotic taken several times a day for a short period, or a local delivery antibiotic that can be placed directly into a periodontal pocket.

The use of antibiotics is case selective and to avoid resistance, they are not prescribed for all patients.

Alternatively, antibiotics can be used to treat acute infections such as a gum abscess or after certain surgical procedures to reduce the risk of infection.