Arestin® Treatment

An effective antibiotic treatment to safely treat periodontal gum disease.

Need Help For Your Inflamed Gums in Orange County? How Arestin® Can Help.

At Dental Oasis of Orange County, Brian Toorani, DDS and his team are set on providing the best methods for improving and maintaining dental hygiene. As a graduate of the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry, Dr. Toorani recognizes that dental health is integral to a healthy lifestyle. So if you fall victim to gum disease, the Dental Oasis is here to help.

Is Gum Disease Really an Issue to Worry About?

Periodontal (gum) disease is no joke. In the most severe cases–known as periodontitis–it can result in tooth loss. In fact, you may actually have the early symptoms of gum disease and just ignore them if they don’t cause you any pain, like receding or bright red gums.

If you’ve already been diagnosed with gingivitis, again, you may think that it is no big deal and just an annoyance since the symptoms are usually milder, ranging from things like bad breath, swollen gums, or tenderness while flossing.

However, gum disease can develop painful symptoms, like pus-filled gums or loose teeth if it is not taken care of.

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Arestin® Treatment in Huntington Beach, CA

What Are the Real Issues of Tooth Loss?

Although tooth loss can be remedied with dentures, implants, and the like, you could save yourself some money if you take care of the problem early on. Plus, tooth loss isn’t only a cosmetic concern, it can have some functional repercussions as well. According to an article at Dear Doctor, your natural teeth stimulate the alveolar bone (the bone on your jaws that have tooth sockets), thus causing it to continually repair itself.

Without your natural teeth, Dear Doctor says that the bone can decrease its thickness by as much as twenty-five percent in the first year without natural teeth. Loss of bone density and functionality means that it will be difficult for you to chew and in some cases, even speak.

In short, to avoid the detrimental effects of tooth loss, you may want to reevaluate your dental hygiene habits if you have gum disease or are at risk. Thankfully, Dr. Toorani and his team have the perfect tool to combat gum disease: Arestin®.

What Is Arestin® Exactly?

Arestin® is an FDA-approved antibiotic that is administered directly to the pockets above and below your gum line. This medication is made up of thousands of tiny spheres that contain the antibiotic minocycline hydrochloride. The antibiotic is released over time, killing bacteria that lingers in your gums, which is significantly more effective than taking a pill.

Do a little research, and you will find many studies that can back up the effectiveness with Arestin® in helping gum disease. For example, the National Center for Biotechnology Information reported a study that found that gum pockets had greater reductions in probing depths when patients took Arestin® along with the usual periodontal treatments (example: deep dental cleaning and crown lengthening). If you aren’t quite sure what probing depths are, think back to your last dental check-up. The hygienist may have inserted in an instrument (the dental probe) into your gums and stated a number like 2 millimeters or 3 millimeters. These numbers measure the spaces between your teeth and gums. If gum tissues become too detached (usually four millimeters or more), then these pockets are too deep and prone to developing gum diseases.

Besides helping those with gum disease, Arestin® can also help those with peri-implantitis. This condition causes lesions to develop around dental implants.

However, like gum disease, Arestin® can reduce swelling and bacteria in patients with peri-implantitis.

If I Want to Take Arestin®, What Does the Process Involve?

During the procedure, your dentist will clean all of the plaque build-up and rough areas at the tooth roots with scaling and root planing (SRP). In fact, if you get SRP at the Dental Oasis in Huntington Beach, CA, you’re in luck: the offices use built-in ultra-sonic scalers to make the experience more efficient. These ultra-sonic, or Piezoelectric, scalers come with a variety of tips and are easier to handle in hard-to-reach areas of the mouth, thus making your visit more comfortable and more productive.

Once your dentist is done with the SRP, he will place powdery microspheres of Arestin® into the affected, inflamed areas. While SRP can cause some patients discomfort, the application of Arestin® is completely painless! In fact, the National Center for Biotechnology Information says that SRP provides more benefits when it also has locally-administered Arestin

After the procedure, it is up to you to maintain appropriate dental hygiene while your gums heal. SRP may only take one visit, but more serious cases may require more than one visit along with local anesthetic. After the procedure, the dentist will likely want you to come in while you heal to make sure that the pockets in your gums aren?t becoming deeper.

How ARESTIN® Periodontal Antibiotic Therapy Works

Are There Any Side Effects or Contraindications I Should Be Aware Of?

As previously mentioned, Arestin® is a completely painless when it’s administered during SRP. However, like any medication, there are some side effects and contraindications that you should be aware of. Arestin® may cause mild symptoms, like headaches or flu-like symptoms. While the drug is safe for most people, if you are really allergic to certain antibiotics, like tetracycline for acne, you could have a bad reaction with Arestin®.

It’s best to be up-front with both your doctor and dentist so they can monitor your side effects and dosage. Those with autoimmune issues may also not be the best candidates for these drugs, and again, it’s best to be open with your dentist about these issues. Lastly, pregnant or nursing women shouldn’t take Arestin® since it can stain and discolor a baby’s teeth.

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As you can see, the side effects are relatively mild compared to other drugs on the market; and, there aren’t too many contraindications.

So if you have any questions about what Arestin® combined with SRP can do for you, or if you’d like to request an appointment, call (714) 894-7700 or visit the Dental Oasis of Orange County. We have many amenities and a welcoming staff to help you make your gum disease treatments as comfortable as possible!

Dental Oasis Of Orange County is located at 7777 Edinger Ave #232, Huntington Beach, CA 92647