The initial treatment of periodontal disease is a thorough, deep (below the gum line and along the roots of the teeth) cleaning called scaling or root planing. The objective of this non-surgical procedures is to remove etiologic agents, such as dental plaque and tartar (aka dental calculus), which cause gingival inflammation, bone loss as well as a complications of overall health issues; i.e.: heart disease, diabetes, respiratory illness etc. This is commonly performed on cases of early to advanced periodontal disease.

Antibiotics (ARESTIN® minocycline hydrochloride) is a site specific, localized antibiotic that is placed in the periodontal pocket to help kill the bacteria that causes periodontal disease.  OraCare mouth rinse may be recommended to help control the growth of bacteria that create toxins and cause periodontitis. This is done to control infection and to encourage normal healing.

Once a patient has had scaling and root planing it is recommended by the American Academy of Periodontology that the patient be placed on a “periodontal maintenance” regimen of more frequent recalls, generally every 3-4 months to maintain and monitor the periodontal condition.