LOCALIZED DELIVERY AND LOW DOSAGE ANTIBIOTIC USE

It has been difficult to reach high enough levels of antibiotic by pill or injection to kill most periodontal microbes without undesirable side effects. Now there are prescription anti-microbial rinses and special antibiotic gels that can be very useful. The gels are placed under the gum around only those teeth needing treatment. This produces a very high level of medicine for the area but an extremely low dose for the rest of the body, nearly eliminating the risk of side effects.

Low dosage treatment takes advantage of a curious feature of antibiotics. Some can fight the breakdown of gum and bone caused by periodontal microbes before reaching the dosage level required to kill the same microbes. The enzymes causing the bone breakdown are controlled. This allows long term use of the pills without the side effects seen at the higher dosages.

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