If you suffer from gum disease and do not like the idea of having to take oral antibiotics to help treat this common problem, then you will be happy to hear that dentists now have many topical gum disease treatments that can help kill the bacteria that causes periodontitis without the need for oral antibiotics. While one of these topical bacteria-killers is a treatment you use at home on a regular basis, your dentist can apply the other during an office visit for longer-lasting periodontitis control with less hassle at home.
Read on to learn more about these topical dental bacteria killers and how they work.
1. Antimicrobial Mouth Rinse
One prescription, topical bacteria-killer your dentist can prescribe to help control or even eliminate your gum disease is chlorohexidine gluconate mouth rinse. Chlorohexidine is a potent antimicrobial that kills several types of bacteria in your mouth, including those that cause gum disease symptoms.
Typically, a dentist will advise a patient suffering from gum disease to gargle with about 1/2 oz. of this antimicrobial mouth rinse for about 30 second twice a day until gum disease symptoms are under control or eliminated. Gum disease symptoms this mouth rinse has been shown to reduce include gum bleeding, swelling, and inflammation.
Unfortunately, while this mouth rinse is a good treatment for gingivitis, which is a form of mild gum disease, chlorohexidine gluconate rinses may not help, or can even worsen, symptoms of a more severe gum disease called periodontitis.
2. Locally Applied Topical Antibiotic
A better bacteria-killing treatment for more advanced gum disease is a locally applied dental antibiotic called minocycline. This antibiotic is available in both ointment and powder form. Unlike chlorohexidine rinse, this topical antibiotic is not applied at home. Instead, a dentist uses special device to insert this topical antibiotic powder or ointment into the pockets between gums and teeth that typically accompany periodontitis.
Dentists often perform a procedure called root scaling that removes much of the plaque and bacteria that has built up inside of gum pockets before inserting this antibiotic into the pockets. For ten days after application, you must avoid any habits that can remove this powder or ointment, such as eating hard or sticky foods and flossing teeth.
While some people battling periodontitis only need one topical minocycline treatment, others need up to three treatments; these treatments are provided about every three months until a dentist sees a great improvement in periodontitis symptoms.
If you suffer from gum disease, yet do not want to take oral antibiotics that tend to upset your stomach or cause other unwanted side effects to help eliminate it, then realize that dentists have many topical antibacterial treatments they can use to help eliminate gum disease, including both antimicrobial rinses and locally applied dental antibiotics.
For more information about locally applied antibiotic dental treatment, speak with a dentist in your area.