Arestin®
What is Arestin®?
Arestin® is a prescription
product approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). It is an
effective antibiotic used to treat periodontal (gum) disease.
The antibiotic comes in powder form and is placed inside infected
periodontal pockets after a deep cleaning procedure.
How does Arestin® work?
Deep cleaning is effective at removing plaque buildup, but it
doesn't eliminate all the bacteria that cause gum disease. The
instruments used to perform a deep cleaning cannot always reach the
bacteria that reside at the bottom of deep or difficult-to-reach
periodontal pockets. When necessary, a dental professional may use
Arestin® in combination with
deep cleaning to kill off all of the harmful bacteria.
Arestin® powder contains "Microspheres",
which are tiny, bead-like particles that are smaller than grains of
sand and are not visible to the eye. The Microspheres are filled with
the antibiotic minocycline (a broad-spectrum, tetracycline
antibiotic). As the Microspheres dissolve over time, they release the
drug into the infected periodontal pocket, killing bacteria that live
there. Arestin® continues to
fight the infection for up to 21 days after application.
Post-Treatment Care Instructions
To achieve the best results after treatment, you should follow the
instructions provided by your dental professional and the guidelines
below.
- Avoid touching treated areas
- Avoid eating hard, crunchy, or sticky foods for 1 week
- Resume your normal brushing routine 12 hours after treatment
- Wait 10 days before using floss, toothpicks, or other devices
designed to clean between teeth
- Resume practice of good oral hygiene by brushing at least twice
a day and flossing daily
- Be sure to return for your follow-up appointments, since gum
disease can recur and needs to be checked regularly
Information for this
article provided by:
www.arestin.com (Arestin®
is a product of OraPharma, Inc.) |
