Antimicrobial Therapy

Periodontal disease is a serious infection under your gumline.  In certain instances it is necessary to use slow releasing antimicrobial medication(s) to suppress or reduce levels of  pathogenic bacteria.  These medications are placed into periodontal pockets so that they can remain at the intended site in a therapeutic concentration for a sufficient length of time.

At other times, determining the exact bacteria involved is useful to establish the proper treatment protocol and whether or not systemic antimicrobials and antibiotics are needed.  To do this,  we utilize a bacterial culturing technique that allows us to sample the pathogens from our patient’s periodontal pockets and perform a culture and sensitivity analysis.  This information is then used to make appropriate antibiotic recommendations.