Gum disease—also known as periodontal disease—is a bacterial infection that can, over time, harm the gums and bone that support your teeth. With timely treatment and good at-home care, you and your dental professional can fight the infection, allowing your gums to heal, get stronger, and hold your teeth more securely.

If gum infection is not treated, the gums can begin to pull back, creating pockets of diseased tissue between the teeth and gums. As a pocket deepens, the tooth can become less supported, and bacteria can spread even deeper.

Gum disease is associated with gum pockets, which form when gum tissue begins to pull away from teeth. A gum pocket of 4 mm or more may signal gum disease. Pockets tend to get deeper and more numerous as gum disease worsens, putting teeth at risk.

• Scaling teeth involves manually removing plaque and tartar from the teeth and their roots.
• Planing smoothes out rough spots on the roots where bacteria can gather.

SRP is a widely used treatment for gum disease.

SRP is highly effective. But even the best hygienists and dentists can only do so much, since dental instruments cannot always go deep enough to reach every point of infection.

That’s why many dentists now combine SRP with an antibiotic that’s applied directly at the site of infection like ARESTIN (minocycline HCl) Microspheres, 1 mg.

In fact, ARESTIN + SRP is proven to deliver better results than SRP alone.

There are many factors that can put someone at risk for gum disease. An important one is poor oral hygiene, which may allow bacterial plaque to build up. Other risk factors include family history, diabetes, smoking, certain prescription medicines, stress, pregnancy, diseases affecting the immune system, and tooth alignment irregularities that may lead to food impaction.

Gum disease may be associated with increased risk for other chronic conditions throughout the body such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. These diseases may also lead to higher risk of gum disease.

That is why it's important to speak with your dentist about gum disease and how they can help with your overall oral health care plan.

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ARESTIN is an antibiotic a dental professional places directly into infected gum pockets after a scaling and root planing (SRP) procedure. ARESTIN is also approved for use during the periodontal maintenance appointment. ARESTIN + SRP fights harmful bacteria deeper—and longer—than SRP alone. See how ARESTIN works.

ARESTIN microspheres are tiny particles that contain an antibiotic. They release the antibiotic gradually to fight bacteria in the gums over time.

Unlike oral antibiotics for gum infection, ARESTIN is locally applied, delivering the antibiotic right where you need it, at the site of the gum infection.

After performing a scaling and root planing (SRP) procedure, a dental professional places ARESTIN directly into the gum pocket. Because it starts as a fine powder, ARESTIN can reach the base of the pocket, targeting bacteria that SRP alone may not reach. See how ARESTIN works

Studies have proven that ARESTIN + scaling and root planing (SRP) is more effective in reducing pocket depth than SRP alone. Learn about ARESTIN effectiveness

In a clinical study, smokers treated with ARESTIN + scaling and root planing (SRP) showed a 29% reduction in gum pocket depth vs SRP alone.

In the clinical studies, dental professionals assessed how many patients’ deep pockets (5 mm or deeper) improved when given Arestin plus SRP versus a placebo plus SRP. It was found that patients who received Arestin plus SRP had a greater improvement of their gum disease than those who received placebo plus SRP. There was an analysis from the two studies done on smokers compared to nonsmokers. The analysis found that nonsmokers had better improvement than smokers, but the smokers had a greater improvement over the placebo and SRP alone.

ARESTIN is applied to infected pockets in the gums immediately after a scaling and root planing (SRP) has been completed. Your dental professional may apply ARESTIN during the same visit as your SRP or during a follow-up visit.

Placement of ARESTIN is easy and does not require needles or anesthesia.

Placing ARESTIN in the gums takes 1-2 minutes in most cases.

No. ARESTIN does not require bandages and will not fall out.

No. ARESTIN is naturally absorbed into the gums, leaving nothing that needs to be removed.

For 7 days after treatment, do not eat hard, crunchy, or sticky foods (eg, carrots, chips, and gum). For 10 days after treatment, do not use floss or a dental pick in the treated areas. Your dental professional may have additional instructions.

Patients treated with ARESTIN may experience side effects. In clinical studies, the non-dental side effects that impacted more than 5% of patients included headache, infection, ulceration and soreness of the mouth, and flu-like symptoms. The most common side effects related to the mouth were swelling of the gums, tooth disorder, cavities, and tooth pain.

No. ARESTIN should not be used in any patient who has a known allergy or sensitivity to minocycline or the tetracycline class of antibiotics.

No. ARESTIN contains minocycline, an antibiotic in the tetracycline class. Tetracyclines should not be used by pregnant or nursing women or by children. The use of tetracyclines during development may result in permanent discoloration of the teeth. Talk to your healthcare professional if you have questions about ARESTIN and pregnancy.

An interaction with ARESTIN and penicillin has not been studied. Consult your physician and dental professional about any health concerns you may have. They will be the most familiar with you and your personal medical history.

Yes, ARESTIN does not contain any gluten, red or yellow dye, nuts, or nut byproducts.

No. If you already have dental insurance, ask your dental office or plan if there is coverage. But you may qualify for coverage under your medical insurance plan's prescription benefits.

There’s very little you need to do. Your dental office handles the paperwork to find out if your medical plan may cover ARESTIN. If your medical insurance does provide coverage for ARESTIN, you may be eligible for a copay as low as $0.* Learn about saving on ARESTIN

Talk with your dental office; they may suggest payment options you are not aware of.