Arestin treatment in periodontics for gum disease

Today, I observed the periodontist in the evening. The Arestin treatment that was done in that visit was a new learning experience for me because in perio classes in NYUCD we have been taught the various treatment regiments but I have never seen anything outside of scaling and root planning. It was interesting to watch antibiotics being administered directly into the area of the infection. In school many times I have been told by faculty to use hydrogen peroxide while doing an SRP to inhibit the growth of anaerobic bacteria in the area of PDL; that is because while doing an SRP gets rid of plaque and calculus, many of the bacterial populations remain unaffected. By administering antibiotics directly at the site of aggravation we are addressing the problem where it starts as oppose to just eliminating the result of the problem.

H.A., New York University College of Dentistry, Patient 4

Categorised in: Dental Student Experiences

This post was written by Interns