ARESTIN and Deep Cleaning: How They Work Together to Treat Gum Disease

Deep cleaning and ARESTIN are a team. We scrape out the plaque and tartar first, then the ARESTIN goes after whatever germs the scraping couldn’t touch. That’s what gives your gums a fair shot at healing.

Bleeding when you brush? You’re far from the only one. Plenty of folks we see at Summit Family Dentistry have shrugged that off for months. Maybe years.

At our office, a dentist in Littleton, CO spots early gum trouble almost every week, and the good news is it’s very treatable. So here’s how it all works, explained the way we’d tell you if you were sitting in our chair. 

Why Deep Cleaning Comes First

Gum disease begins with plaque and tartar stacking up along the gumline, and then under it. Gums start backing away from the teeth. Little gaps open up. We call them pockets, and bacteria move right in.

A deep cleaning (scaling and root planing, if you want the fancy name) clears that gunk from below the gumline and smooths down the roots so your gums can grab on again. Honestly, everything after this depends on it. Skip it and nothing that follows works very well.

But here’s the catch. Even a careful cleaning can’t reach every last germ, especially in the deepest pockets where our instruments simply don’t fit. 

Where ARESTIN Steps In

This is where ARESTIN treatment in Littleton comes in. ARESTIN is a tiny antibiotic powder, made of minocycline packed into microscopic beads, and we place it right into the infected pockets after your cleaning. No pills. Nothing to swallow.

The medicine stays put right where the infection is, and it keeps working for roughly three weeks as the tiny beads melt away. A pill is different. It has to travel all through your body before it gets anywhere near your gums. Most patients tell us placement is quick and they hardly feel it. No needles. No cutting. 

How the Two Treatments Team Up

Picture scrubbing a muddy floor. The deep cleaning is the scrubbing. ARESTIN is the disinfectant you wipe over it afterward so the germs don’t just move back in.

That’s why ARESTIN treatment in Littleton tends to work better alongside a cleaning than a cleaning does by itself. Pockets usually get shallower, and shallow pockets are far easier for you to keep clean at home.

Here’s what we like about the combination:

●  It’s gentle.

●  The medicine goes only where it’s needed, so you skip the stomach upset that can come with antibiotic pills.

●  It helps protect the bone holding your teeth in place, and once that bone is gone, it doesn’t grow back on its own. 

Who Might Need ARESTIN Treatment Near You?

Not everybody does. We decide after measuring your pockets with a small probe during your exam, and a dentist near you can do that in just a few minutes. Pockets of 4mm or deeper are the usual sign that a little extra help could be useful.

You might be a candidate too if you notice:

● Gums that bleed or feel puffy when you brush or floss.

● Bad breath that mouthwash can’t fix.

● Teeth that feel a bit loose.

●  Gum trouble that keeps coming back even though you get regular cleanings, which is more common than you’d think.

If any of that sounds familiar, don’t panic. A trusted dentist in Littleton, CO can check it out in a single visit. 

What to Expect on Treatment Day

Lots of people asking about ARESTIN treatment near you worry it’ll hurt. It really doesn’t. We numb the area if you need it, then do the deep cleaning, usually one section of your mouth at a time. Right after, we place the ARESTIN. That part takes a few minutes.

You can usually head back to your day. We’ll ask you to skip flossing around the treated spots for about ten days, and to avoid hard, crunchy, or sticky foods for roughly a week, so the powder stays put and does its job. Brush gently as usual. We’ll go over all of it with you, and we’re always a phone call away if something feels off.

Then we’ll see you again to measure how the pockets are healing. 

Keeping Gum Disease From Coming Back

Treatment is only half of it. Home care is the other half. Brush twice a day. Clean between your teeth every day. And keep your appointments, even when life gets crazy. Many patients need cleanings every three or four months for a while. That gives us a chance to catch any new trouble before it grows into something bigger.

Having a dentist near you who knows your history makes that so much easier, because we notice how your gums change over time, and we’d always rather fix a small problem than a big one. 

Ready to Get Your Gums Back on Track?

You don’t have to live with bleeding gums or lie awake worrying about loose teeth. Gum disease is common; it’s nothing to be embarrassed about, and the sooner we look, the simpler the fix tends to be.

If you’ve been searching for ARESTIN treatment near you, we’d love to help at Summit Family Dentistry. Whether you need a dentist near you for a first gum check or a dentist in Littleton, CO who explains things without the jargon, we’re here. Book a visit, and we’ll take it from there.