Periodontitis is the form of gum disease (periodontal disease) in which bacteria have infected the tissues below the gums and may have invaded the bone tissue as well. Over-the-counter medicines are not very helpful in treating this condition.
If you had gingivitis (gum inflammation) and have been told that it has progressed to periodontitis, your dentist may suggest a prescription medicine. As a first step, your dentist may prescribe a prescription mouthwash called chlorhexidine. He or she may also try one of several techniques after doing deep-cleaning procedures. One option is an antibiotic gel that is placed in the gum pockets (the areas of gum tissue that have been pulled away from the teeth). Another medicine is antibiotic microspheres. Like the gel, they are placed in the pockets to reduce the bacteria and help make the pockets smaller. A drug called doxycycline suppresses the amount of enzymes your body produces that can destroy gum tissue. Oral antibiotics are drugs that you take by mouth to treat a bacterial infection. Your dentist may prescribe this as a temporary treatment of periodontal infection.
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