Are chemical agents used in treating periodontal disease?
A variety of chemotherapeutic agents are available to help control the infection in the gums around the teeth. These currently include Peridex, Periostat, Atridox, PerioChip and the use of systemic antibiotics. The nature of your problem and how you respond to treatment will help determine when it is appropriate to include these tools. What is recession? Gum recession occurs when the gum tissue moves away from the neck of the tooth exposing the root surface of the tooth. The exposed root surface can be unsightly, have increased sensitivity and be more susceptible to decay. If the gum continues to recede, the tooth becomes more difficult to clean and the susceptibility to sensitivity and decay increases. Recession most often occurs as the result of an underlying anatomical problem, and is generally not the result of disease. There are two kinds of gum tissue over a tooth a firm pink tissue at the margin of the gum (gingiva) and a looser redder tissue which extends into the cheek and lip
