Arestin is an antibiotic treatment used for patients with type II (5-7mm pocket depths) periodontal involvement. Arestin consists of 1mg of minocycline and is an adjunct to scaling and root planing procedures. The arestin powder is inserted into a clean pocket, free of biofilm and gets bio-absorbed. Research has shown that it is effective in reducing atleast 1-2mm pockets depths.
On March 15th 2019, I had a 32 year old male patient who was a generalized periodontal type II, with moderate bleeding upon probing and inflammation. I adminstered arestin at 8 pocket sites, being distal and mesial of teeth #2, 3, 5, 14, 15, 28, 29, 30, and 31. Below is a picture of probing depths recorded for tooth #5 prior to treatment and after treatment. There was a 2mm pocket reduction at evaluation 5 weeks after administration.
Pre-Treatment at #5 Mesial (5mm pocket depth) note: bleeding is present
Post-Treatment at #5 Mesial (3mm pocket depth) note: no bleeding present
