Can’t I just take antibiotics to cure the problem?

Antibiotics can be used to assist in treatment of periodontal disease.

However, there’s a major problem with gum disease:

1. The majority of the bacteria causing the problem are stuck in a plaque ‘biofilm’ layer on the surfaces of your teeth or within gum pockets.
2. Antibiotics taken by mouth (which are then absorbed into your blood stream) simply can’t reach these bacteria to attack them and solve the problem alone.

Besides, there are so many different types of bacteria responsible for the problem (and their exact proportions in the mini-ecosystem of your unique gum pockets) so it is asking a lot for one antibiotic to be a magic pill.

If the dental office you visit recommends antibiotics these are usually prescribed alongside the treatment visit(s).