Antibiotics for gingivitis

introduction

With a pure gum inflammation, so a so-called Gingivitis, antibiotics are usually not prescribed.

Antibiotics are only useful for one Periodontal disease, i.e. an inflammation of the entire tooth support system. But not all periodontitis is supported by antibiosis. It is important to consider how great the benefit and how great the risk is with antibiotic therapy and whether it is accordingly worthwhile.

The goal of antibiotic treatment is to stop the receding gums caused by bacteria in the oral cavity and gum pockets. However, if this can be removed purely by mechanical removal of the dental plaque such as plaque, the risky and costly therapy is not required additionally.

When do i need an antibiotic?

The dentist decides whether and when to take an antibiotic in the case of periodontitis (= inflammation of the gum tissue, the gums, the surrounding bone and the fiber apparatus that hold the tooth). He carefully weighs the relationship between cost-benefit and risk-benefit. Patients with gingivitis or mild periodontitis do not need antibiotics as long as they are systemically (with regard to the whole body) healthy.

The indication for systemic antibiotic administration is indicated for aggressive periodontitis, which also occurs in adolescents. In the case of severe chronic periodontal disease, antibiotics are also used, as otherwise the chronic disease cannot be treated. If, despite good mechanical cleaning, there is no improvement but even more receding gums, the antibiotic helps.

Learn more about this at: Aggressive periodontal disease

In the case of abscesses that spread around the tooth bed and can lead to symptoms such as fever and swollen lymph nodes, antibiotics should help to heal as soon as possible. If the general condition is impaired by systemic diseases and the immune system is not strong enough to fight against periodontitis, only an antibiotic can support healing.

Read about it too: What helps with inflammation of the gums?

Which antibiotics are used?

There are basically two different mechanisms of action. One type of antibiotic works bacteriostatic, the other bactericidal.

• Bacteriostatic means that the bacteria are not killed directly, but are only prevented from multiplying.
• Bactericidal antibiotics break down the bacteria by loosening the cell wall or preventing its production.

From a chemical point of view, the types of antibiotics again differ in their structure. An important group are the so-called antibiotics ß-lactams. These are contained in penicillin, for example. They dissolve the bacteria directly, which is useful for inflammation of the gums. Especially with periodontitis, which should definitely be supported by antibiotic therapy, the bacteria should be killed immediately. If only their growth is stopped, the remaining bacteria can continue to cause damage. The inflammation cannot simply be treated like this. Most often, amoxicillin is used in combination with metronidazole. In patients with penicillin allergy, the active ingredient amoxicillin is replaced by ciproflaxacin. The antibiotics described above are administered systemically, usually in the form of tablets. In addition, local antibiosis, which are only applied to the hard and soft tissues in the mouth, makes sense.

Which is the best antibiotic?

There is no antibiotic that is a non plus ultra against periodontal disease. There are many different bacteria that cause gingivitis. Each bacterium has to be fought differently. That is why there are also different antibiotics. A microbiological analysis must therefore be carried out before selecting the appropriate antibiotic. Amoxicillin is very common because it works against the most common bacterial strain, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. But it has no effect on other bacterial strains. That is why you combine different active ingredients with each other. An effective combination preparation is amoxicillin in connection with metronidazole. However, there are many other antibiotics that are very similar in their basic features, but are tailored to specific germs.

Rash after antibiotic

A rash is primarily a sign of a defensive reaction in the body. Mostly there is no allergy to the active ingredient itself, but rather an intolerance to an additive such as Preservatives, Flavorings or colors.

Often skin rashes are noted when taking ampicillin, a penicillin. Up to 10% of all patients react to this antibiotic. The extent of the rash varies widely. Sometimes it only affects a small area, otherwise it can extend over the entire body. A real allergy occurs after a week at the earliest.

If you are affected, you should stop taking the antibiotic and inform the dentist so that they can look at the rash and, if necessary, prescribe another antibiotic.

You might also be interested in: Ointment for inflammation of the gums

How long do i need the antibiotic?

The duration of intake varies depending on the severity of the periodontal disease. In addition, the different antibiotics with different active ingredients differ in their duration of intake. The most common duration of intake is one week. The dosage varies per day. There are drugs that are taken in the morning, at noon and in the evening with meals, or there are tablets that are only taken once a day.

For example, Ciproflaxin 250 is taken twice a day for 10 days. Tetracycline 250 is taken over 21 days due to its low active ingredient content. It therefore depends on which bacterial strains are fought by which active ingredient. The duration of the intake then depends on this.

It is very important to take the antibiotic as directed by the dentist or pharmacistin order not to commit treatment errors and thus to breed resistant bacterial strains.

What to do if the gingivitis doesn't get better despite an antibiotic?

If the chosen antibiotic does not work, you should consider switching to another active ingredient. A microbiological test should be done to determine the bacteria responsible for the inflammation of the gums. Depending on the result, the appropriate antibiotic should be selected and the antibiotic therapy should be started again. If these measures do not help, oral hygiene and dental care must be carried out more consistently. In addition, the checks at the dentist should take place at shorter intervals.

Please also read:

• Home remedies for gum inflammation
• Duration of a gingivitis

Antibiotic in pregnancy

In general, all major dental treatments should be done before or after pregnancy. Since gingivitis is not an acute disease, but lasts for a long time before pregnancy, there is usually no indication for accompanying antibiotic therapy. The hormone changes often lead to gum problems, but these regress again after the birth. However, if aggressive bacteria are responsible for the inflammation, they must be fought.

Antibiotics from the groups of Penicillins, Cephalosporins and Marrolide-Antibiotics are recommended during pregnancy as they have no germ-damaging effects.

Find out more at: Antibiotics in Pregnancy