Q: Is there a medicine, whether prescription or over-the-counter, which effectively treats gum disease?
A: There’s no magic bullet. We rarely use low-dose antibiotics which can be taken long-term, such as Doxycycline. However, I am not a big advocate of long-term antibiotic usage. A short-term regimen is indicated for some patients. Laser treatment has replaced the use of long term antibiotics. Long term antibiotics can allow resistant strains of the bacteria to develop which will render antibiotics ineffective if needed for other future medical uses in your lifetime.
