New Clinical Study Demonstrates ARESTIN Decreases Certain Periodontitis Pathogens

A clinical study conducted by researchers from the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry demonstrated that ARESTIN^®, an FDA-approved antibiotic from OraPharma, was able to decrease certain key pathogens in periodontal disease. In the study, there were 2 groups of trial users comprising 70 people total. Clinicians applied ARESTIN (minocycline HCI) microspheres 1mg after scaling and root planning (SRP) to 1 group and SRP alone to the other group. Patients receiving ARESTIN, received it right after the SRP procedure, after 1 month, after 3 months, and finally after 6 months. The study showed minocycline application immediately after the SRP and 3-months later, decreased key pathogens, according to the study.

“Dental practices need to think about periodontal disease and the role of keystone pathogens that originate in the mouth, can travel, and may be associated with other systemic outcomes such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” Richard Nagelberg, DDS, Director of Medical Affairs at study sponsor Basuch Health, says. “This study represents an important path forward in helping to manage periodontal disease and we hope it encourages further research in the area of periodontal disease progression and how it may relate to the oral-systemic connection.”

The study, titled “Effect of Scaling and Root Planing With and Without Minocycline HCI Microspheres on Periodontal Pathogens and Clinical Outcomes: A Randomized Clinical Trial,” revealed that 6 periodontal pathogens were recorded to have a statistically significant decrease with SRP followed by ARESTIN/minocycline HCI. It may also have contributed to improvements in probing depth, clinical attachment loss, bleeding on probing, and gingival index.

Saliva and clinical outcomes were collected from the 2 groups before SRP and all following evaluations, though limitations were present. Participants in the study were predominantly from the midwestern region of the United States, Caucasian, and over the age of 50 years old. This does not represent the general population of people suffering from periodontitis. This study was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Advancing Translational Science. It was published in the Journal of Periodontology.