That Fights Periodontal Disease People who suffer from periodontitis can now take a pill to help them fight the disease. CollaGenex Pharmaceuticals' Periostat is new way to treat gum disease. Mouthrinses containing chlorhexidine and antibiotics placed in the periodontal pockets are used to attack bacteria. Periostat suppresses an enzyme called collagenase that is found in inflamed gums.
Collagenase literally breaks down the gums and eventually the bone that hold the teeth in place.
CollaGenex announced the Food and Drug Administration's approval saying the prescription-only pill is now in pharmacies. It is estimated half of Americans have gingivitis, inflammation of the gums that is often stopped by proper brushing and flossing. At least 20 million Americans have had the problem advance to the stage of periodontitis where the bone that supports the teeth begins to deteriorate. Dr. Lorne Golub of SUNY's Stoney Brook campus was studying why diabetics have higher rates of gum disease. He discovered that spraying antibiotics onto the gums of rats didn't just attack bacteria, it also suppressed the enzyme collagenase.