Systemic antibiotics in periodontal therapy. Friend or foe?

Systemic antibiotic therapy appears to be beneficial in resolving certain periodontal infections and associated disease. An important point to be stressed though is that antibiotic therapy should be based on a comprehensive microbiological analysis of the disease-associated microflora and related antibiotic susceptibilities, rather than used indiscriminately which may induce antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria and possible superinfection. Finally, systemic antibiotic therapy should never be used solely as a substitute for mechanical debridement with or without surgery but rather as a valuable adjunct in particular periodontal cases.