“We’re…conservative and aggressive.” That’s how Dr. Abraham Jaskiel describes his practice’s routine oral maintenance program. That may sound like a contradiction in terms, but when he elaborated, it made perfect sense. Think of it this way: Dr. Jaskiel and his team aggressively pursue minimally invasive dentistry in the beginning to avoid bigger problems later.
“Rather than looking for massive amounts of calculus or very big pockets, we look for signs of bacteria above and below the gum line,” says Dr. Jaskiel. Most of his patients are on a 3-month recall with scaling and root planing every 2 years.
Another area where Dr. Jaskiel takes an aggressively conservative approach is in his use of the locally applied antibiotic ARESTIN. “I use it quite often,” says Dr. Jaskiel. “I know exactly where in the mouth it’s going to help the most.” In fact, he goes a bit outside of the manufacturer’s protocol; rather than only placing it in pockets > 5 mm, he strategically places it when he sees a lot of inflammation.
“I’ve had very good results with ARESTIN over the years,” says Dr. Jaskiel. “I use it before big cases, such as a crown or bridge.” In cases where the patient is bleeding and has a lot of calculus, Dr. Jaskiel scales and places ARESTIN. “By the next week,” says Dr. Jaskiel, “[the patient] has no bleeding. None.” And now Dr. Jaskiel can proceed with impressions and the restoration.
Dr. Jaskiel especially appreciates that ARESTIN is placed locally. “It really doesn’t affect the flora of the gut or the flora of the mouth,” explains Dr. Jaskiel. “It’s very specific.”
With this aggressively conservative approach to dental care, Dr. Jaskiel can stay ahead of periodontal disease and keep his treatment as minimally invasive as possible.