For Dr. Debra Ferraiolo, a cosmetic dentist in private practice in Totowa, NJ, one of the most important parts of her job is listening to her patients’ concerns and making sure they are truly comfortable during treatment.
“My approach to treatment is to make my patients feel like guests while introducing them to the exciting and innovative aspects of 21st-century dentistry. Because I practice preventive dentistry, the goal is preventing gum disease and cavities before they happen, whenever possible,” said Dr. Ferraiolo.
To get patients to understand the consequences of not fully treating their periodontal infection, Dr. Ferraiolo has a full, in-detail conversation with patients in which she discusses the oral-systemic link and the impact of untreated periodontal disease. This discussion is the first part of her oral maintenance program.
“Oral maintenance visits (recare) in my office include subgingival debridement. We also perform SRP when needed, together with ARESTIN,” said Dr. Ferraiolo. “We also use ARESTIN for recare patients who may have select sites with pocketing and bleeding as well as emergency visits involving periodontal absess.”
As an early user of some of the early subgingival antibiotics, she was a bit skeptical about further use of such products, as she said they were not user-friendly for placement and she didn't see great results. The use of ARESTIN in her practice over time has changed that view.
“Every patient is different, but I do feel that after 30 years of practice, ARESTIN is a very worthy adjunct to SRP,” added Ferraiolo.