Microbiology Terminology

Posted on March 24, 2023March 22, 2023 by Kimberly Babauta, RDH, BS, BCPA

MyPerioPath® is a laboratory test that screens an oral rinse specimen collection for specific bacteria known to cause periodontal disease. Bacteria are often described using their scientific name, by categorizing as gram-negative or gram-positive, and by identifying their shape. These descriptors provide us with useful information about each bacterium. For example, it is plausible that motile bacteria are more resistant to localized treatment due to their ability to move away from areas whe...

Getting to the Root Cause: OralDNA® Testing and Natural Products that Help

Posted on March 17, 2023March 15, 2023 by Heather Paul CBDH CRDH

As a practicing dental hygienist for over 25 years, I’ve been asked countless times what causes gum disease and what are the best products to use that actually help. This is a fantastic question, and I am so happy that technology has advanced enough to give patients a full understanding of the root cause of periodontal disease. We now know that there are primarily 11 microbes that cause periodontal disease. Knowing which bugs are present allows me to come up with an individualized oral care ...

How Do You Speak Testing? With Kim Ramos RDH & Ali Carr RDH

Posted on March 10, 2023March 8, 2023 by Kim Ramos RDH - Ali Carr RDH

Patient Bio: Your new female 39-year-old patient hasn’t been seen by a dentist since 2020. She was recently diagnosed as pre-diabetic with elevated blood pressure. With her medical doctor’s approval, she is attempting to control or reverse her pre-diabetes and lower her blood pressure with diet and lifestyle changes. Her medical doctor recommended she have a dental exam. She is interested in fixing her crowded maxillary anterior teeth. Here are the findings of the periodontal assessment: ...

Interview with Ziv Simon DMD MSc

Posted on March 3, 2023February 28, 2023 by Ziv Simon DMD MSc

Dr. McGlennen: Tell me how you were introduced to OralDNA® salivary diagnostics. Ziv Simon DMD MSc: I am a periodontist and implant specialist in Beverly Hills where I have practiced for the past 20 years (our practice has been in this location for 42 years!). When I started, we were already doing bacterial testing using paper points inserted into the pockets. These were then sent to a lab for aerobic and anaerobic cultures. Although that system worked, the testing process was inconsisten...

There Is More in The Head Than The Mouth

Posted on February 24, 2023February 24, 2023 by Angie Stone BS RDH

Many dental professionals cut the body off just below the nose! However, research has connected systemic health to the many things below the mouth. The oral systemic link is real, and we all know that and salivary diagnostics helps us connect the dots. Dental professionals spend time educating patients about the links between oral health and heart health, diabetes, and preterm low birth weight babies, to name a few. And now research is connecting oral health to structures above the mouth…nam...

Dentulu to Level Up Patient-Initiated Dental Care Through Salivary Testing

Posted on February 17, 2023February 13, 2023 by Arash Hakhamian DDS

Dentulu, the nation’s leading teledentistry platform, was featured as the "Best of Class" Teledentistry platform by Cellarant the 2020 and 2021 American Dental Association meetings. Its comprehensive teledentistry application provides teledentistry solutions direct to consumers and refers screened patients to local dental offices in its network. Dentulu fights to bridge the gap between patients and dental professionals. With the steady growth in the adoption of teledentistry propelled by the ...

Leaky Gum Syndrome & The Oral-Systemic Link

Posted on February 10, 2023February 7, 2023 by Cass Nelson-Dooley MS

Few of us think much about the health of our mouth lining unless our gums are swollen and red or if we have mouth pain. But the tissue lining your gums and the inside of your mouth is vitally important to keeping you safe from heart disease, joint pain, and brain disease. How do healthy gums protect you from all of that? Your mouth lining is a critical defense between infections in your mouth and the rest of your body. Bleeding, swollen, sore gums can point to a weak defense in the mouth and may...

How Do You Speak Testing? With Yemia White RDH

Posted on February 3, 2023January 19, 2023 by Yemia White BSDH RDH

Patient Bio: Your new male patient, age 45, presents with the below findings. He has smoked 1 pack per day for the past 25 years. Upon medical history review you discover his blood pressure and cholesterol are being controlled by medication. He confides that his father passed away at age 53. How would you introduce therapy including MyPerioPath® to this patient? Mr. Smith, thank you for allowing us to collect pertinent information for your comprehensive oral health assessment. May I ...

STOP THE MADNESS by Dr. Michael Goldberg

Posted on January 27, 2023January 26, 2023 by Michael Goldberg DMD

There’s a saying, often attributed to Albert Einstein, whose essence is “if you keep on doing what you’ve been doing, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve been getting.” The point being that oftentimes, a singular action, all things being equal, will result in the same outcome. DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE YOUR OUTCOMES? Are you tired of patients not appreciating you? Are you tired of patients not accepting your best care? Are you tired of people coming back with the same problems? A...

Educated in Dental Hygiene, Practicing Dental Medicine

Posted on January 20, 2023January 18, 2023 by Stevey Cline RDH

Think about a smile, what does it mean to you? As a dental professional it likely means more than friendliness and beauty. Does the word medicine come to mind? I have been practicing dental hygiene for five short years and have begun to understand the degree that dental and medical are interchangeable. Dental medicine is a key term used when you understand the interchangeability. I believe in dental medicine. As a clinician, most of us have heard our patients say, “There is just a little ...