When Saliva Tells the Full Story

We all have those patients — the ones who seem to do everything right and still end up battling stubborn periodontal disease. As Stephen Quimby, RDH, BSDH, MBA, writes in his recent Monthly Incisor article, “We’ve all had those patients—the ones who come in with picture-perfect oral hygiene but somehow still develop aggressive periodontal disease. Then, six months later, their spouse shows up with similar symptoms. Coincidence? Not quite.”

That’s where salivary diagnostics is changing the game. Stephen explains that “DNA fingerprinting techniques have confirmed that Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis are readily transmitted among family members, with saliva serving as the primary vector.”

This insight is more than academic—it’s clinical. It means that when we see one partner with advanced periodontal disease, it might be time to look beyond the single patient and toward shared microbial ecosystems within families. Salivary testing brings those hidden dynamics into focus, allowing us to deliver care that’s proactive, personalized, and precise.

The trend is clear: our profession is leaning further into precision-guided periodontal therapy—using data from saliva to direct treatment planning, maintenance schedules, and even communication strategies between partners. It’s a beautiful intersection of science and human connection.

Stephen reminds us, “This isn’t just academic trivia—it has real clinical implications for treatment planning and long-term maintenance protocols, particularly when dealing with aggressive periodontitis cases or those frustrating treatment-resistant scenarios we all encounter.”

As more clinicians adopt salivary testing, we’re seeing faster answers, clearer treatment outcomes, and stronger collaboration between dental and medical professionals. It’s the evolution of what dentistry has always been about—early detection, prevention, and personalized care—but with sharper tools and smarter insight.

If you’d like to read Stephen Quimby’s full article, “When Couples Share More Than Just Dinner Plans: The Bacterial Transmission Reality,” you can find it in the October 2025 issue of The Monthly Incisor.

 Read the full feature here: https://www.odha.org/the-monthly-incisor-newsletter-oct-25-

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Stephen Quimby, RDH, BSDH, MBA

Stephen Quimby, RDH, is a dedicated dental hygienist and the President-Elect of the Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association. His journey into dental hygiene was inspired by witnessing his parents lose their teeth—one by one—because they couldn’t afford dental care. Seeing the pain, expense, and quiet shame that followed, he made it his life’s work to prevent others from enduring the same loss. Today, he advocates for access to care and the vital role of dental hygienists in preventing and treating periodontal disease—the leading cause of tooth loss. Outside the operatory, Stephen finds balance and reflection through his deep love of plants and nature, where he cultivates peace, patience, and renewal.

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• When Saliva Tells the Full Story - October 31, 2025