MyoMentor®: Mouth Breathing the Missing Piece

Posted on September 20, 2024September 19, 2024 by Jennifer Rooney, BSDH

Continuous learning is essential, especially in healthcare. Although I have been a hygienist for over 30 years, it wasn’t until two and a half years ago that my understanding of how to best help patients and colleagues drastically changed—much like it did when I was first introduced to OralDNA® Labs in 2009. Research has long shown the strong connection between oral health and overall body health, especially through the control of oral bacterial biofilm. However, one challenging aspect is...

Periodontal Disease, Sleep, and a Water Bottle – What’s the Connection?

Posted on June 17, 2022June 1, 2022 by Jennifer Rooney, BSDH

Would you say that periodontal disease and sleep quality are related? The potentially toxic protein, beta amyloid, associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, disrupts the communication between brain cells, leading to cognitive dysfunction. One cause of beta amyloid plaque formation is the presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) bacteria, Pg crosses the blood brain barrier in periodontal disease. This pathogen along with ten other bacterial strains are easily detectable with MyPerioPath®...

Caries Risk Assessment Duo: The Canary System® and OraRisk® Caries

Posted on December 21, 2018May 20, 2021 by Jennifer Rooney, BSDH

In the past, controlling or treating dental caries meant restoring all areas of decay. After which, the patient was believed to be “caries controlled” until something new developed. We now know that this thinking is flawed. Filling or restoring caries does not treat the disease, only its effects on the tooth. In 2001, the National Institute of Health defined caries as a disease resulting in the destruction of tooth structure by acid forming bacteria found in dental plaque in the presence ...