Periodontal Disease

Most of My Career, I Measured the Wrong Thing (And How OralDNA Forced Me to Change My Scorecard) – Part Two

Posted on by Jonathan Evans
Last week, we explored the awakening that comes from seeing the unseen. This week, Jonathan dives into the hard truth: a technically perfect Scaling and Root Planing (SRP) doesn’t always equal success. We’ll see how embracing an outcome-focused mindset changes not just the approach to care, but the results and the satisfaction hygienists and patients alike experience. The Hard Truth: Great SRP With Bad Outcomes Is Not a Win This is where my mindset truly flipped. I had to admit to myself: ...
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Most of My Career, I Measured the Wrong Thing (And How OralDNA Forced Me to Change My Scorecard) – Part One

Posted on by Jonathan Evans
For most of my 32 years as a hygienist, my “success” lived in my treatment notes. How many quads of Scaling and Root planing (SRP) did I do this week? How much calculus did I remove? How clean did those roots look and feel when I finished? If I walked out of a room drenched in sweat with polished roots and detailed charting, I felt like I’d done my job. Box checked. Next patient. But there was always this low-level itch in the back of my mind: If I’m doing such great work, why do...
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When a “Hopeless” Tooth Isn’t Hopeless

Posted on by Lee Sheldon DMD PA
A 45-year-old woman arrived in our office in significant pain. The day before, she had seen a dentist for a painful lower left central incisor. The recommendation was straightforward: extract the tooth and then see a periodontist. She refused. Instead, she searched for another option and drove nearly 50 miles to our office. The Clinical Picture She was hitting tooth #24 every time she closed her mouth—and it hurt badly. The gingival tissue was visibly swollen, and the tooth had Clas...
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Update to MyPerioPath® Antibiotic Options: What You Need to Know

Posted on by Diane Larson RDH, BSDH
An updated MyPerioPath® Antibiotics Guide is now in effect following our most recent clinical review. These periodic reviews are an essential part of our commitment to evidence-based care, ensuring the recommendations outlined in the report reflect the most current evidence and published literature. As a result, you may notice minor adjustments in some of the antibiotic options recommended, intended to support effective treatment while promoting thoughtful, responsible use.  In particular...
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Throwback: How Do You Speak Testing? With Janice Kaeley DDS, MSD

Posted on by Janice Kaeley DDS, MSD
Patient Background: A 41-year-old female patient is seen for a new patient exam. Her last dental appointment was 10 months ago. Today her primary concern is occasional bleeding gums with brushing. Currently, there are no medical conditions reported and no medications or supplements reported. The patient indicated she may be experiencing peri-menopausal symptoms, but this is not confirmed by a medical doctor. Upon dental examination, generalized 4mm to 6mm pockets were revealed with generaliz...
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Throwback: Classification of Periodontal and Peri-Implant Diseases and Conditions

Posted on by Geoffrey Sharpe BDS MFDS RCPS MSc MRD Perio RCSEd
As a periodontist, there are two topics that other clinicians frequently ask me about. The first is the updated Classification of Periodontal and Peri-Implant Diseases and Conditions. The second is my experience of working with salivary diagnostics. Both of these initiatives have become an essential part of my daily practice in periodontics. I moved to Dubai in 2010 to work as a specialist periodontist at a well-known private clinic. During my time in Dubai, it became increasingly clear t...
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When Saliva Tells the Full Story

Posted on by Stephen Quimby, RDH, BSDH, MBA
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...
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Transform Your Practice at the EMS GBT Summit

Posted on by Jamie Griggs RDH
Many dental professionals find themselves trapped in a cycle of reactive periodontal care. Patients fall through the cracks, insurance limitations dictate treatment, and hygiene schedules are filled with routine prophylaxis rather than truly transformative periodontal therapy. These missed opportunities don’t just impact patient health—they also limit your practice’s revenue potential. EMS Dental recognizes the frustration of working harder without seeing the clinical or financial results...
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“Dental Hygienist Pay Up 20% Since 2020”: What That Really Means for Your Practice

Posted on by Michael Goldberg DMD
Why This Should Concern Every Dentist and Hygienist Hygienist pay has risen 20% since 2020. That sounds great—until you realize that hygiene collectible production (not projected, not on paper, but truly collectible) must also rise by 20% just to keep pace. If reimbursements and fees haven’t increased by that much—and let’s be honest, they haven’t—then hygiene risks becoming a loss leader rather than a profit center. And if hygiene isn’t profitable, opportunities for growth—for both den...
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Do We Really Need Antibiotics for Periodontal Disease?

Posted on by Lee Sheldon DMD PA
When patients receive their OralDNA® MyPerioPath® test results, one of the most common questions is: “Why aren’t we prescribing antibiotics?” After all, the test identifies bacteria linked to periodontal (gum) disease. Shouldn’t antibiotics be the next step? Dr. Lee Sheldon explains that the answer often goes back to the root cause of periodontal disease itself. “Periodontal disease is the loss of support for the teeth. It comes primarily from bacteria that go below the gum line and lo...
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