Interview with Lori Appelhans RDH

Posted on January 1, 2021May 20, 2021 by Lori Appelhans, RDH

Dr. McGlennen: Tell me why you started to use OralDNA® salivary diagnostics. Lori, RDH: We were frustrated with inconsistent periodontal results, and began incorporating OralDNA® into our practice. Prior to starting, some patients returned for their post periodontal therapy check and there were still significant signs of disease. We wanted more for our patients. We started using the MyPerioPath® salivary test pre- and post-periodontal therapy and for gingivitis therapy too. Salivary diagn...

A Clinician’s Resistance to Acceptance in One Case

Posted on December 18, 2020May 20, 2021 by Ashley Abrams DDS

When I opened my practice almost two years ago, I was introduced to OralDNA® Labs’ testing services. I believed the value of laboratory testing would provide a higher quality of care for my patients; however, I was hesitant to incorporate something new into my patient case conversation. My hesitation stemmed from a belief that my patients would think we were adding another “cost” to their treatment plan and that made me uncomfortable. I continued to practice without OralDNA® Labs testing, unti...

Periodontal Inflammation Primes the Systemic Innate Immune Response

Posted on November 20, 2020May 20, 2021 by Ronald C. McGlennen, MD

This week, Dr. Ronald McGlennen - President & Medical Director of OralDNA® Labs provides a review of the recently published article "Periodontal Inflammation Primes the Systemic Innate Immune Response” written by N. Fine, J.W. Chadwick, C. Sun, K.K. Parbhaker, N. Khoury, A. Barbour, M. Golberg, H.C. Tenebaum, and M. Glogauer. This article appears in the Journal of Dental Research, October 2020. The complete article can be accessed here. Enjoy the VLOG and please feel free to share any...

Case Study: Class II Periodontitis

Posted on October 23, 2020May 20, 2021 by Sue Baughman RDH

Background: The patient is a 54-year-old female who presented with the chief complaint “My gums bleed when I brush, there are possible cavities and I don’t like the tooth crowding.” Her last dental visit was about 6 years ago. There is a family history of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke and cancer. The home care consisted of manual tooth brushing 1-2 times per day with occasional antibacterial mouth rinse. During the clinical assessment, it was discovered that several amal...

Interview with Dr. Kusek DDS

Posted on July 31, 2020May 20, 2021 by Edward R Kusek DDS

Dr. McGlennen: Thank you for your continued support of our testing services. You have been a legacy provider since early 2011. Tell me how you use OralDNA® salivary diagnostics. Edward Kusek DDS: Most of my testing consists of MyPerioID® IL-6 to pre-determine if patients have a susceptibility to periodontal disease and may be at higher risk for implant placement. In the past, MyPerioPath® provided an objective measure to aid in a study I was conducting for the use of laser detoxication o...

Connecting the Mouth and the Brain Through Bacteria

Posted on June 12, 2020May 20, 2021 by Angie Stone BS RDH

There are many diseases that people never want to hear they have. Cancer is a gut-wrenching diagnosis and with it comes images of enduring chemotherapy and/or radiation. For many decades having cancer meant a probable death. Medicine has come a long way in cancer treatment and many who receive treatments become survivors. In addition to better survival rates from certain types of cancer, deaths from heart disease and stroke have also been reduced in recent years. One diagnosis that has no...

A Progressive Oral Wellness Center in Rural America

Posted on May 22, 2020May 20, 2021 by McCreight Progressive Dentistry Team

In our rural practice (McCreight Progressive Dentistry) in Northwest Colorado, we see periodontal disease on average in about one of every two patients, or around 46%. This is representative of the CDC statistic as posted in the May 2015 Journal of Periodontology. Whenever we read these statistics, we are puzzled. In an industrialized nation where home care tools and dental technologies are readily available, how can there be so much disease? Here are some measures (newer technologies) we ha...

Communication is Key

Posted on May 15, 2020May 20, 2021 by Traci Warner, RDH

Periodontal disease is one of the most prevalent chronic inflammatory diseases in the United States and it is a key indicator of other systemic diseases. Dentistry has a significant role in reducing the impact of chronic disease in patients who trust their dental teams to guide them to total body health. From the first call and through every step of the patient experience, such as reviewing the medical history, the conversation should include the oral systemic connection. Dental teams a...

Critical Thinking: The Systemic Antibiotic Option

Posted on April 24, 2020May 20, 2021 by Diane Larson RDH, BSDH

The MyPerioPath® test provides a wide variety of valuable information for the clinician to consider in the care of their patients. In one example, the Treatment Consideration section of the report provides a recommendation for a regimen of oral antibiotics when the test results show bacteria levels greater than the black lines, called the therapeutic threshold. Where did this recommendation come from? This choice of drug, along with the recommended doses, are based on published research of...

AAP Classifications Simplified: Part 2

Posted on April 3, 2020May 20, 2021 by Kelly Young BSDH

Last week, establishing a stage for your patient was highlighted. Click HERE to review. Once you have established the stage of your patient, the grade needs to be determined. The three grades are A, B or C. The grade indicates the speed of progression and the quality of treatment response. In order to establish the grade, there are 3 factors to consider: Direct evidence – Evidence of bone loss over the past 5 years. (You may not have access to previous records, but this highlights the v...