The Doctor-Hygienist Hand-Off

Posted on October 25, 2019May 20, 2021 by Jeanette Kern DDS

As a formerly practicing hygienist and now a dentist, I am respectfully sensitive to the time constraints and importance of the information exchange during a periodic exam in the hygienist’s treatment room. My team and I developed, practice, and teach this exchange for thoroughness, patient benefit, and emphasis of our professionalism. When the doctor enters the hygienist’s treatment room, the hygienist is to highlight and summarize her findings in the most efficient and effective verbiag...

How do you speak Cardiovascular Disease and Periodontal Disease to your patients?

Posted on October 4, 2019August 14, 2024 by Barb McClatchie DDS

Dr. McGlennen: There is consensus within the medical and dental community that periodontal bacteria contribute to the initiation, progression and prognosis of cardiovascular disease. From key studies, including prospective, retrospective and even meta-analysis studies, persons with untreated periodontal infections have up to a 20% increase in their risk of coronary vascular disease.1 The multiple of risk for stroke (1.74-2.85 fold) and peripheral vascular disease (1.41-2.27 fold) is equal or...

Nobody Has Ever Done that Before

Posted on September 27, 2019May 20, 2021 by Lee Sheldon DMD PA

In this era of trying to differentiate yourself from the provider down the street, a simple solution is incorporating OralDNA® salivary testing services. Imagine a patient who has had periodontal disease and has seen several dentists and periodontists in the past. They may have been told they have pockets, but what do pockets mean to a patient? Perhaps a lot, but only if they have been properly educated about the consequences of a pocket deepening. Let’s look at this from another persp...

Traditional Periodontal Disease Case Study

Posted on September 20, 2019May 20, 2021 by Brain Davey DDS

Challenge: Patient with extremely limited history of dental care presents seeking dental wellness. Although patient is anxious, she is highly motivated to create a healthier dental foundation. Background: A 33-year-old woman with history of acid reflux, seasonal allergies and anemia is seeking to better her dental care. The patient has limited recollection of any dental care in her life, even childhood. The patient’s home care consists of manual tooth brushing 1-2 times per day with the ...

What’s Your Excuse?

Posted on August 30, 2019May 20, 2021 by Richard H. Nagelberg, DDS

It is difficult to understand the resistance by dental professionals to test for the bacteria that cause gum disease. The excuses are numerous including, “I’ve always done it this way”. A variation on this notion is “We were always taught”. Other excuses shift the decision to the patients. “My patients won’t accept it”. Equally unsupported excuses include “We’re already getting good results”, or “I don’t need that”, or “What difference will it make?” Claims of insufficient time are very comm...

Interview with Ben Mendoza, RDH

Posted on July 26, 2019May 20, 2021 by Ben Mendoza RDH

Dr. McGlennen: Please tell me how you use OralDNA® salivary diagnostics in your practice. Ben Mendoza RDH: OralDNA® salivary diagnostics is the most applicable tool we use at Dr. Katherine Brown’s practice in order to guide our patients toward optimal oral care as well as total health well-being. We use this testing to help identify, confirm, and convey both the risk and presence of bacterial pathogens that increase patients’ potential for tooth decay and gum disease, as well as any negat...

Microbiology Terminology

Posted on July 19, 2019May 20, 2021 by Kimberly Babauta, RDH, BS, BCPA

MyPerioPath® is a laboratory test that screens saliva 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 bacteria. For example, it is plausible that motile bacteria are more resistant to localized treatment due to their ability to move away from areas where the environment does not ...

Interview with Functional Medicine Leader, Pete Williams

Posted on July 12, 2019May 20, 2021 by Pete Williams

Dr. McGlennen: You started incorporating OralDNA® testing services into your care over a year ago in Spring 2018. Tell me how you were introduced to OralDNA® salivary diagnostics and why do you use the testing services. Pete Williams: We first became aware of the OralDNA® testing services at a Functional Medicine conference in the US. As a Functional Medicine practice, we are aware of how oral health can have a systemic effect on chronic disease and its management. We have been ...

Periodontal Disease, Perio Pathogens & Rocket Science

Posted on July 5, 2019May 20, 2021 by Richard H. Nagelberg, DDS

Risk factors for heart attack include; age, tobacco, high blood pressure, lipid profile, diabetes, family history of heart attack, lack of physical activity, obesity, stress, illicit drug use, history of preeclampsia, history of autoimmune condition such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis and so on and so on. Why have all these risk factors been identified? Because it is better to prevent a heart attack than it is to have one. Risk factor identification and modification is the cornerstone of p...

What is the Therapeutic Threshold?

Posted on June 28, 2019May 20, 2021 by Diane Larson RDH, BSDH

In a previous blog, Salivary Diagnostics—Your Molecular X-ray, I introduced the concept of using salivary diagnostics to provide objective understanding to the clinical signs observed with periodontal disease. Once a saliva specimen is analyzed and the results released, the clinician must correlate the lab results to the clinical signs, and decide the next steps for treatment. One feature of the MyPerioPath® test report is the “Therapeutic Thresholds”, displayed as black lines overlying the ...