Salivary Diagnostics

Throwback: Light the Flame of Awareness

Posted on by Brittany Hill RDH
Incorporating OralDNA® testing into our practice has been a game changer. It finally gives us, the clinicians, an advantage when getting ahead of this progressive disease–periodontal disease. The research is mounting, periodontal pathogens do not just exist in your oral cavity; the bacteria can enter the bloodstream through inflamed periodontal tissue. Hence, the mouth is connected to the body and so are the pathogens. It is all linked. Now with MyPerioPath® results to show what periodontal ...
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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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Throwback: How Do You Speak Testing?

Posted on by Leslie I. Bautista RDH
A common question of everyone doing something for the first time is “How?” Clinical laboratory testing is standard of care in the medical profession and while completing their degrees, our medical colleagues learned the “How.” For dental professionals, clinical laboratory testing is a newer concept. Clinical lab testing in dentistry marks a paradigm shift. We hope this series “How to Speak” provides insights into how to talk with your patients about optimal care. The guest author has been gi...
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Oral Cancer Detection: The Power of Knowledge, Technology, and Training

Posted on by Parul Dua Makkar, BSc, DDS, FACD, FICD
Oral cancer remains one of the most devastating diseases in dentistry, with thousands of new cases diagnosed each year. Too often, it is discovered late, when survival rates drop and treatment becomes more aggressive. Yet, as dental professionals, we are uniquely positioned to change that story. Every exam, every screening, and every conversation with a patient holds the potential to save a life. This is where modern tools like OralDNA® salivary testing make a profound difference. Saliva ...
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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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“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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Introducing Kenko Health, an Exciting Partnership With OralDNA for EU Logistics

Posted on by Dr. Shania Seeber
While wandering around the IFM AIC in San Diego in June 2025, I stumbled upon a stand with a company that immediately piqued my interest! The stand belonged to OralDNA® and I was very excited to meet them! In my practice and teaching, I have always advocated for oral health as being a driver of systemic health and this lab ticked all my boxes. At the time, I was busy recruiting laboratories to add to a new diagnostic dispensary I was in the process of setting up called Kenko Health (Kenko...
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Throwback: It’s Not JUST About the Science

Posted on by Michael Goldberg DMD
At a time when “evidence-based” everything is all the rage; I would like to share my experience and philosophy in regard to salivary diagnostics.  My approach comes from a non-scientific perspective garnered from my 40+ years of clinical experience.  I come at it from both a trained scientific, human, psychological, patient management and pragmatic mindset. Several years back, I had a discussion with a well-respected career academic and journal editor about “evidence-based” medicine.  He ...
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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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