Soft Tissue Program with a Microscope & MyPerioPath®

Posted on February 28, 2020May 20, 2021 by Cori Creeks RDH

As with most dental practices we have a soft tissue program in place to help treat periodontal disease as well as gingivitis. We use the traditional x-rays and periodontal probing exams that allow us to assess periodontal damage that has already occurred within the soft tissues and bone. We have also implemented a new type of exam that can show us bacteria that is present in the gum tissues. Our team recently received training on the use of a microscope and Dr. Hawkins decided to purchase...

Case Study: Periodontal Disease and Cardiovascular Disease

Posted on February 21, 2020May 20, 2021 by Shawn Perla RDH

Challenge: A new patient who has neglected dental care for 20 years with a chief complaint of broken teeth and bleeding gums appoints to address his dental concerns. Background: A 70-year-old male patient with broken teeth and bleeding gums appoints to our office. His last dental visit was estimated to be 20 years ago. Surprisingly the patient was not experiencing dental pain. The periodontal assessment revealed generalized 4-6 mm pockets with localized 7-9 mm pockets, inflamed and bulbo...

American Academy of Oral Medicine: The Past, The Present, and The Future

Posted on February 14, 2020May 20, 2021 by Jaisri R. Thoppay DDS

On April 29-May 2, 2020, the American Academy of Oral Medicine (AAOM) celebrates its 75th annual meeting in Orlando, Florida. The theme of our meeting is “Oral Medicine: The Past, The Present, and The Future.” In 1945, “The Past,” Dr. Samuel Charles Miller founded the academy with a keen intent to integrate dental and medical issues. This inspiration has formed a strong foundation, “The Present,” that over the years, through education, collaboration, and research, has set standards for mana...

Up Your Oral Health Game with Salivary Testing: Part 2

Posted on January 17, 2020May 20, 2021 by Barbara Tritz RDH

The Path of Pathogen Destruction Cardiovascular Disease We know that the oral pathogens Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa), Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), Tannerella forsythia (Tf), Treponema denticola (Td), and Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn) are directly connected to atherosclerosis.1 We know cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death and disability in the United States. Gastrointestinal and colorectal cancers, as well as adverse pregnancy outcomes and aspiration pn...

Up Your Oral Health Game with Salivary Testing: Part 1

Posted on January 10, 2020May 20, 2021 by Barbara Tritz RDH

Aren’t you tired of the same old drill and fill, pumice-pushing lecture about tooth decay, flossing, and bleeding gums? Yet, patients still come back infected and full of plaque. All our great suggestions are for naught. We keep lecturing, hoping for different results. It becomes discouraging and frustrating for our patients and leads to burnout and career changes for us. On top of that - despite all of our efforts, all of our breath, and all of our floss - periodontal disease is still ...

The Insights Provided by Salivary Testing

Posted on December 27, 2019May 20, 2021 by Richard H. Nagelberg, DDS

Without salivary testing we have no way of knowing the cause of the periodontal disease in the patients under our care. The insights provided by salivary testing include: Identification of the causative bacteria Therapeutic endpoint Risk assessment Outcomes assessment Risk of recurrence Appropriate antibiotic Incorporating the information from the salivary bacterial test into the periodontal patient’s treatment plan enables personalized care. Forget the one-size-fit...

Interview with Charissa Wood, RDH

Posted on December 13, 2019May 20, 2021 by Charissa Wood RDH

Dr. McGlennen: Tell me how you use OralDNA® salivary diagnostics. Charissa Wood RDH: At Atlanta Dental Spa, we utilize OralDNA® salivary diagnostics to help our patients achieve optimal oral health. We take a complete health approach to our patients’ care and salivary diagnostics helps us assess our patients’ genetic predispositions to inflammation as well as the perio-pathogen load levels. OralDNA® lab reports allow us to truly tailor patient care based off the information we get from test...

Class II Generalized Periodontitis and Rheumatoid Arthritis Requesting Implant Placement

Posted on December 6, 2019May 20, 2021 by Patricia Lugo DMD

Challenge: To establish periodontal remission by addressing the clinical manifestations of periodontal disease and altering the oral flora in order to lower the incidence of periodontal disease relapse. Bacterial management will eliminate a source of total body inflammation and increase success of implant placement. Background: The patient is a 66 year-old-male with rheumatoid arthritis, taking Lisinopril and is a potential candidate for implant to restore #19. Patient’s daily home care r...

I Don’t Need That, We’re Already Getting Good Results

Posted on November 29, 2019May 20, 2021 by Richard H. Nagelberg, DDS

The enemy of optimal patient care is complacency. Why would anyone settle for good results when optimal results are so easily achieved? Put yourself in your patient’s place in the exam chair: would you then want only good enough? Patients trust their dental professionals to provide the voice in decision regarding their care. If given the choice between practicing blindly, with no information about the specific bacterial cause of their individual case of periodontal disease, and having the ...

Identify & Destroy! Synergistic Pathogenic Biofilm Management

Posted on November 22, 2019May 20, 2021 by Karen Davis RDH, BSDH

Synergy is the combined effect of two things being greater than either one independently. As a veteran of managing periodontal diseases, that is how I view salivary diagnostics and Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT). With salivary diagnostics I can identify specific pathogens thriving in my patient’s biofilm, and through the process of GBT I am able to dismantle and destroy those pathogens. This is synergy at its best. Quick review of pathogenic biofilm, then we can focus on GBT and salivary...