Children Get Gum Disease Too

Posted on February 9, 2024February 9, 2024 by Barbara Tritz RDH

Parents always ask me, “Does my child have any cavities?” What I also want parents to wonder and ask; “Does my child have gum disease?” People - parents - don’t know what they don’t know! Too often, we dismiss a “little bleeding” or calculus buildup in children (never mind adults) as poor oral hygiene and admonish them to brush and floss. Yet, without addressing the root causes, this inflammation does not resolve. Evolve your practice: look deeper into bleeding gums in children and ...

Consumer-Friendly Lab Reports

Posted on October 6, 2023October 5, 2023 by Kimberly Babauta, RDH, BS, BCPA

Clinical lab reports have come a long way since their inception. In the past, lab reports were typically written for healthcare professionals. They often contained medical jargon and technical terms that were difficult for patients to understand. However, with the advent of new technology as well as the increasing importance of patient-centered healthcare, the trend towards more consumer-friendly lab reports has emerged. One key factor triggering the trend towards consumer-friendly lab re...

APDP: Pillars for Success in Today’s Private Dental Practice

Posted on September 22, 2023September 21, 2023 by Susan Maples DDS

Are you ready to step up your leadership abilities? Are you ready to advance your private practice to match your dream practice? If you answered yes to either of these questions, YOU should attend the annual 2024 APDP meeting: Pillars for Success in Today’s Private Dental Practice. Join other exceptional private practice dentists, spouses, and educators/consultants for our live annual meeting March 7-9, 2024 at the Fort Lauderdale Coral Springs Hotel & Convention Center. This ex...

Be the Guide, Not the Hero

Posted on September 1, 2023August 28, 2023 by Debbie Ozment DDS MS, NBC-HWC, ABAAHP

We care deeply for our patient family and are oral-systemic experts. Because we have invested enormous amounts of time and money in quality education, we know best what people need for strong teeth and a long health span. Our patients appreciate this and always listen intently to what we tell them they need to do. They happily reach into their wallets and hand us their credit card. Right? In my 34 years of clinical experience: Wrong! People buy what they want, not necessarily what they nee...

How Do You Speak Testing? With Karina Diaz, BASDH, CRDH

Posted on August 25, 2023August 24, 2023 by Karina Diaz BASDH, CRDH

Patient Bio: A new patient, female, age 41 appointed to your practice. Upon medical history review, she is currently not taking any medications, only nutritional supplements recommended by her dietician. Her family history revealed her father has cardiovascular disease and sister has Type 2 diabetes. Completing the periodontal assessment identified: How would you introduce therapy including MyPerioPath® to this patient? (Patient) we understand that the health of our mouths and the heal...

Calling all Hygienists: The Time for Specialization is NOW

Posted on June 9, 2023May 31, 2023 by Jamie Dooley BIS CLC

Registered Dental Hygienists have more career paths available to them than ever before. However, the biggest impact an RDH can have on overall health is still untapped! Large and small healthcare systems need our expertise. Hospital administrators around the world have oral health integration on their strategic plans, but insurance reimbursement, coding, governance, and EHR differences have made integration with the dental field extra challenging. On top of that, general dentists are alre...

Getting to the Root Cause: OralDNA® Testing and Natural Products that Help

Posted on March 17, 2023March 15, 2023 by Heather Paul CBDH CRDH

As a practicing dental hygienist for over 25 years, I’ve been asked countless times what causes gum disease and what are the best products to use that actually help. This is a fantastic question, and I am so happy that technology has advanced enough to give patients a full understanding of the root cause of periodontal disease. We now know that there are primarily 11 microbes that cause periodontal disease. Knowing which bugs are present allows me to come up with an individualized oral care ...

How Do You Speak Testing? With Kim Ramos RDH & Ali Carr RDH

Posted on March 10, 2023March 8, 2023 by Kim Ramos RDH - Ali Carr RDH

Patient Bio: Your new female 39-year-old patient hasn’t been seen by a dentist since 2020. She was recently diagnosed as pre-diabetic with elevated blood pressure. With her medical doctor’s approval, she is attempting to control or reverse her pre-diabetes and lower her blood pressure with diet and lifestyle changes. Her medical doctor recommended she have a dental exam. She is interested in fixing her crowded maxillary anterior teeth. Here are the findings of the periodontal assessment: ...

Educated in Dental Hygiene, Practicing Dental Medicine

Posted on January 20, 2023January 18, 2023 by Stevey Cline RDH

Think about a smile, what does it mean to you? As a dental professional it likely means more than friendliness and beauty. Does the word medicine come to mind? I have been practicing dental hygiene for five short years and have begun to understand the degree that dental and medical are interchangeable. Dental medicine is a key term used when you understand the interchangeability. I believe in dental medicine. As a clinician, most of us have heard our patients say, “There is just a little ...

immun19™: OralDNA® Lab’s NEW COVID-19 Neutralizing Antibody Test

Posted on August 27, 2021September 7, 2021 by Ronald C. McGlennen, MD

In the ever-changing world of COVID, we know that the more knowledge and up-to-date information we have at our fingertips, the more peace of mind and increased security we have. The past year and a half has been a trying time for everyone. Have you wondered if you are protected against the virus? You got the vaccine, but how effective was it? Will a previous infection mount the correct response when you encounter the virus again? I’m sure many, if not all, of us have had these questions go t...