The Oral–Gut–Cancer Connection: Why the Mouth Is a Gateway to Systemic Health

Posted on April 10, 2026April 9, 2026 by Tabatha Pittman, PA-C

Emerging research confirms that the oral cavity is not biologically isolated from the rest of the body. The mouth serves as a primary gateway to the gastrointestinal tract and immune system, continuously introducing microbes, inflammatory signals, and immune-modulating compounds into systemic circulation. Each day, approximately 1–1.5 liters of saliva containing oral bacteria is swallowed, creating a direct microbial bridge between the oral microbiome and gut microbiome. This oral–gut axi...

The Link Between RA and Periodontal Disease: Bidirectional Cycle/Shared Inflammation

Posted on March 27, 2026February 19, 2026 by Dr. Jinita Parekh

The Challenge: A 29 year old female patient came in extremely concerned with her bleeding gums and wondering if that is also related to her diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. The Background: Age: 29 Sex: Female Medical History: Elevated Rheumatoid factor and undergoing further diagnosis to conclude diagnosis for RA Last Dental Exam: 2021 Home Care: Manual toothbrush 2x daily, floss occasionally Chief Complaint: bleeding gums, sensitive gums Clinical Assessment: ...

RDH Spotlight: Oanh Pham, CPhT, RDH, BSDH

Posted on March 13, 2026March 5, 2026 by Oanh Pham, CPhT, RDH, BSDH

Dr. McGlennen: What inspired you to pursue a career in dental hygiene, and what do you find most rewarding about it? Oanh: I’ve always had a strong passion for helping others and initially pursued a career in nursing. Over time, I realized a career in dental hygiene has a better work life balance while still allowing me to make meaningful impacts on patients’ overall health. What I find most rewarding is knowing that my role goes beyond oral health. By treating periodontal disease, I’m also...

Medical Dental Collaboration for 2026

Posted on March 6, 2026February 18, 2026 by Patti DeMatteis, RDH, AS

Healthcare outcomes often suffer due to "siloed" practices. While the average patient may see five to eight different providers concurrently, they frequently fail to achieve optimal health because those providers are not working together. Congratulations, OralDNA testers on diagnosing and managing periodontal disease using objective salivary diagnostics. With an effective protocol in place, you are likely seeing a significant reduction in pathogens for most patients. However, when results...

Throwback: Why? What? How?

Posted on January 30, 2026January 29, 2026 by Michael Goldberg DMD

WHY?…WHAT?…HOW? This is a philosophy that is often taught in dental and hygiene schools: Diagnose, Treatment Plan, then Treat. And yet, immediately after this is taught, a focus is placed on learning treatment, or the HOW. And then upon graduation the focus also becomes on treatment and production. The diagnosis (WHY) and planning (WHAT) become secondary. They’re only an avenue to an end…Production, a means to an end. That’s where the money is. In a nutshell, that’s the problem with our...

When a “Hopeless” Tooth Isn’t Hopeless

Posted on January 23, 2026January 21, 2026 by Lee Sheldon DMD PA

A 45-year-old woman arrived in our office in significant pain. The day before, she had seen a dentist for a painful lower left central incisor. The recommendation was straightforward: extract the tooth and then see a periodontist. She refused. Instead, she searched for another option and drove nearly 50 miles to our office. The Clinical Picture She was hitting tooth #24 every time she closed her mouth—and it hurt badly. The gingival tissue was visibly swollen, and the tooth had Clas...

RDH Spotlight: Mohini Patel

Posted on January 16, 2026January 8, 2026 by Mohini Patel

Dr. McGlennen: What inspired you to pursue a career in dental hygiene, and what do you find most rewarding about it? Mohini: I pursued a career in dental hygiene because I was drawn to having a career involved in directly helping patients improve their daily habits and long-term health. I enjoy working directly with patients, am detail-oriented, and have a strong interest in periodontal care. The most rewarding aspect is empowering patients to feel more confident about themselves as well as...

Unexplained Infertility, Explained?

Posted on January 9, 2026January 8, 2026 by Dr. Neusha Najafi

Up to 30% of infertility cases remain classified as “unexplained” despite comprehensive reproductive evaluation. While this label often implies idiopathic dysfunction, it may instead reflect the limitations of current diagnostic frameworks, especially those that overlook chronic inflammation and microbial dysbiosis as contributors to reproductive failure. Emerging evidence suggests that oral health, systemic inflammation, and shared microbial exposure between partners may play a meaningfu...

Throwback: Light the Flame of Awareness

Posted on December 26, 2025December 11, 2025 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 ...

Throwback: How Do You Speak Testing? With Janice Kaeley DDS, MSD

Posted on December 19, 2025December 16, 2025 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...