Most of My Career, I Measured the Wrong Thing (And How OralDNA Forced Me to Change My Scorecard) – Part Two

Posted on May 1, 2026March 19, 2026 by Jonathan Evans

Last week, we explored the awakening that comes from seeing the unseen. This week, Jonathan dives into the hard truth: a technically perfect Scaling and Root Planing (SRP) doesn’t always equal success. We’ll see how embracing an outcome-focused mindset changes not just the approach to care, but the results and the satisfaction hygienists and patients alike experience. The Hard Truth: Great SRP With Bad Outcomes Is Not a Win This is where my mindset truly flipped. I had to admit to myself: ...

Most of My Career, I Measured the Wrong Thing (And How OralDNA Forced Me to Change My Scorecard) – Part One

Posted on April 24, 2026March 19, 2026 by Jonathan Evans

For most of my 32 years as a hygienist, my “success” lived in my treatment notes. How many quads of Scaling and Root planing (SRP) did I do this week? How much calculus did I remove? How clean did those roots look and feel when I finished? If I walked out of a room drenched in sweat with polished roots and detailed charting, I felt like I’d done my job. Box checked. Next patient. But there was always this low-level itch in the back of my mind: If I’m doing such great work, why do...

When Saliva Tells the Full Story

Posted on October 31, 2025October 28, 2025 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...

Saving Teeth, Avoiding Implants: Dr. Lee Sheldon’s Strategic Approach to Aggressive Periodontitis

Posted on June 20, 2025September 4, 2025 by Lee Sheldon DMD PA

When a 41-year-old woman came into Dr. Lee Sheldon’s office complaining of loose teeth and pain on both sides of her mouth, many would have jumped straight to extractions and implants. But Dr. Sheldon took a different approach: practical, conservative, and rooted in restoring function—not just filling spaces. “This is not just about saving a tooth,” says Dr. Sheldon. “It’s about reversing the stresses—bacterial, occlusal—and giving her back long-term function without implants.” Upon cl...

Interview with Dr. Geoffrey Sharpe

Posted on May 9, 2025May 8, 2025 by Geoffrey Sharpe BDS MFDS RCPS MSc MRD Perio RCSEd

Dr. Ron McGlennen: How were you introduced to OralDNA® salivary diagnostics, and what motivated you to incorporate it into your practice? Dr. Geoffrey Sharpe: As a periodontist, I had been aware of salivary diagnostic testing for some time. However, this subject was not widely taught at dental schools, even at the postgraduate level. A number of colleagues in my network were strong advocates of the tests available from OralDNA® Labs and I became curious to explore their potential in my sp...

Salivary Diagnostics, Lasers and Beyond…

Posted on January 12, 2018May 19, 2021 by Liz Lundry RDH

As a hygienist, one of my main duties is to provide non-surgical therapy for the treatment of periodontal disease. The goal, (during the non-surgical treatment approach), is to change the environment of the pocket, address the active infection and keep the patient in remission as long as possible. Meticulous removal of sub-gingival calculus with hand instruments and micro-ultrasonics is crucial. We must provide a biologically acceptable root surface. In addition to detoxifying the root su...

Periodontist Turned Patient

Posted on November 17, 2017May 19, 2021 by Lauralee Nygaard DDS MS PS

As a periodontist, I pride myself on healthy gums. I admit to only getting a prophylaxis when the schedule permitted. My home care most likely resembles what most dental professional do, brush twice daily with an electric toothbrush and flossing most days. In grad school, it was discovered I had a few 4mm periodontal pockets. However, my professors were not concerned and I was never diagnosed with periodontal disease. Now fast forward several years. At age 37, after surviving an...

WNL: What’s your definition?

Posted on June 16, 2017May 19, 2021 by Richard H. Nagelberg, DDS

During virtually every dental examination, there is a review or updating of the patient’s health history and a clinical examination. If everything is consistent with good oral and overall health the notation WNL is commonly made, which is an abbreviation for Within Normal Limits. There is however another less commonly known meaning to WNL; We Never Looked. Looking goes way beyond visual observation and includes other diagnostic tools such as radiographs, scans and laboratory testing. Let’s co...

Salivary Crystal Ball – Part 3

Posted on February 17, 2017May 19, 2021 by Richard H. Nagelberg, DDS

The importance of the specific bacteria to the prognosis of an individual’s case of gum disease was known over 20 years ago. In a 1996 article in the Journal of Periodontology (Renvert et al. J Periodontol. 1996 Jun; 67(6): 562-71.) the authors concluded that the presences of Aa, Pg, and Pi alone or in combination correlated with attachment level changes. The authors further concluded that pathogenic bacteria are better predictors of disease progression than observed clinical signs. In a 200...

The Salivary Crystal Ball – Part 2

Posted on February 10, 2017May 19, 2021 by Richard H. Nagelberg, DDS

Most general dental practices are providing the same types of services: diagnostic services, restorative procedures, prosthodontic procedures, endodontic procedures, surgical procedures and periodontal procedures. Of course there are variations in techniques and complexity of cases being undertaken, but substantially a wide swath of dental practices are providing the same services. When a patient comes for an appointment, depending on where they live and work, they are traveling past several or ...