Individualized Patient Care

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

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

Posted on 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...
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How Did They Do That?

Posted on by Michael Goldberg DMD
I was at dinner with my friends from OralDNA Labs — Amanda and Diane — talking about stories from my book Undeniable Hospitality. Little did we know, we were about to live one. The setting was spectacular — the kind of architectural beauty you might expect in the Museum of Modern Art. Elegant. Minimal. Intentional. But ambiance alone doesn’t create magic. The servers were polished. Smiling. Attentive. I did notice that no one introduced themselves by name — a miss in my world, be...
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The Link Between RA and Periodontal Disease: Bidirectional Cycle/Shared Inflammation

Posted on 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: ...
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Throwback: Why? What? How?

Posted on 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...
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When a “Hopeless” Tooth Isn’t Hopeless

Posted on 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...
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Wellness Dentistry Summit 2025 – Livestream Virtual Ticket

Posted on by Nicki Mackey
  December 5–6, 2025 | Virtual Hosted by The Wellness Dentist Institute, the Wellness Dentistry Summit 2025 is your chance to learn, grow, and connect with the leaders driving the future of wellness-focused dental care. Whether you’re advancing your clinical skills, refining your business strategy, or looking to empower your team, this event is designed to equip you with actionable insights you can implement immediately. This sought after event has already sold out for in perso...
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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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A Game-Changing Preceptorship in Nashville: Your Invitation to Transform Patient Care

Posted on by Dr. Bradley Bale and Dr. Amy Doneen
The world of preventative medicine is evolving—and once again, the BaleDoneen Method® is a leader in the space. We're excited to share an upcoming continuing education opportunity hosted by BaleDoneen. If you’re a healthcare provider driven by purpose and passion, you won’t want to miss the upcoming BaleDoneen Preceptorship, happening October 9–11, 2025, in vibrant Nashville, Tennessee at the Southwestern Conference Center. This isn't just another continuing education opportunity. It’s a ...
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Discover Pure Perio: Elevating Periodontal Care for Total Body Health

Posted on by Thomas Nabors DDS - Andrea Owens RDH
We’re excited to share an upcoming continuing education opportunity, hosted by Pure Perio, designed to transform periodontal care by combining research-based science behind periodontal disease with modern salivary diagnostics: Pure Perio is an oral health course centered on improving total body health by treating periodontal disease through an understanding of the body’s inflammatory response. Led by Dr. Tommy Nabors, a pioneer in salivary diagnostics, and Andrea Owens, RDH, this course o...
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