oral systemic connection

From Correlation to Causation: The Impact of Oral Pathogens on Overall Health

Posted on by Erika Du Mond, DMD
Healthcare is undergoing significant changes. Since COVID-19, the experience for both professionals and patients has evolved. Where patients once followed directives without much personal involvement, they are now taking an active role in their health and the type of care they receive. The concept of informed consent is being realized as patients engage more in healthcare conversations and keenly evaluate practitioner philosophies and treatment options. Pathogens from the mouth travel sys...
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Why Test? Rethinking Periodontal Disease Through a Medical Lens

Posted on by Diane Larson RDH, BSDH
One of the most common questions I hear is: “How is testing going to change the therapy provided?” My answer? “It most likely isn’t.” Wait—what?! Then why bother testing at all? That’s a fair question, and one worth unpacking. Testing tools, such as MyPerioPath®, should not replace clinical diagnostics or significantly change a patient’s treatment plan. Rather, the use of a laboratory diagnostic test has the intent to confirm, but sometimes refute what you're seeing clinically. Practic...
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Bridging Oral and Systemic Health: Supporting Cancer Care Through Dentistry

Posted on by Christopher Tolmie DDS, MBA
At Lake Worth Modern Dentistry, we believe that oral health is deeply connected to overall wellness. One recent case powerfully illustrated how collaborative care between dental and medical teams can enhance a patient’s healing journey—especially during cancer treatment. A breast cancer patient came to us for a pre-chemoradiation dental clearance. Her oncologist and I coordinated closely to ensure her oral health would not compromise her systemic condition during therapy. We agreed to per...
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Flying Blind: A Wake-Up Call – Part Two

Posted on by Michael Goldberg DMD
In Part 1 of this series, Dr. Michael Goldberg urged dental professionals to return to their scientific roots and rethink their diagnostic habits. Now, in Part 2, he turns his attention to another critical gap in care: what happens once the patient leaves the chair. Diagnosis without follow-through leaves patients—and practices—vulnerable. In this installment, Dr. Goldberg explores how to bridge that gap with personalized care, modern tools, and the right conversations that truly empower ...
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Flying Blind: A Wake-Up Call – Part One

Posted on by Michael Goldberg DMD
When I say “Flying Blind” no, I’m not talking about the air-control issues at Newark Airport. I’m talking about how we practice oral health care. Having taught in two universities, I have a pretty good idea of the curriculum dentists and hygienists receive. “Basic Sciences” dominate those early years: microbiology, immunology, physiology, anatomy, and pharmacology. Why? Because understanding the why behind disease matters. So here’s the real question: Why are those sciences all but aba...
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An Imbalanced Oral Microbiome Can Cause Throat Cancer, But You Can Prevent It

Posted on by Cass Nelson-Dooley MS
Every April, there is a campaign to bring awareness to head and neck cancers. What exactly are head and neck cancers? Head and neck cancers affect the mouth, throat, sinuses and nose, salivary glands, or larynx (the voice box). Their hallmark is that they involve squamous cells, which line the mouth, throat, and sinuses—those wet, mucous-rich surfaces. How do head and neck cancers take hold? Cancer cells are damaged cells that can live forever. Cancer requires one or more of these proce...
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Learn Periodontal Precision with Dr. Doug Thompson – Virtual Access Now Available!

Posted on by Doug Thompson DDS
We’re thrilled to share an exciting course now available by the Kois Center, providing a groundbreaking step forward in dental hygiene education: The Digital Precision Periodontal Medicine & the Hygienist: A Critical Role for Maximum Health course is now live! This lecture series is now available both in-person (at the Kois Center in Seattle, WA) and virtually, allowing anyone, anywhere, access to resources that can expand their knowledge and transform their clinical practice. Our new...
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Unlock the Power of Saliva: Mastering Salivary Testing Comes to Centennial, CO!

Posted on by Katie Lee DDS
Are you ready to take your dental practice to the next level? If you’ve been looking to incorporate salivary diagnostics into your clinical offerings but don’t know where to start—or how to interpret the results—then this course is for you. Join Dr. Katie Lee at the new Collective Education Society on Friday, July 11, 2025, for Mastering Salivary Testing, an immersive in-person course led by Dr. Emily Stein, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of Primal Health LLC. Dr. Stein’s expertise in microbio...
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Interview with Dr. Geoffrey Sharpe

Posted on 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...
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Beyond the Probe: How OralDNA Testing Transformed Our Protocols and Outcomes

Posted on by Jonathan Evans
For decades, we've understood that periodontal disease is bacterial in origin, yet many of our treatment strategies remained nonspecific. We scaled, we cleaned, we hoped for the best. OralDNA® testing changed that for us - it brought specificity, clarity, and purpose to our protocols.  At our practice, every periodontal patient and every medically high-risk patient receives an OralDNA® MyPerioPath as a baseline test. This includes individuals with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or auto...
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