How Do You Speak Testing? With Emily McCleary, RDH

Posted on June 16, 2023June 13, 2023 by Emily McCleary RDH

Patient Bio: Your 54-year-old female patient of record has been absent from your practice for 5 years. At the last appointment in 2018, this patient was going through a divorce, and it was recommended that the patient receive periodontal therapy. Now, the patient is emotionally and physically ready to address any concerns as she is caretaker for her mother who has Alzheimer’s. She is taking medication for blood pressure and fluctuating hormones. She does express an occasional bout of brain fog. ...

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...

The Oral Microbiome and Autoimmunity

Posted on May 5, 2023May 2, 2023 by Akil Palanisamy MD

The oral microbiome is made up of a diverse array of microorganisms that reside in the mouth. A sample of this diverse array can be collected by a simple oral rinse and gargle and specific microorganisms are identified by q-PCR analysis. Knowing this information can help clinicians better understand and potentially manage triggers for numerous autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune diseases are conditions in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in the body, leading to chronic inflam...

A Podcast For Your Mouth

Posted on April 28, 2023April 26, 2023 by Camille Zenobia PhD

I am the @oralhealthactivist and brainchild behind the ‘Let’s Get Oral’ Podcast. Although I am no dentist or hygienist, my PhD thesis was centered around Porphyromonas gingivalis endotoxin which led me on a circuitous pathway through oral pathology, oral immunology, oral hygiene, and clinical study in oral health. I have so much excitement to share about what we have been learning over the last 20 years that has not yet been adequately communicated. We are at a frontier regarding oral health...

Interview with Bianca Velayo DMD

Posted on April 21, 2023April 26, 2023 by Bianca Velayo DMD

Dr. McGlennen: Tell me how you were introduced to OralDNA® salivary diagnostics. Bianca Velayo DMD: As a Pacific Dental Services (PDS)-Supported Clinician, I am thankful to be part of an organization that embraces the Mouth-Body Connection®. PDS teamed up with OralDNA® Labs to offer testing to our patients and I first began incorporating it into my practice in 2018. Dr. McGlennen: What are the top two things to consider when you select a patient for testing? Bianca Velayo DMD: In my...

There Is More in The Head Than The Mouth

Posted on February 24, 2023February 24, 2023 by Angie Stone BS RDH

Many dental professionals cut the body off just below the nose! However, research has connected systemic health to the many things below the mouth. The oral systemic link is real, and we all know that and salivary diagnostics helps us connect the dots. Dental professionals spend time educating patients about the links between oral health and heart health, diabetes, and preterm low birth weight babies, to name a few. And now research is connecting oral health to structures above the mouth…nam...

Dentulu to Level Up Patient-Initiated Dental Care Through Salivary Testing

Posted on February 17, 2023February 13, 2023 by Arash Hakhamian DDS

Dentulu, the nation’s leading teledentistry platform, was featured as the "Best of Class" Teledentistry platform by Cellarant the 2020 and 2021 American Dental Association meetings. Its comprehensive teledentistry application provides teledentistry solutions direct to consumers and refers screened patients to local dental offices in its network. Dentulu fights to bridge the gap between patients and dental professionals. With the steady growth in the adoption of teledentistry propelled by the ...

How Do You Speak Testing? With Yemia White RDH

Posted on February 3, 2023January 19, 2023 by Yemia White BSDH RDH

Patient Bio: Your new male patient, age 45, presents with the below findings. He has smoked 1 pack per day for the past 25 years. Upon medical history review you discover his blood pressure and cholesterol are being controlled by medication. He confides that his father passed away at age 53. How would you introduce therapy including MyPerioPath® to this patient? Mr. Smith, thank you for allowing us to collect pertinent information for your comprehensive oral health assessment. May I ...

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 ...

AAOSH Hot Topics 2023: Don’t Be Left Out in the Cold—Attend!!!

Posted on January 13, 2023January 9, 2023 by Diane Larson RDH, BSDH

The American Academy for Oral Systemic Health began in 2010 with a simple mission: Connecting medicine and dentistry to save lives. Since the beginning, professionals from all aspects of health care have been sharing their expertise to achieve the mission of saving lives. If you are reading this blog, you may have previously attended an AAOSH event or at minimum you have thought about attending. But, new breakthroughs are constantly being made in this field. Here’s a taste of what you will e...