How Do You Speak Testing? with Judith Nwagwu RDH

Posted on January 6, 2023January 5, 2023 by Judith Nwagwu RDH

Patient Bio: Your female patient, age 63, struggles as she enters the operatory. You have been seeing her for 4 years. Her wheezing and appearance of being out of breath are due to her new diagnosis of COPD. She is recently widowed. How would you introduce therapy including Alert 2™ testing to this patient? Welcome to our office where we are big advocates of the Mouth Body Connection™. We are not just here for your teeth and gums, but also your overall health and wellness. We would love to h...

“Biohacking” Our Genes Using Celsus One™ and Nrf2 Activation

Posted on December 30, 2022December 27, 2022 by Kimberly Hubenette DDS MAGD

In my practice, I am a “biohacker,” helping my patients become healthy at the cellular level, using biomarkers, saliva tests, blood work, and new-age supplements; hacking the genetic code to help my patients live a preventive lifestyle. I often tell my patients that their mouth is an indication of their internal body tissue health. Incorporating the genetic analysis from the Celsus One™ report helps me establish personalized health recommendations utilizing genetic risk factors related to th...

How to do you speak Risk of Cancer and Periodontal Disease to your patients?

Posted on December 23, 2022December 16, 2022 by Michael C. Rogers, DDS

Dr. McGlennen: Cancer is a word that receives a lot of attention. There are walks, runs and bike rides every day to raise awareness of various types of cancers and billions of dollars are spent on research directed to improve diagnosis and treatments. As health care professionals, we should perform a cancer risk assessment for each patient with a goal to reduce the patient’s risk and to find cancers earlier when cure is more likely. One way that the dental office can contribute to ...

Dental as a Missing Link for Medical Failures

Posted on December 9, 2022December 6, 2022 by Simon Yu MD

Do you want to live a longer, healthier life without chronic aches, pain, or chronic illness? Your oral cavity, gums, and dental status can provide an ample “mouthful of evidence” of your health status. Your physician most likely overlooked the dental-oral connection to your health. Medical doctors rely on dentists to care for your teeth, and common procedures can lead to making your health worse over time. Hidden dental problems may be as bad as or worse for your health than obesity, hyperte...

The Oral Systemic Connection: A Risk Reduction Approach

Posted on December 2, 2022November 18, 2022 by Anne O. Rice

I have greatly enjoyed being a dental hygienist for over 30 years. Something that still fascinates me is the oral health and whole-body health connections. As a constant student, I have studied bidirectional and causal relationships amongst oral pathogens and a host of chronic diseases. In fact, over two decades ago, the surgeon general spoke about periodontal disease effects, and we now know there are established associations to 57 adverse health conditions, associated with periodontal dise...

Interview with Functional Medicine, International Leader Pete Williams

Posted on November 25, 2022November 21, 2022 by Pete Williams

Dr. McGlennen: You started incorporating OralDNA® testing services into your care in Spring 2018. Tell me how you were introduced to OralDNA® salivary diagnostics and why do you use the testing services. Pete Williams: We first became aware of the OralDNA® testing services at a Functional Medicine conference in the US. As a Functional Medicine practice, we are aware of how oral health can have a systemic effect on chronic disease and its management. We have been following the research ove...

Why Vitamin D? Why Not!

Posted on November 18, 2022November 17, 2022 by Diane Larson RDH, BSDH

The human body is magnificent. For as much as we know about human physiology, there is an even greater number of processes that we don’t fully understand. I am grateful for the researchers/investigators that continue to explore what makes us function. One of my personal mottos, and I hope you add it to yours, is “The more we know, the better we can be and the better we can treat our patients.” The importance of Vitamin D is one of ever-evolving understandings. The more we discover, the more w...

Oral Hygiene and Cognition By: Ram Rao, PhD

Posted on November 11, 2022November 10, 2022 by Rammohan Rao PhD

A nice, friendly smile is visually attractive and is also a sign of good oral hygiene practice and cognitive health. Numerous studies have found a close connection between poor oral hygiene and dementia. Studies have found that those with poor oral hygiene practices are at higher risk for dementia, and dementia patients are at higher risk for developing gum disease. Poor oral hygiene and inadequate nutrition are likely the primary drivers for the risk of gum disease in dementia patients, par...

Dental Hygiene: Looking Beyond

Posted on November 4, 2022November 2, 2022 by Barbara Tritz RDH

Dental health has never been more important. We know the mouth plays a critical role in systemic health. It is a bellwether for what is really happening deep within the body. The mouth is the proverbial “canary in the coal mine.” The infections we see clinically are symptoms of bigger problems, and vice versa; inflammation in the mouth affects the entire body. We know: 50% of the US population has some level of gum disease.1 Dementia affects 55 million people worldwide, and this n...

Unlock the Secret to Successful Medical – Dental Collaboration

Posted on October 28, 2022December 1, 2022 by Geralyn Beers RDH BS FAAOSH

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is on the rise in the United States. Until now it has been thought to be a terminal disease with no cure. However, all that is changing with the development of a precision medicine method called ReCODE (Reversal of COgnitive DEcline). This cutting-edge method has been taught around the world to physicians & health coaches and now the dental team has an exciting opportunity to get involved. As the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., AD is the most common type...