Patient Education

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

Posted on 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...
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Oral Care Probiotics and Periodontal Health: A Clinical Case Study

Posted on by Dr. Rachelle Beattie
How ProBiora Probiotics Turned Around a Severe Periodontal Case Periodontal disease can be notoriously difficult to treat, especially when it persists despite traditional and advanced therapies. This case study highlights how oral care probiotics, specifically ProBiora products, helped resolve a severe periodontal condition when other traditional methods failed. Patient Background A 52-year-old patient presented with a history of moderate to severe chronic periodontitis. Symptoms included b...
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Throwback: Side Effects Support LLC

Posted on by Jill Meyer-Lippert RDH
As I started my first job in dentistry, my mother received a breast cancer diagnosis and suffered horribly with oral side effects from chemotherapy. Her pain from severe dry mouth and mouth sores (oral mucositis) was dismissed by her oncology team as “just part of treatments.” She received no guidance on how to prevent or reduce her discomfort and there were no oral care strategies implemented to prevent long-term damage to her dental health. Through questioning other cancer survivors, I le...
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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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Throwback: Salivary Diagnostics for Gum Disease and Oral Cancer Risk Assessment

Posted on by Idelle S. Brand DDS, ND
Clinical laboratory testing is a common practice for the medical professional. DNA testing, including genetic testing, has led to healthier patients. Cross over to dentistry, and let’s review 2 examples of what’s available. Presently, in my office, we perform MyPerioID® IL-6, a test for the genetic marker interleukin 6 (IL-6) to screen for genetic risk of periodontal disease and a viral DNA test for the human papilloma virus (HPV) to screen for risk of oral cancer.  The collection is relativ...
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Protect Patient Health with Salivary Diagnostics

Posted on by Kathryn Gilliam
Persistent oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infections have been linked to an increased risk of oral and oropharyngeal cancer. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection. Over 200 strains of HPV have been identified. The high-risk types, HPV-16 and HPV-18 are associated with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). The CDC reports that HPV is responsible for approximately 70% of oropharyngeal cancer in the Unit...
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The Hidden Threat to Dental Implants: Why Ignoring Bacteria is a Risky Gamble – Part 2

Posted on by Michael Goldberg DMD
  In Part 1, we uncovered a hidden threat to dental implants—bacteria—and explored why so many providers overlook the critical step of testing for harmful pathogens before placement. Despite the clear risks, common objections like cost, insurance coverage, and lack of awareness often stand in the way. In Part 2, we’ll break down how to shift the conversation, overcome objections, and use ethical influence to help patients make the best decision for their long-term health. The truth i...
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The Hidden Threat to Dental Implants: Why Ignoring Bacteria is a Risky Gamble – Part 1

Posted on by Michael Goldberg DMD
    Dental implants are everywhere these days. But you know what else is popping up more often? Implant failures. Here’s the title of a recently promoted CE course: “Peri-Implantitis Badlands: Surviving the Wasteland of Failing Implants” It’s like Einstein said: Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. So, when a patient loses teeth due to periodontal disease, why in the world would we expect implants to be immun...
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