Patient Education

Systemic Inflammation, Elevated hs-CRP, and Oral Bacterial Pathogens Decrease After Two Years of Natural Dental Health Treatments: A Case Study

Posted on by Cass Nelson-Dooley MS, Ellie Campbell DO
Heart Disease Begins in the Mouth High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is the most clear, quantifiable, and readily accessible marker of the oral-systemic connection. We present a case study of an otherwise healthy 62-year-old woman with elevated hs-CRP who had abundant numbers of pathogenic oral bacteria. A natural dental health treatment over two years lowered hs-CRP and lowered oral pathogens. Given the links between oral disease, inflammation, and heart disease, it is wise to ...
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The Doctor-Hygienist Hand-Off

Posted on by Jeanette Kern DDS
As a formerly practicing hygienist and now a dentist, I am respectfully sensitive to the time constraints and importance of the information exchange during a periodic exam in the hygienist’s treatment room. My team and I developed, practice, and teach this exchange for thoroughness, patient benefit, and emphasis of our professionalism. When the doctor enters the hygienist’s treatment room, the hygienist is to highlight and summarize her findings in the most efficient and effective verbiag...
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Be the Guide, Not the Hero

Posted on by Debbie Ozment DDS MS, NBC-HWC, ABAAHP
We care deeply for our patient family and are oral-systemic experts.  Because we have invested enormous amounts of time and money in quality education, we know best what people need for strong teeth and a long health span.  Our patients appreciate this and always listen intently to what we tell them they need to do.  They happily reach into their wallets and hand us their credit card.  Right? In my 34 years of clinical experience: Wrong!  People buy what they want, not necessarily what they ...
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How do you speak Cardiovascular Disease and Periodontal Disease to your patients?

Posted on by Barb McClatchie DDS
Dr. McGlennen: There is consensus within the medical and dental community that periodontal bacteria contribute to the initiation, progression and prognosis of cardiovascular disease. From key studies, including prospective, retrospective and even meta-analysis studies, persons with untreated periodontal infections have up to a 20% increase in their risk of coronary vascular disease.1 The multiple of risk for stroke (1.74-2.85 fold) and peripheral vascular disease (1.41-2.27 fold) is equal or...
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Nobody Has Ever Done that Before

Posted on by Lee Sheldon DMD PA
In this era of trying to differentiate yourself from the provider down the street, a simple solution is incorporating OralDNA® salivary testing services.  Imagine a patient who has had periodontal disease and has seen several dentists and periodontists in the past.  They may have been told they have pockets, but what do pockets mean to a patient?  Perhaps a lot, but only if they have been properly educated about the consequences of a pocket deepening. Let’s look at this from another persp...
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To Threshold or Not to Threshold

Posted on by Diane Larson RDH, BSDH
OralDNA® providers frequently comment that some patients will say “I am below those black lines so I must be okay.” To help overcome this obstacle, the MyPerioPath® results have an option to display the threshold lines (black lines) or have them removed. There are benefits to both versions. This blog will provide sample verbiage a clinician can use both when the thresholds are present and when the thresholds are removed. To serve as a refresher and from a previous blog “What is the Therap...
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How do you speak Risk of Cancer and Periodontal Disease with your patients?

Posted on 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 contr...
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Interview with Richard Zbaraschuk DDS

Posted on by Richard Zbaraschuk DDS
Dr. McGlennen: Tell me how you use OralDNA® salivary diagnostics. Richard Zbaraschuk, DDS: For each patient we utilize chairside microscopy. When I see mature biofilms and/or Fn (Fusobacterium nucleatum), yeast, white blood cells (WBC), or spirochetes with the aid of the microscope, or the patient has consistent bleeding upon probing, I’ll make the recommendation of OralDNA® testing.  All new patients are given the MyPerioPath® brochure so they know all the options for testing that our of...
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How do you speak Metabolic Health/Diabetes and Periodontal Disease to Your Patients?

Posted on by Elizabeth Farber RDH
Dr. McGlennen: Many resources confirm a bi-directional relationship between periodontal disease and Type II diabetes; which in simple terms means if you have one, you will most likely have the other. Elevated levels of periodontal bacteria can directly cause hyperglycemia.1 Long term, the inflammation associated with increased pathogen burden can affect the health of the pancreas. Specifically, there is the risk of the loss of beta cells that produce insulin and respond to elevated blood glu...
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Flower Power: A Less Aggressive Approach

Posted on by Ellie Phillips DDS
When OralDNA® testing indicates worrisome levels of periodontal pathogens, we may want to consider a dentally counter-cultural idea that can help avoid the need for aggressive antibiotics and antiseptics. Most dental professionals believe periodontal disease cannot be cured, yet a more holistic approach has been shown to overcome periodontal pathogens and may offer a way to avoid the continuous cycles of treatment to control re-infection. Our understanding of human bacteria changed as the Human ...
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