Patient Education

Words of Wisdom with Doug Thompson DDS

Posted on by Doug Thompson DDS
Every patient is different. Overcoming a patient’s obstacles to treatment may take some finesse. The diagnosis and treatment plan are typically the easier task. In this series, we have asked the experts from our Protocol Directory, “How would they help the patient overcome their obstacle(s)?” When we asked Dr. Doug Thompson from Wellness Dentistry Network to respond to “But it doesn’t hurt” (when diagnosing periodontal disease), here is his approach. This is one of the most difficult reali...
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Words of Wisdom by Sheena Hinson RDH

Posted on by Sheena Hinson RDH
Every patient is different. Overcoming a patient’s obstacles to treatment may take some finesse. The diagnosis and treatment plan are typically the easier task. In this series, we have asked the experts from our Protocol Directory, “How would they help the patient overcome their obstacle(s)?” Patient: “Will my insurance cover this?” This is one of the greater dilemmas in the dental industry. It’s a roadblock disguised as access to care for many patients. For years, they have been misle...
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May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Posted on by Abby Middleton
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. In a recent survey of dentists done by the Journal of International Society of Preventive & Community Dentistry, 71% had anxiety-related symptoms, 60% had depression-related symptoms, and 92% had symptoms of stress. Dentists working in the independent sector had more psychological symptoms compared with those in the public sector. Overall, 92% of the dentists were experiencing some form of psychological symptoms. We must bring awareness to these stat...
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Dental Hygiene Student Discovers the Value of OralDNA® Testing

Posted on by Kayla Rauschert, RDH
Challenge: To reduce periodontal pathogens in the oral cavity that are contributing to severe periodontal inflammation, improve oral malodor as reported by the patient and remove unsightly calculus buildup that is harboring oral pathogens. Introduction: In Fall of 2021, I had the pleasure of learning about OralDNA® Labs’ testing from my instructor Jamie Griggs of Colorado Northwestern Community College (CNCC). Before knowing anything about OralDNA® or how the process works, I wondered why...
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Dental Hygiene Student Helps Manage Periodontal Disease Through MyPerioPath® Testing

Posted on by Andrea Farago, RDH
Challenge: To reduce periodontal pathogens in the oral cavity that are contributing to severe periodontal inflammation and tissue sensitivity. Background: The patient is a 33-year-old female with a history of treatment for ovarian cancer. The patient presented with severely inflamed gingiva with generalized extreme heavy bleeding upon gentle probing. Upon touch, there was generalized sensitivity. For the patient’s home care routine, she states that she practices daily toothbrushing and in...
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Interview with Madison Afsari, RDH

Posted on by Madison Afsari RDH
Dr. McGlennen: Please tell me how and why you became interested to incorporate OralDNA® testing at your practice. Madison RDH: Our dental hygiene team wanted a way to determine exactly what type of bacteria our patients have in their mouths, so we can treat them the best way possible. Dr. McGlennen: What do you see as the biggest benefits to using salivary diagnostics in your practice? Madison RDH: The biggest benefit for us is being able to reduce patients' overall bacterial load i...
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How Do You Speak Testing? With Katherine Gutierrez RDH

Posted on by Katherine Gutierrez
Patient Bio: Your patient is 34 years old, and she is new to your practice. She recently moved back to the area to be closer to her father who was recently diagnosed with dementia. Her partner and two children will also be joining your practice soon. She is not taking any medications and her last dental visit was before she moved about 9 months ago. She presents with these clinical signs. How would you introduce therapy including MyPerioPath® to this patient? In our practice, the doc...
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Words of Wisdom from Lee Sheldon DDS

Posted on by Lee Sheldon DMD PA
Every patient is different. Overcoming a patient’s obstacles to treatment may take some finesse. The diagnosis and treatment plan are typically the easier task. In this series, Words of Wisdom, we have asked the experts from our Protocol Directory “How would you help your patient overcome their obstacle(s)?” Patient: “But it doesn’t hurt!” Dr. Lee Sheldon: Helping the patient see what might be harming them even though it doesn’t hurt them can be more easily achieved by using a phase co...
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How do You Speak Testing? With Dr. Michael Perpich

Posted on by Michael Perpich DDS
Patient Bio: A 24-year-old male new patient, who recently graduated is seeking treatment. His chief complaint is crowding and a bothersome #14 which had endodontic treatment 7 years prior. His periodontal clinical signs are listed below. The patient hasn’t seen a medical doctor in two years as his studies were very demanding. His blood pressure today is 108/73. How would you introduce therapy including Alert 2™ to this patient? In reviewing your exam, it looks like you have several a...
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Vitality Mindset Made Simple Podcast

Posted on by Debbie Ozment DDS MS, NBC-HWC, ABAAHP
We all want to enjoy a life of relevance and energy. But, stress, toxins, and chronic inflammation can slowly plunder vitality. Staying healthy can often seem confusing, expensive, and no fun. The mental, physical, and emotional stressors of life are unavoidable, causing fatigue and accelerating aging. Confusing health information makes it difficult to know what to do or even where to start. Life is just too short to miss out on vitality. As a clinical dentist for over 36 years, I understand ...
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