Personalized Patient Care

The Mouth Is Talking. Are We Listening?

Posted on by Dr. Valerie Kanter, DMD, MS; Dr. Mary Ellen Chalmers, DMD, IFMCP; Dr. Staci Whitman, DMD, IFMCP
For decades, dentistry has focused solely on what we can see. Lesions, pockets, radiolucencies, and wear patterns have guided our treatment planning and shaped the way we understand disease. These visual cues are essential, but what if the most important data about our patients’ health has been communicated all along through the oral microbiome and revealed through… SPIT? At the Institute for Functional Dentistry (IFD), we teach dentists systems biology and timeline medicine, creating a s...
Read More

Flying Blind: A Wake-Up Call – Part Two

Posted on by Michael Goldberg DMD
In Part 1 of this series, Dr. Michael Goldberg urged dental professionals to return to their scientific roots and rethink their diagnostic habits. Now, in Part 2, he turns his attention to another critical gap in care: what happens once the patient leaves the chair. Diagnosis without follow-through leaves patients—and practices—vulnerable. In this installment, Dr. Goldberg explores how to bridge that gap with personalized care, modern tools, and the right conversations that truly empower ...
Read More

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...
Read More

Practicing Dental Medicine: The Partnership with a Clinical Laboratory

Posted on by Diane Larson RDH, BSDH
If you are reading this article, you were likely born in a country and era where medical testing is a routine part of healthcare. From birth, data collection begins with tracking weight and height, followed by simple blood tests to screen for potential concerns. As we progress through life, additional tests are conducted based on signs and symptoms, reflecting a reactive approach essential for treating existing conditions. On the other hand, some tests are used proactively to intercept disea...
Read More