Classic Periodontal Disease Reaches Remission

Posted on March 8, 2019May 20, 2021 by Kristi Case-Williamson RDH

Challenge: Several years of periodontal neglect revealed significant disease. Background: A 48-year-old female, new patient presented with the chief complaint of a broken mandibular molar with swelling that resolved temporarily when taking antibiotics for a sinus infection. The patient reported it has been several years since receiving dental care. The CT scan showed several teeth with periapical abscesses and furcation involvements. The periodontal assessment, including radiographs reve...

My Visit to OralDNA® Labs

Posted on March 1, 2019May 20, 2021 by Barb Krueger, RDH, MA

Have you ever wondered what happens to your patient’s saliva sample once it arrives at OralDNA® Labs? Many PDS®-supported offices have been using OralDNA® Labs to analyze the saliva of their patients, relative to the patient’s periodontal infection. This service gives them more information about the types and severity of a patient’s infection, which is the cause of periodontitis. Additionally, however, it tells us something about the bacterial load and a patient’s inflammatory response, w...

Interview with Ashley Leiterman

Posted on February 22, 2019May 20, 2021 by Ashley Leiterman RDH

Dr. McGlennen: Tell me how you use OralDNA® salivary diagnostics. Ashley RDH: I use OralDNA® salivary diagnostics to assist with the diagnosis and treatment planning of periodontal disease. The MyPerioPath® and Alert 2™ testing options are typically the tests we recommend most frequently. Dr. McGlennen: What are the top two things to consider when you select a patient for testing? Ashley RDH: I consider the history of their disease. I routinely recommend testing for any patient who ...

30 Years of Periodontal Maintenance with Relapse and Cardiovascular Complications

Posted on February 15, 2019May 20, 2021 by Kendra Linders RDH

Challenge: After decades of periodontal stability, the patient presented with a rapid advancement of pocketing and inflammation over a period of only 9 months. Background: A 60-year-old male maintaining periodontal health for over 30 years started to relapse. Upon periodontal assessment, there were increasing pockets throughout, especially around an implant, of 9mm. The gingiva was generally medium pink with rolled margins and spongy, erythematous papilla with isolated severe inflammatio...

Interview with Chelsea Gonzales, DDS

Posted on February 1, 2019May 20, 2021 by Chelsea Gonzales DDS

Dr. McGlennen: Tell me how you use OralDNA® salivary diagnostics. Dr. Gonzales: We use OralDNA® to create a customized plan for treating our patient’s periodontal disease. We also use it to gauge the success of their periodontal treatment and revised home care regimens. Salivary diagnostics enables us to treat the patient’s whole health by tying their periodontal condition to their medical history and treating the specific bacteria that could be contributing to multiple health conditions. ...

MyPerioProgress® – Your Road Map

Posted on January 25, 2019May 19, 2021 by Kimberly Babauta, RDH, BS, BCPA

Several years ago, Dr Herb Bader wrote: “The literature supports the advantages of determining the causative organisms in the biofilm, that induces the destructive inflammatory response (Haffajee, Tanner, Teles andSocransky, 2006). In addition, there is a considerable body of evidence supporting the accuracy and sensitivity of salivary testing as being virtually identical to sulcular samples. Work by Giannoble, Wong and others (2008) have confirmed this. Data from thousands of such tests has...

I Don’t Need That, We’re Already Getting Good Results

Posted on January 18, 2019May 19, 2021 by Richard H. Nagelberg, DDS

The enemy of optimal patient care is complacency. Why would anyone settle for good results when optimal results are so easily achieved? Put yourself in your patient’s place in the exam chair: would you then want only good enough? Patients trust their dental professionals to provide the voice in decision regarding their care. If given the choice between practicing blindly, with no information about the specific bacterial cause of their individual case of periodontal disease, and having the ba...

Genetic Testing with OralDNA® Labs

Posted on January 4, 2019May 19, 2021 by Diane Larson RDH, BSDH

Genetic testing refers to the analysis of human DNA, and has become commonplace in the practice of medicine. According to the National Institute of Health, in the future “genetic testing will be an important part of health care for many individuals…we will live in a time of more effective ‘personalized medicine’. Information from genetic testing will help to detect risk for disease, guide strategies for maintaining health, offer more accurate diagnosis, and guide treatment choices for a wide...

OraRisk® Caries: Identifying Bacteria for Risk Assessment

Posted on December 28, 2018May 20, 2021 by Matt Smith MS

Dental caries is defined as the progressive destruction of a tooth and is considered a major health issue in both adolescents and adults, in which reportedly 90% of the population is affected1. Cavities are formed when acid erodes the hard tissues of the teeth (enamel, dentin and cementum). Acid is produced in the mouth when certain bacteria, such as Streptococcus mutans, ferment sugars into acid. For decades, S. mutans was believed to be the main bacteria involved in caries initiation ...

“New Hat” for the RDH— Oral Systemic Health Educator & Certified Lifestyle Coach

Posted on December 14, 2018May 20, 2021 by Rick Hutchins DDS

Why would the Complete Health Registered Dental Hygiene team find themselves in inter-professional collaboration with the Certified Lifestyle Coach? The answer begins with understanding that the war raging inside of us is between chronic inflammation and the body’s own host response. We’re not aware of this war because it doesn’t hurt, and we can’t see its effects since it’s going on at a cellular, even a molecular level. The mouth happens to be a major battleground in this war. Unlike a ...