{"id":28791,"date":"2026-02-20T12:00:40","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T18:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/?p=28791"},"modified":"2026-02-12T12:42:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T18:42:11","slug":"throwback-oral-gut-connection-case-study-with-medical-emphasis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/2026\/02\/20\/throwback-oral-gut-connection-case-study-with-medical-emphasis\/","title":{"rendered":"Throwback: Oral Gut Connection Case Study with Medical Emphasis"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drdebbieozment.com\/about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-8586 size-full alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/TEDxUCO_2-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/TEDxUCO_2-1.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/TEDxUCO_2-1-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><b>The Challenge:<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This apparently healthy, muscular college student was suffering from brain fog, alternating constipation and diarrhea, bloating, decreased appetite, and low energy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He reports having trouble concentrating, which is interfering with his work.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He was referred to me by his mother, who attended my classes on Vitality.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>The Background:<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Age &amp; Gender:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 23-year-old Male<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Medical History:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Insignificant; no chronic illnesses. No pharmaceutical medications.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Family History:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> No significant family history.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Last Dental Exam:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> February 2020. He reports never having his \u201cgums measured\u201d or having been told that his gums were bleeding.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Home Care:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Brushes morning and bedtime; flosses \u201coccasionally.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Chief Complaint:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Brain fog, constipation, bloating, decreased appetite, low energy, and burping.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Other Notes:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Patient has been taking probiotics from the \u201cbig box store\u201d for six months in an effort to \u201cget back to feeling good and having energy to work out.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Clinical Assessment:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Head, neck, and oral exams reveal no apparent lymph node swelling, soft-tissue pathology, or dental decay. Teeth are in excellent condition and alignment; patient had interceptive orthodontics as a teenager. He has sealants but no other dental restorations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Periodontal Assessment:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> On observation, gingival tissue appears \u201cnormal\u201d but bleeds upon exploration. Without OralDNA\u00ae&#8217;s MyPerioPath\u00ae, this could have easily been a \u201cregular prophy\u201d due to the patient\u2019s age and assumed periodontal health. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Comprehensive Periodontal Exam revealed scattered 4 to 6 mm pockets with generalized bleeding. I always use Oraqix\u00ae when probing.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Medical Assessment:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Patient takes no medications and reports no previous health challenges. Blood pressure and pulse were normal.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>The Solution:<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Initial MyPerioPath:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 6\/24\/2021. Surprisingly, this patient had extreme levels of ten out of the eleven pathogens measured. This is the perfect example of the incredible value of this salivary diagnostic testing for precision care. I always tell my patients \u201cTest, don\u2019t guess!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8605\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/ozmentresults.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1303\" height=\"287\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/ozmentresults.png 1303w, https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/ozmentresults-300x66.png 300w, https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/ozmentresults-1024x226.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/ozmentresults-768x169.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1303px) 100vw, 1303px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Date of GI-MAP:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 7\/12\/2021. Based on the results of the patient\u2019s MyPerioPath saliva test, I recommended a GI-MAP stool test. It revealed overgrowth of dysbiotic bacteria to include Pseudomonas. Additionally, he has detectable levels of four of the nine bacteria tested to be \u201cautoimmune triggers,\u201d including Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn). Although Fusobacterium was not at \u201chigh\u201d levels in his gut, I have learned that any detectable level can be significant for health and vitality when coupled with high levels of Fusobacterium orally. The stool test also revealed high Candida spp and low Secretory IgA.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Periodontal Therapy:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> One-visit Scaling\/Root Planing with Diode Laser. Oraqix was utilized for anesthesia. Heavy bleeding was present in all areas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Systemic Antibiotics Used:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Metronidazole (Flagyl) 500 mg\/bid\/10 days. Instructions to avoid all alcohol while on this medication. We will reevaluate bacterial load in June 2022.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Medical Therapy:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Pharmaceutical-grade supplements to include Omega 3 Fatty Acids (for inflammation), 18-strain probiotics 350 Billion CFU stick pack on Sundays and Wednesdays, 30 Billion CFU in between (for gut dysbiosis), Vitamin K2\/D3 10,000 IU (for immunity; his level was 24) and Amino Acids (to enhance metabolic regulation).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Referrals:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> I gave him contact information for several local physicians who are familiar with MyPerioPath.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Home Care:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Electric toothbrush, interdental brush pics in two sizes, OraCare two-part rinse (chlorine dioxide), and extensive home care guidance. Personalized education to empower his \u201cwhy\u201d for developing this habit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Other Notes:<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Interestingly the patient reported that his \u201cproblems started just one month after taking Pepsid (famotidine).\u201d My therapy includes nutritional coaching to encourage him to enjoy more whole foods as well as \u201cRest and Digest\u201d mealtime strategies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Date of MyPerioProgress\u00ae (post-therapy test):<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> None to date.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>The Result:<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The patient\u2019s symptom resolution was swift, complete, and enduring. Within two weeks, his bloating resolved, his appetite and mental clarity returned, and he was full of energy. He has referred two of his colleagues. Four weeks post-therapy, he had only two bleeding points and was consistently using his home care regimen to keep the subgingival biofilm disrupted. Three months post-therapy revealed minimal bleeding and calculus on the mandibular incisor lingual area. He is now on a four-month recall. Gastrointestinal discomfort is so common that it is easily dismissed, especially in young people. MyPerioPath gives patients an excellent visual aid, especially when combined with medical research. This objective test gives people hope. That\u2019s exciting!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While writing this report, I texted him to see how he is feeling. He said that he \u201ccouldn\u2019t be happier with his health\u201d and that he often repeats my motto: \u201cVitality begins in the gut and the gut begins in the mouth.\u201d The research confirms this!<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Key Takeaways:<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn) is an anaerobic, gram-negative bacterium that has been repeatedly detected at colorectal tumor sites in higher abundance than surrounding histologically normal tissue.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This multifaceted bacterium engages with humans and other microorganisms in a wide range \u2013 from beneficially to detrimentally.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Studies globally provide insight on the interplay between Fn, other gut microbiota, barrier function, host inflammatory responses, and the suppression of host immunity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On a practical level, Fn is an oral bacterium that travels to the gut, where it generally exacerbates dysbiosis. If a patient is suffering from GI symptoms and their level of Fn is high in the gut, this bacterium must be treated in the mouth for sustained systemic health.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This insight has been very exciting for physicians in my area because OralDNA\u2019s MyPerioPath provides the \u201cmissing link\u201d for sustained treatment results and happy patients.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To date, I have yet to see high levels of Fn in the gut without significant levels in the mouth, via MyPerioPath testing. Therefore, I encourage all physicians to administer the test themselves in conjunction with their other medical testing. My recommendation is a first thing in the morning collection. This removes the question \u201cWas anything influencing the results?\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although most studies evaluating the oral-systemic link look at more severe periodontitis, early to moderate periodontal disease has a profound impact on gut health.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember, \u201cVitality begins in the gut, but the gut begins in the mouth!\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>The Research:<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BMC Microbiology (2020): \u201cOpportunistic detection of Fusobacterium nucleatum as a marker for early gut microbial dysbiosis <a href=\"https:\/\/bmcmicrobiol.biomedcentral.com\/track\/pdf\/10.1186\/s12866-02 0-01887-4.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/bmcmicrobiol.biomedcentral.com\/track\/pdf\/10.1186\/s12866-02 0-01887-4.pdf<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Current Opinion in Microbiology (2015): Fusobacterium nucleatum: a commensal-turned pathogen <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4323942\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4323942\/<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nature Reviews Microbiology (2019 \u2013 Harvard): Fusobacterium nucleatum \u2013 symbiont, opportunist and oncobacterium <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6589823\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6589823\/<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">American Society for Microbiology (2021): Fusobacterium nucleatum Secretes Outer Membrane Vesicles and Promotes Intestinal Inflammation <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC8092269\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC8092269\/<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Click <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=DCK9b01g5Yc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to View Dr. Ozment\u2019s Ted Talk: The Forgotten Orifice<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/get-started\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-28177 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/OralDNA_Banners-2-1024x293.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"215\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/OralDNA_Banners-2-1024x293.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/OralDNA_Banners-2-300x86.png 300w, https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/OralDNA_Banners-2-768x219.png 768w, https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/OralDNA_Banners-2-1536x439.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/OralDNA_Banners-2-2048x585.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We hope you enjoyed the throwback blog. This blog originally posted February 18th, 2022.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Challenge: This apparently healthy, muscular college student was suffering from brain fog, alternating constipation and diarrhea, bloating, decreased appetite, and low energy. He reports having trouble concentrating, which is interfering with his work. He was referred to me by his mother, who attended my classes on Vitality. The Background: Age &amp; Gender: 23-year-old Male <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/2026\/02\/20\/throwback-oral-gut-connection-case-study-with-medical-emphasis\/\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":86,"featured_media":8586,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[164,110,182],"tags":[61,165,17,112,3],"class_list":["post-28791","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-functional-medicine","category-salivary-diagnostics","category-throwback","tag-case-study","tag-functional-medicine","tag-oral-systemic-connection","tag-patient-education","tag-salivary-diagnostics"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/TEDxUCO_2-1.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7W16z-7un","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28791"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/86"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28791"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28791\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28814,"href":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28791\/revisions\/28814"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8586"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28791"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28791"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oraldna.com\/trends-in-salivary-testing\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28791"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}