RDH Spotlight: Oanh Pham, CPhT, RDH, BSDH

Posted on March 13, 2026March 5, 2026 by Oanh Pham, CPhT, RDH, BSDH

Dr. McGlennen: What inspired you to pursue a career in dental hygiene, and what do you find most rewarding about it? Oanh: I’ve always had a strong passion for helping others and initially pursued a career in nursing. Over time, I realized a career in dental hygiene has a better work life balance while still allowing me to make meaningful impacts on patients’ overall health. What I find most rewarding is knowing that my role goes beyond oral health. By treating periodontal disease, I’m also...

Medical Dental Collaboration for 2026

Posted on March 6, 2026February 18, 2026 by Patti DeMatteis, RDH, AS

Healthcare outcomes often suffer due to "siloed" practices. While the average patient may see five to eight different providers concurrently, they frequently fail to achieve optimal health because those providers are not working together. Congratulations, OralDNA testers on diagnosing and managing periodontal disease using objective salivary diagnostics. With an effective protocol in place, you are likely seeing a significant reduction in pathogens for most patients. However, when results...

RDH Spotlight: Heidy Esperansa Garcia, RDH

Posted on February 27, 2026February 5, 2026 by Heidy Esperansa Garcia, RDH

Dr. McGlennen: What inspired you to pursue a career in dental hygiene, and what do you find most rewarding about it? Heidy: Growing up, I had the most amazing relationship with my dental office, and it started with my dental hygienist. She was kind, knowledgeable, and made each visit feel comfortable, which sparked my interest in dental care. I loved the idea of being able to help people feel confident about their smiles and promote overall health, so I decided to pursue a career in dental ...

Throwback: Oral Gut Connection Case Study with Medical Emphasis

Posted on February 20, 2026February 12, 2026 by Debbie Ozment DDS MS, NBC-HWC, ABAAHP

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 & Gender: 23-year-old Male Medical History: Insignificant; no chronic illnesses. No pharmaceutical medica...

Secure Your Spot: Pure Perio in Nashville

Posted on February 13, 2026February 5, 2026 by Thomas Nabors DDS - Andrea Owens RDH

We’re excited to share an upcoming continuing education experience that brings periodontal care back to its roots while embracing where dentistry is headed next. Pure Perio, led by Dr. Tommy Nabors and Andrea Owens, RDH, BS, OFMT, is designed to reshape how dental teams understand and treat periodontal disease by taking an oral-systemic, evidence-based approach. About the Course Pure Perio delivers a comprehensive framework for treating periodontal disease as a systemic health issue, not a...

The iADS Forum 2026: Two Days. All Specialties. One Collaborative Vision.

Posted on February 6, 2026February 5, 2026 by Dr. Alan Farber, DDS

Join leading dental specialists from across the country for two days of advanced clinical education, interdisciplinary collaboration, and forward-thinking innovation at the iADS FORUM 2026. This exclusive event is designed for specialists who want to elevate their clinical impact, strengthen referral relationships, and stay at the forefront of modern dentistry. The iADS Forum 2026, held at YM Dental Lab in Chantilly, VA on May 15–16, is exactly that kind of gathering. Designed exclusively for...

Throwback: Why? What? How?

Posted on January 30, 2026January 29, 2026 by Michael Goldberg DMD

WHY?…WHAT?…HOW? This is a philosophy that is often taught in dental and hygiene schools: Diagnose, Treatment Plan, then Treat. And yet, immediately after this is taught, a focus is placed on learning treatment, or the HOW. And then upon graduation the focus also becomes on treatment and production. The diagnosis (WHY) and planning (WHAT) become secondary. They’re only an avenue to an end…Production, a means to an end. That’s where the money is. In a nutshell, that’s the problem with our...

When a “Hopeless” Tooth Isn’t Hopeless

Posted on January 23, 2026January 21, 2026 by Lee Sheldon DMD PA

A 45-year-old woman arrived in our office in significant pain. The day before, she had seen a dentist for a painful lower left central incisor. The recommendation was straightforward: extract the tooth and then see a periodontist. She refused. Instead, she searched for another option and drove nearly 50 miles to our office. The Clinical Picture She was hitting tooth #24 every time she closed her mouth—and it hurt badly. The gingival tissue was visibly swollen, and the tooth had Clas...

RDH Spotlight: Mohini Patel

Posted on January 16, 2026January 8, 2026 by Mohini Patel

Dr. McGlennen: What inspired you to pursue a career in dental hygiene, and what do you find most rewarding about it? Mohini: I pursued a career in dental hygiene because I was drawn to having a career involved in directly helping patients improve their daily habits and long-term health. I enjoy working directly with patients, am detail-oriented, and have a strong interest in periodontal care. The most rewarding aspect is empowering patients to feel more confident about themselves as well as...

Unexplained Infertility, Explained?

Posted on January 9, 2026January 8, 2026 by Dr. Neusha Najafi

Up to 30% of infertility cases remain classified as “unexplained” despite comprehensive reproductive evaluation. While this label often implies idiopathic dysfunction, it may instead reflect the limitations of current diagnostic frameworks, especially those that overlook chronic inflammation and microbial dysbiosis as contributors to reproductive failure. Emerging evidence suggests that oral health, systemic inflammation, and shared microbial exposure between partners may play a meaningfu...