So You Want to Be a Dental Hygienist

Posted on October 24, 2025October 16, 2025 by Lisa Nitkowski, RDH

I have always referred to the dental hygiene profession as a hidden gem. Most people don’t truly understand what it means to be a dental hygienist — how special this profession is, not just for those of us who practice it, but for everyone we encounter along the way; whether they are our patients, teammates, or professional colleagues. When I entered dentistry twenty years ago as a dental assistant with no experience and no family background in healthcare, other than regular visits to my den...

Throwback: Chronic Anterior Inflammation

Posted on October 17, 2025October 16, 2025 by Daniela Yanez RDH

Challenge: The patient’s main concern was to reduce chronic inflammation around tooth #8 and #9. The patient previously had received treatment at a general dentist and a periodontist without significant improvement. Background: A new female patient, age 28, was last seen by another dentist about 3 years prior. Her home care consists of brushing twice daily with Tom’s of Maine® toothpaste and a Sonicare™ power toothbrush, and Crest® Pro-Health™ rinse with occasional flossing. Her family hi...

Transform Your Practice at the EMS GBT Summit

Posted on October 10, 2025October 3, 2025 by Jamie Griggs RDH

Many dental professionals find themselves trapped in a cycle of reactive periodontal care. Patients fall through the cracks, insurance limitations dictate treatment, and hygiene schedules are filled with routine prophylaxis rather than truly transformative periodontal therapy. These missed opportunities don’t just impact patient health—they also limit your practice’s revenue potential. EMS Dental recognizes the frustration of working harder without seeing the clinical or financial results...

Camp Hygiene: A Day of Learning, Inspiration, and Connection

Posted on October 3, 2025October 3, 2025 by Julia Dent, RDH

We're thrilled to share a continuing education event designed for your entire dental team: Camp Hygiene, hosted by Fortune Management in partnership with Patterson Dental. If you're a dental professional passionate about elevating your practice, mark your calendar for Camp Hygiene on Friday, October 17, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the UCI Research Park in Irvine, California. Why Attend? Hygiene is the lifeblood of any general dental practice, and Camp Hygiene provides a playbook f...

“Dental Hygienist Pay Up 20% Since 2020”: What That Really Means for Your Practice

Posted on September 26, 2025September 25, 2025 by Michael Goldberg DMD

Why This Should Concern Every Dentist and Hygienist Hygienist pay has risen 20% since 2020. That sounds great—until you realize that hygiene collectible production (not projected, not on paper, but truly collectible) must also rise by 20% just to keep pace. If reimbursements and fees haven’t increased by that much—and let’s be honest, they haven’t—then hygiene risks becoming a loss leader rather than a profit center. And if hygiene isn’t profitable, opportunities for growth—for both den...

Introducing Kenko Health, an Exciting Partnership With OralDNA for EU Logistics

Posted on September 19, 2025September 17, 2025 by Dr. Shania Seeber

While wandering around the IFM AIC in San Diego in June 2025, I stumbled upon a stand with a company that immediately piqued my interest! The stand belonged to OralDNA® and I was very excited to meet them! In my practice and teaching, I have always advocated for oral health as being a driver of systemic health and this lab ticked all my boxes. At the time, I was busy recruiting laboratories to add to a new diagnostic dispensary I was in the process of setting up called Kenko Health (Kenko...

Throwback: It’s Not JUST About the Science

Posted on September 12, 2025September 11, 2025 by Michael Goldberg DMD

At a time when “evidence-based” everything is all the rage; I would like to share my experience and philosophy in regard to salivary diagnostics. My approach comes from a non-scientific perspective garnered from my 40+ years of clinical experience. I come at it from both a trained scientific, human, psychological, patient management and pragmatic mindset. Several years back, I had a discussion with a well-respected career academic and journal editor about “evidence-based” medicine. He ...

Do We Really Need Antibiotics for Periodontal Disease?

Posted on September 5, 2025September 4, 2025 by Lee Sheldon DMD PA

When patients receive their OralDNA® MyPerioPath® test results, one of the most common questions is: “Why aren’t we prescribing antibiotics?” After all, the test identifies bacteria linked to periodontal (gum) disease. Shouldn’t antibiotics be the next step? Dr. Lee Sheldon explains that the answer often goes back to the root cause of periodontal disease itself. “Periodontal disease is the loss of support for the teeth. It comes primarily from bacteria that go below the gum line and lo...

Throwback: Communication is Key

Posted on August 29, 2025August 21, 2025 by Traci Warner, RDH

Periodontal disease is one of the most prevalent chronic inflammatory diseases in the United States and it is a key indicator of other systemic diseases. Dentistry has a significant role in reducing the impact of chronic disease in patients who trust their dental teams to guide them to total body health. From the first call and through every step of the patient experience, such as reviewing the medical history, the conversation should include the oral systemic connection. Dental teams a...

Interview with Dr. Jinita Parekh

Posted on August 22, 2025September 4, 2025 by Dr. Jinita Parekh

Dr. Ron McGlennen: How were you introduced to OralDNA® salivary diagnostics, and what motivated you to incorporate it into your practice? Dr. Jinita Parekh: I was introduced to salivary diagnostics back in 2019 through an online webinar. I was intrigued by the idea of my patients having a tangible resource to help them understand periodontal disease and its significant impact on the overall health when left untreated or mismanaged. Salivary diagnostics helps me better serve my patients by e...