Consumer-Friendly Lab Reports

Posted on October 6, 2023October 5, 2023 by Kimberly Babauta, RDH, BS, BCPA

Clinical lab reports have come a long way since their inception. In the past, lab reports were typically written for healthcare professionals. They often contained medical jargon and technical terms that were difficult for patients to understand. However, with the advent of new technology as well as the increasing importance of patient-centered healthcare, the trend towards more consumer-friendly lab reports has emerged. One key factor triggering the trend towards consumer-friendly lab re...

Microbiology Terminology

Posted on March 24, 2023March 22, 2023 by Kimberly Babauta, RDH, BS, BCPA

MyPerioPath® is a laboratory test that screens an oral rinse specimen collection for specific bacteria known to cause periodontal disease. Bacteria are often described using their scientific name, by categorizing as gram-negative or gram-positive, and by identifying their shape. These descriptors provide us with useful information about each bacterium. For example, it is plausible that motile bacteria are more resistant to localized treatment due to their ability to move away from areas whe...

Microbiology 101

Posted on January 3, 2020May 20, 2021 by Kimberly Babauta, RDH, BS, BCPA

MyPerioPath® is a laboratory test widely used by health care professionals to screen for pathogens that cause both periodontal and systemic infections. The rich report provided to clinicians includes an easy to read histogram showing the types and quantities of 11 specific periodontal pathogens detected from a simple saliva sample. Two frequent questions about MyPerioPath®’s histogram will be discussed in this week’s blog. First, what is the full name of each bacteria listed on each repor...

Microbiology Terminology

Posted on July 19, 2019May 20, 2021 by Kimberly Babauta, RDH, BS, BCPA

MyPerioPath® is a laboratory test that screens saliva for specific bacteria known to cause periodontal disease. Bacteria are often described using their scientific name, by categorizing as gram-negative or gram-positive, and by identifying their shape. These descriptors provide us with useful information about each bacteria. For example, it is plausible that motile bacteria are more resistant to localized treatment due to their ability to move away from areas where the environment does not ...

Do You Speak HPV? Part 3

Posted on April 19, 2019May 20, 2021 by Kimberly Babauta, RDH, BS, BCPA

In my previous blog, I explored three common positive responses I’ve encountered from patients when offering a test for oral HPV and how I would respond to them. In this blog, I will address some of the objections from patients and how I would further educate the patient about oral HPV and testing options. Patient 1: I don’t think I need that test. I’ve never been exposed. Response 1: I understand but in case you’re ever curious, remember we have this potentially life-saving service ...

Do You Speak HPV? Part 2

Posted on April 12, 2019May 20, 2021 by Kimberly Babauta, RDH, BS, BCPA

Dental clinicians have been on the front lines of oral cancer prevention and early detection for many years. We have been trained to do very thorough oral cancer exams and to use various light systems to visualize tissue changes; however, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation, the death rate for oral cancers has remained higher than that of many other types of cancers which we hear about routinely.1 Many studies support that the human papilloma virus (HPV) is responsible for a large number...

Do You Speak HPV? Part 1

Posted on April 5, 2019May 20, 2021 by Kimberly Babauta, RDH, BS, BCPA

Dental professionals are often uncomfortable approaching patients on topics that are unfamiliar or that feel outside the realm of “traditional” dentistry. One such topic is Human papillomavirus (HPV). As a hygienist of 40 plus years, I can tell you this topic never came up in my education. Several years ago, I had to educate myself about this near epidemic viral infection. Most importantly, I had to step out of my comfort zone to find a way to share this crucial knowledge with my patients...

MyPerioProgress® – Curve Up Ahead

Posted on March 15, 2019May 20, 2021 by Kimberly Babauta, RDH, BS, BCPA

When utilizing salivary diagnostic testing, most cases we encounter will “fit the mold”. We will also encounter many unique cases where we must expand our horizons and consider other possibilities for our patients’ responses to treatment. In my career, I have found these types of cases to be the most rewarding. In my recent blog, MyPerioProgress®-Your Road Map, we reviewed a scenario where a patient’s periodontal therapy outcome and the bacterial profiles were not aligned after treatment - ...

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...