A Total Health Approach at a Reasonable Price: An Interview with Dr. Isaac Comfortes DDS

Posted on December 25, 2020May 20, 2021 by Isaac Comfortes DDS

Dr. McGlennen: Tell me how you use OralDNA salivary diagnostics. Dr. Comfortes: I started utilizing salivary diagnostics in 2013. Since then, my approach has concentrated on total health, which I discuss during every patient consult. Without the use of OralDNA® salivary diagnostics, the total health conversation would be difficult. First, I ask the patient if they understand the importance of the test. Then I address the levels of bacteria and how that is expressed in their gum health. We d...

2021 Hot Topics In Oral Systemic Health Keynote

Posted on December 11, 2020May 20, 2021 by Chris A Knobbe MD

On Saturday, January 16, 2021, I am honored to conduct a keynote presentation for the AAOSH 2021 “Hot Topics” event. In this 20-minute presentation, my goal is to change your life in a powerful and meaningful way. My attempt to achieve the unachievable, is to convey a message that man-made, processed, nutrient-deficient, and toxic foods (yes toxic, or ‘noxious,’ if you’re a purist) are driving almost every major chronic disease with which you are aware. Yes, heart disease, strokes, hypertens...

Interview with Dawnie Kildoo, DDS, MAGD

Posted on November 27, 2020May 20, 2021 by Dawnie Kildoo, DDS, MAGC

Dr. McGlennen: Tell me how you use OralDNA® salivary diagnostics. Dr. Kildoo: We perform a MyPerioPath® on every patient with signs of periodontal disease. It gives us a more accurate diagnosis and helps us understand possible risk factors for other systemic diseases such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes and strokes. Recently, we have been sending the results to the patient’s physician to help them better understand the oral-systemic connection, too. Dr. McGlennen: What has been the ...

The Game Has Changed!

Posted on October 30, 2020May 20, 2021 by ToPS Institute/ No More Hygiene

With all the factors that impact consumers today, the case acceptance equation has shifted. There are some new rules to the game. Getting your team on board with important innovations and techniques such as salivary diagnostics and systems for being a “yes” practice has never been more critical. Total Immersion Online and No More Hygiene Online for the entire team are events where we take your case acceptance skills to where they need to be to hear “Yes” today! Here is what you and your t...

Things I Wish Were Different About Dentistry

Posted on October 16, 2020May 20, 2021 by Tim Donley DDS

It is time to change. It is time to leave behind the limited image of the dentist as the senior member of the oral hygiene police with the dental hygienist as the loyal foot soldier in the war against plaque. It is time to stop admonishing patients that if they do not floss their teeth will fall out. It is time to get more serious about dentistry. Helping people keep their teeth was a justifiable goal for dentistry 50 years ago. Even a conservative interpretation of the available evid...

Interview with Dental Creations Dental Hygiene Team

Posted on October 2, 2020May 20, 2021 by Dental Creations RDH team

Dr. McGlennen: Tell me how OralDNA® salivary diagnostics fits into your practice. Dental Creations RDH team: We encourage MyPerioPath® testing for all patients that have 5+ mm pockets and 8 or more areas of bleeding on probing. We explain to the patient that our goal is to identify any pathogens that are detrimental to the whole body, but also to be able to treatment plan according to those specific pathogens to manage them. In addition, we explain these measures are to avoid the ...

Doctor-Patient Communication: Basic Expectations and Principles

Posted on August 28, 2020May 20, 2021 by Vicki Moto

«The patient will never care how much you know until they know how much you care. » - S.Terry Canale, MD Compassionate and effective doctor-patient communication is a key factor influencing therapeutic relationships. Today’s doctors face numerous challenges that impede patient-doctor relationships. For example, they must maintain clinical productivity while effectively treating their patients. Can they afford less time with each patient while doing so? Effective doctor-patient commu...

3 Pillars of Protection in the COVID 19 Pandemic

Posted on July 10, 2020May 20, 2021 by Gwen Smukowski, RDH, BS, MBA

Flashback: Friday the 13th of March 2020, COVID-19 is sweeping the globe – sickness, death, and economic destruction in its pathway. Educated and concerned dental professionals are stopped in their tracks with little scientific guidance as to how COVID-19 will impact the industry. Anxiously, we wait. The media bombards us with horrific accounts of how the virus has perplexed and overwhelmed the medical community. Fear-ridden, we wait. Dentistry is flooded with webinars, best practice protoco...

Communication is Key

Posted on May 15, 2020May 20, 2021 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...

Side Effects Support LLC

Posted on April 17, 2020May 20, 2021 by Jill Meyer-Lippert RDH

As I started my first job in dentistry, my mother received a breast cancer diagnosis and suffered horribly with oral side effects from chemotherapy. Her pain from severe dry mouth and mouth sores (oral mucositis) was dismissed by her oncology team as “just part of treatments.” She received no guidance on how to prevent or reduce her discomfort and there were no oral care strategies implemented to prevent long-term damage to her dental health. Through questioning other cancer survivors, I le...