The Doctor-Hygienist Hand-Off

Posted on October 25, 2019May 20, 2021 by Jeanette Kern DDS

As a formerly practicing hygienist and now a dentist, I am respectfully sensitive to the time constraints and importance of the information exchange during a periodic exam in the hygienist’s treatment room. My team and I developed, practice, and teach this exchange for thoroughness, patient benefit, and emphasis of our professionalism. When the doctor enters the hygienist’s treatment room, the hygienist is to highlight and summarize her findings in the most efficient and effective verbiag...

Be the Guide, Not the Hero

Posted on October 11, 2019May 20, 2021 by Debbie Ozment DDS MS, NBC-HWC, ABAAHP

We care deeply for our patient family and are oral-systemic experts. Because we have invested enormous amounts of time and money in quality education, we know best what people need for strong teeth and a long health span. Our patients appreciate this and always listen intently to what we tell them they need to do. They happily reach into their wallets and hand us their credit card. Right? In my 34 years of clinical experience: Wrong! People buy what they want, not necessarily what they ...

How do you speak Cardiovascular Disease and Periodontal Disease to your patients?

Posted on October 4, 2019August 14, 2024 by Barb McClatchie DDS

Dr. McGlennen: There is consensus within the medical and dental community that periodontal bacteria contribute to the initiation, progression and prognosis of cardiovascular disease. From key studies, including prospective, retrospective and even meta-analysis studies, persons with untreated periodontal infections have up to a 20% increase in their risk of coronary vascular disease.1 The multiple of risk for stroke (1.74-2.85 fold) and peripheral vascular disease (1.41-2.27 fold) is equal or...

Nobody Has Ever Done that Before

Posted on September 27, 2019May 20, 2021 by Lee Sheldon DMD PA

In this era of trying to differentiate yourself from the provider down the street, a simple solution is incorporating OralDNA® salivary testing services. Imagine a patient who has had periodontal disease and has seen several dentists and periodontists in the past. They may have been told they have pockets, but what do pockets mean to a patient? Perhaps a lot, but only if they have been properly educated about the consequences of a pocket deepening. Let’s look at this from another persp...

Traditional Periodontal Disease Case Study

Posted on September 20, 2019May 20, 2021 by Brain Davey DDS

Challenge: Patient with extremely limited history of dental care presents seeking dental wellness. Although patient is anxious, she is highly motivated to create a healthier dental foundation. Background: A 33-year-old woman with history of acid reflux, seasonal allergies and anemia is seeking to better her dental care. The patient has limited recollection of any dental care in her life, even childhood. The patient’s home care consists of manual tooth brushing 1-2 times per day with the ...

To Threshold or Not to Threshold

Posted on September 13, 2019November 3, 2021 by Diane Larson RDH, BSDH

OralDNA® providers frequently comment that some patients will say “I am below those black lines so I must be okay.” To help overcome this obstacle, the MyPerioPath® results have an option to display the threshold lines (black lines) or have them removed. There are benefits to both versions. This blog will provide sample verbiage a clinician can use both when the thresholds are present and when the thresholds are removed. To serve as a refresher and from a previous blog “What is the Therap...

How do you speak Risk of Cancer and Periodontal Disease with your patients?

Posted on September 6, 2019August 14, 2024 by Michael C. Rogers, DDS

Dr McGlennen: Cancer is a word that receives a lot of attention. There are walks, runs and bike rides every day to raise awareness of various types of cancers and billions of dollars are spent on research directed to improve diagnosis and treatments. As health care professionals, we should perform a cancer risk assessment for each patient with a goal to reduce the patient’s risk and to find cancers earlier when cure is more likely. One way that the dental office can contr...

Interview with Richard Zbaraschuk DDS

Posted on August 23, 2019May 20, 2021 by Richard Zbaraschuk DDS

Dr. McGlennen: Tell me how you use OralDNA® salivary diagnostics. Richard Zbaraschuk, DDS: For each patient we utilize chairside microscopy. When I see mature biofilms and/or Fn (Fusobacterium nucleatum), yeast, white blood cells (WBC), or spirochetes with the aid of the microscope, or the patient has consistent bleeding upon probing, I’ll make the recommendation of OralDNA® testing. All new patients are given the MyPerioPath® brochure so they know all the options for testing that our of...

How do you speak Metabolic Health/Diabetes and Periodontal Disease to Your Patients?

Posted on August 9, 2019August 14, 2024 by Elizabeth Farber RDH

Dr. McGlennen: Many resources confirm a bi-directional relationship between periodontal disease and Type II diabetes; which in simple terms means if you have one, you will most likely have the other. Elevated levels of periodontal bacteria can directly cause hyperglycemia.1 Long term, the inflammation associated with increased pathogen burden can affect the health of the pancreas. Specifically, there is the risk of the loss of beta cells that produce insulin and respond to elevated blood glu...

A Periodontist’s Nonsurgical Approach to Periodontal Disease: Part 2

Posted on June 21, 2019May 20, 2021 by Lee Sheldon DMD PA

Last week I wrote on how MyPerioPath® testing impacts patient diagnosis. Now I will address another aspect of the report, the systemic antibiotic option. There are some “purists” out there who say they don’t need antibiotics, and that they only need clinical evaluation to treat a periodontal infection. I can’t see the bacteria. I don’t know the involvement or virulence of these pathogens. While I strongly believe that antibiotics are overused in health care, when there is a true infection of...