Interview with Dr. Lisa Marie Samaha

Posted on July 27, 2018May 19, 2021 by Lisa Marie Samaha, DDS

Dr. McGlennen: Tell me how you use OralDNA® salivary diagnostics. Dr. Samaha: OralDNA® testing has been a standard and integral part of our intake of all patients with periodontal disease since early 2007. Our practice is well known for our protocol of diagnosing and treating periodontal disease and increasing total health profiles. Although I am a general dentist, over 95% of our new patients have some form of periodontal disease, from gingivitis to advanced, aggressive levels and we do ...

An Uncontrolled Diabetic Patient – Referred by Physician

Posted on July 20, 2018May 19, 2021 by Mary Kay Carroll RDH

Background: The patient is a 41-year-old female who has not been seen by a dental professional since 2008 (10 years). The patient stated her chief concern as “My doctor said my uncontrolled diabetes could be caused by my mouth.” Other medical concerns are high blood pressure and acid reflux. The home care routine consisted of manual tooth brushing only. Following the periodontal assessment, the patient was diagnosed with active, localized, chronic periodontitis due to the present sub-gingiva...

Simple Strategies to Enhance Oral & Overall Health

Posted on July 13, 2018May 19, 2021 by Erika Spring RDH, MEd

As dental professionals, we all take the responsibility to present treatment cases to patients. Most often, the dental hygienist presents periodontal treatment plans to patients, but in reality, any team member could present this type of case. For example, if a new patient is seen on the doctor’s schedule and periodontal disease is the diagnosis, the dental assistant could have the opportunity to present the case. It is important that with any case presentation, the team is on the same page....

A New Conversation with Your Patients

Posted on July 6, 2018May 19, 2021 by Richard H. Nagelberg, DDS

How do we introduce the idea of salivary testing to our patients? As is the approach with every dental procedure or service we recommend for our patients, the primary consideration is excellent communication. Some recommendations are routine and no explanation is necessary, including fillings and fluoride, among many others. When we introduce new procedures or services to our patients some explanation is appropriate. DNA salivary testing for bacteria is a good example. So what should we say w...

Everyone Has A Story

Posted on June 29, 2018May 19, 2021 by Kriston Reisnour RDH, BSDH, CCSH, COMS

Every patient that sits in your dental chair has a story. All stories have a beginning, middle, and end, as does life. We have the wonderful opportunity to help our patients be able to live a long and productive one. Jumping to the middle of my story, my mom died at the age of 58 and my dad at age 60, both from end stage vascular diseases. They didn’t get a chance to enjoy their children into their adult years, get time with their grandchildren, or even meet their great grandchildren. I, li...

Establishing New Treatment Objectives for Periodontal Disease

Posted on June 22, 2018May 19, 2021 by John Kempton DDS

The principles of leadership that drive achievement have the practitioner state the objectives prior to initiating an action plan. Success is more certain and predictable, while any short falls become measurable and remedies are tied to the metrics of the initial objectives. The traditional treatment objectives for periodontal therapy have revolved around certain soft and hard tissue architectural end points and bleeding on probing. These standards have been in place for about 100 years a...

The Puzzle of Periodontal Disease

Posted on June 1, 2018May 19, 2021 by Diane Larson RDH, BSDH

As children, we are constantly exploring to see how things work. We are given books to explore what others have learned and puzzles help us to see how things fit together. As a dental hygienist, I use the puzzle analogy often when referring to periodontal disease. As oral health care professionals, we are trying to put pieces together to resolve or at minimum reduce the patient’s inflammation. To do so in a timely manner, we need to know as many of the pieces as possible. We all know the fru...

Interview with Dawnie Kildoo, DDS, MAGD

Posted on May 25, 2018May 19, 2021 by Dawnie Kildoo, DDS, MAGC

Dr. McGlennen: Tell me how do 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 understand the oral-systemic connection, too. Dr. McGlennen: What has been the physician’s ...

Testing and Coding Improving Patient’s Health

Posted on May 4, 2018May 19, 2021 by Patti DiGangi RDH BS

Periodontal disease starts with a biofilm-based infection that creates a wound that in turn, induces the inflammatory cascade responsible for the disease. This wound should be taken seriously! A variety of tests are available to determine risk, genetics, and the specific pathogens involved with periodontal disease. OralDNA® Labs salivary diagnostic testing helps improve oral health outcomes and enables patients to make more informed choices regarding their professional treatment and at-ho...

Flu Season… Why Is This Any Different Than An Infection In The Mouth?

Posted on March 16, 2018May 19, 2021 by Kandra Sellers

Is your home plagued with the flu virus? It seems to be everywhere. The young and the elderly are those most commonly affected by it; in fact there have been many reports of death associated with the 2018 flu virus. Here’s the scenario: You bring your sick loved one to the doctor, and the doctor orders laboratory test(s) typically, by a blood and urine sample. From those lab results, a determination is made if your loved one has a virus or bacterial infection. With this valuable information ...