The Oral Microbiome and Autoimmunity

Posted on May 5, 2023May 2, 2023 by Akil Palanisamy MD

The oral microbiome is made up of a diverse array of microorganisms that reside in the mouth. A sample of this diverse array can be collected by a simple oral rinse and gargle and specific microorganisms are identified by q-PCR analysis. Knowing this information can help clinicians better understand and potentially manage triggers for numerous autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune diseases are conditions in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in the body, leading to chronic inflam...

A Podcast For Your Mouth

Posted on April 28, 2023April 26, 2023 by Camille Zenobia PhD

I am the @oralhealthactivist and brainchild behind the ‘Let’s Get Oral’ Podcast. Although I am no dentist or hygienist, my PhD thesis was centered around Porphyromonas gingivalis endotoxin which led me on a circuitous pathway through oral pathology, oral immunology, oral hygiene, and clinical study in oral health. I have so much excitement to share about what we have been learning over the last 20 years that has not yet been adequately communicated. We are at a frontier regarding oral health...

Interview with Bianca Velayo DMD

Posted on April 21, 2023April 26, 2023 by Bianca Velayo DMD

Dr. McGlennen: Tell me how you were introduced to OralDNA® salivary diagnostics. Bianca Velayo DMD: As a Pacific Dental Services (PDS)-Supported Clinician, I am thankful to be part of an organization that embraces the Mouth-Body Connection®. PDS teamed up with OralDNA® Labs to offer testing to our patients and I first began incorporating it into my practice in 2018. Dr. McGlennen: What are the top two things to consider when you select a patient for testing? Bianca Velayo DMD: In my...

What Our Patients Should Know About Oral Cancer & HPV

Posted on April 7, 2023April 3, 2023 by Shelley Brown MEd BSDH RDH

There are over 100 types of Human Papillomavirus (HPV), and more than 42 million Americans are infected with types of HPV that cause disease. The CDC says nearly everyone will get a form of HPV at some point in their lives, and about 13 million Americans, including teens, become infected each year1. There are strains of HPV that are more virulent than others which divides HPV into 2 main groups: Low-risk HPV types such as 6, 11, 42, 43, and 44 have a reduced association with cancer but can ...

Interview with Dr. Alex Vasserman DMD

Posted on March 31, 2023March 29, 2023 by Alex Vasserman DMD

Dr. McGlennen: Tell me how you were introduced to OralDNA® salivary diagnostics. Alex Vasserman DMD: I learned about the OralDNA® labs testing system through Doug Thompson, DDS at the Kois Center. Our hygiene department started using it 3 years ago, and they have made it a success. Dr. McGlennen: What are the top two things to consider when you select a patient for testing? Alex Vasserman DMD: Compliance is key- will the patient follow through with the prescribed treatment and what ...

Getting to the Root Cause: OralDNA® Testing and Natural Products that Help

Posted on March 17, 2023March 15, 2023 by Heather Paul CBDH CRDH

As a practicing dental hygienist for over 25 years, I’ve been asked countless times what causes gum disease and what are the best products to use that actually help. This is a fantastic question, and I am so happy that technology has advanced enough to give patients a full understanding of the root cause of periodontal disease. We now know that there are primarily 11 microbes that cause periodontal disease. Knowing which bugs are present allows me to come up with an individualized oral care ...

How Do You Speak Testing? With Kim Ramos RDH & Ali Carr RDH

Posted on March 10, 2023March 8, 2023 by Kim Ramos RDH - Ali Carr RDH

Patient Bio: Your new female 39-year-old patient hasn’t been seen by a dentist since 2020. She was recently diagnosed as pre-diabetic with elevated blood pressure. With her medical doctor’s approval, she is attempting to control or reverse her pre-diabetes and lower her blood pressure with diet and lifestyle changes. Her medical doctor recommended she have a dental exam. She is interested in fixing her crowded maxillary anterior teeth. Here are the findings of the periodontal assessment: ...

Interview with Ziv Simon DMD MSc

Posted on March 3, 2023February 28, 2023 by Ziv Simon DMD MSc

Dr. McGlennen: Tell me how you were introduced to OralDNA® salivary diagnostics. Ziv Simon DMD MSc: I am a periodontist and implant specialist in Beverly Hills where I have practiced for the past 20 years (our practice has been in this location for 42 years!). When I started, we were already doing bacterial testing using paper points inserted into the pockets. These were then sent to a lab for aerobic and anaerobic cultures. Although that system worked, the testing process was inconsisten...

There Is More in The Head Than The Mouth

Posted on February 24, 2023February 24, 2023 by Angie Stone BS RDH

Many dental professionals cut the body off just below the nose! However, research has connected systemic health to the many things below the mouth. The oral systemic link is real, and we all know that and salivary diagnostics helps us connect the dots. Dental professionals spend time educating patients about the links between oral health and heart health, diabetes, and preterm low birth weight babies, to name a few. And now research is connecting oral health to structures above the mouth…nam...

Dentulu to Level Up Patient-Initiated Dental Care Through Salivary Testing

Posted on February 17, 2023February 13, 2023 by Arash Hakhamian DDS

Dentulu, the nation’s leading teledentistry platform, was featured as the "Best of Class" Teledentistry platform by Cellarant the 2020 and 2021 American Dental Association meetings. Its comprehensive teledentistry application provides teledentistry solutions direct to consumers and refers screened patients to local dental offices in its network. Dentulu fights to bridge the gap between patients and dental professionals. With the steady growth in the adoption of teledentistry propelled by the ...