Neglected Active Periodontal Disease

Posted on August 19, 2022August 15, 2022 by Chelsea Gonzales DDS

Challenge: A new patient, 59-year-old male, presents to our office with no specific concerns. However, a previous provider recommended a “deep cleaning.” This “deep cleaning” treatment was never completed. Patient has 4 fully erupted wisdom teeth that are difficult to access for daily cleaning. Background: Age 59 Sex: Male Medical History: High Blood Pressure but is taking medication Last Dental Exam: 2019 Home Care: Manual toothbrush 2x daily, baking soda with peroxide, ...

What’s a “Hygiene Visit” Worth? With Dr. Michael Goldberg

Posted on July 15, 2022July 14, 2022 by Michael Goldberg DMD

Price becomes an objection when a patient does not perceive “meaningful value.” Without such a value-based context, people use money as a benchmark. Is your hygiene visit worth $39, $59, $99 or more? Or is it only worth it if the “insurance will cover it?” And now that the new hygienist you just hired is making 20% more than the previous one, how does that figure into the profitability of the practice? We are in complex times, made more intense by the pandemic-effect, which acceler...

Video Interview with Sarah Tevis Poteet DDS

Posted on June 10, 2022June 6, 2022 by Sarah Poteet DDS PA

Dr. McGlennen: As a physician, my education included not only how to care for patients, but how to use clinical laboratory tests to make diagnoses and guide treatment for patients. Being the medical director of OralDNA® Labs and broadening the scope of the medical profession to include all of my colleagues in the practice of dentistry has been rewarding. I am inspired every day by colleagues who think outside of their educational conventions, and work to set the bar higher and include testin...

Interview with Madison Afsari, RDH

Posted on April 29, 2022April 26, 2022 by Madison Afsari RDH

Dr. McGlennen: Please tell me how and why you became interested to incorporate OralDNA® testing at your practice. Madison RDH: Our dental hygiene team wanted a way to determine exactly what type of bacteria our patients have in their mouths, so we can treat them the best way possible. Dr. McGlennen: What do you see as the biggest benefits to using salivary diagnostics in your practice? Madison RDH: The biggest benefit for us is being able to reduce patients' overall bacterial load i...

Oral Systemic Links Through the Eyes of a Gen Z

Posted on April 15, 2022April 18, 2022 by Kavya Kadakia

My name is Kavya Kadakia and I am a 9th grade student in Southern California. As a freshman, I got a wonderful opportunity to execute a science fair experiment. I pondered upon topic ideas for my science fair project for a while. My mom, a dentist, talks about her dental work within the house including patient struggles, small discoveries within the dental community, and many talks about the Mouth-Body Connection®. Ironically, I never considered dentists real doctors. Yeah definitely, a smart mo...

Who Guides Your Patients To Their Destination? with Dr. Michael Goldberg

Posted on March 25, 2022March 21, 2022 by Michael Goldberg DMD

In my last blog, I discussed the value for, and the tactics involved in trying to discover a patient’s WHY. Recent events and the effect that inflation has, and will continue to have, on all our lives for the foreseeable future, makes this exercise of utmost urgency in your practice. In light of this new reality, I would like to propose that you consider reframing each and every role in the dental practice. If your treatment is not presented in the right light, towards a patient-relevant bene...

How do You Speak Testing? With Dr. Michael Perpich

Posted on February 4, 2022February 3, 2022 by Michael Perpich DDS

Patient Bio: A 24-year-old male new patient, who recently graduated is seeking treatment. His chief complaint is crowding and a bothersome #14 which had endodontic treatment 7 years prior. His periodontal clinical signs are listed below. The patient hasn’t seen a medical doctor in two years as his studies were very demanding. His blood pressure today is 108/73. How would you introduce therapy including Alert 2™ to this patient? In reviewing your exam, it looks like you have several a...

Why? What? How? with Dr. Michael Goldberg

Posted on January 14, 2022January 7, 2022 by Michael Goldberg DMD

WHY?…WHAT?…HOW? This is a philosophy that is often taught in dental and hygiene schools: Diagnose, Treatment Plan, then Treat. And yet, immediately after this is taught, a focus is placed on learning treatment, or the HOW. And then upon graduation the focus also becomes on treatment and production. The diagnosis (WHY) and planning (WHAT) become secondary. They’re only an avenue to an end…Production, a means to an end. That’s where the money is. In a nutshell, that’s the problem with...

Resolutions and Upcoming Events

Posted on January 7, 2022January 7, 2022 by Diane Larson RDH, BSDH

As the New Year is upon us, resolutions are a common tradition. Although resolutions are easy to make, only a small percentage achieve their goals. If your resolution is to provide a higher level of care for your patients, incorporating OralDNA Labs’ testing services is achievable and we are prepared to help you reach that goal. Personalized webinars are available upon request and typically last about 30-40 minutes. Click here to send us your preferred dates & times. Attend the live ...

Uncontrolled Diabetic – Referred by Physician

Posted on December 31, 2021December 30, 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 s...