How many patients a day do you see with chronic disease or complicated medical histories? Sadly, obesity, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune and heart disease are all too common. What if there was a simple way to utilize the power of your hygiene department to not only improve the physical health of your patients but the financial health of your practice?
As dental professionals, we can help our patients detect, manage, and even avoid these and other health risks. We understand the re...
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Salivary Diagnostics
Part 1: Inflammation and “Nutrients”
Recently, someone I knew died of a sudden heart attack. He was 41 with a wife and three kids. He had a bigger-than-life personality and was someone who everyone was happy to know. It’s sad and he will be missed. He wasn’t a patient of mine and I didn’t know him well enough to know all his intimate life details. I was, however, able to make some general observations. He was overweight, especially around the middle, he lost his dad less than a year ago, his gums were usually red, and his teeth...
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immun19™: OralDNA® Lab’s NEW COVID-19 Neutralizing Antibody Test
In the ever-changing world of COVID, we know that the more knowledge and up-to-date information we have at our fingertips, the more peace of mind and increased security we have. The past year and a half has been a trying time for everyone. Have you wondered if you are protected against the virus? You got the vaccine, but how effective was it? Will a previous infection mount the correct response when you encounter the virus again? I’m sure many, if not all, of us have had these questions go t...
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Training and Upcoming Events
Continuing your education after graduation is a must. This helps you keep in touch with new discoveries in your field and is generally required to maintain licensure for many health care professionals. A great option for providing additional training for your team is to request an OralDNA® webinar with Clinical Specialist Diane Larson, RDH by emailing support@oraldna.com. The training session is typically about 30 minutes in length and provides valuable information about OralDNA® Labs’ testing s...
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Classic Periodontal Disease
Challenge: A new patient with poor home care and lack of dental attention presented wanting whiter teeth along with a cleaning.
Background: A male 40-year-old new patient whose last dental appointment was 3/8/2017 presents with adult chronic periodontal disease, severe wear on anterior teeth and decay on #19. The patient appears generally healthy (BP 118/79) with no medical conditions or medications. There is a suspicion of sleep disordered breathing along with an anterior tongue tie.
Solu...
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Classification of Periodontal and Peri-Implant Diseases and Conditions
As a periodontist, there are two topics that other clinicians frequently ask me about. The first is the updated Classification of Periodontal and Peri-Implant Diseases and Conditions. The second is my experience of working with salivary diagnostics. Both of these initiatives have become an essential part of my daily practice in periodontics.
I moved to Dubai in 2010 to work as a specialist periodontist at a well-known private clinic. During my time in Dubai, it became increasingly clear that ...
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Life and Death of a Saliva Test
Sometimes I get so frustrated with the profession of dentistry. Here is my case in point: Five oral originating pathogens have been identified as causative in the development of atherosclerosis by the BaleDoneen™ peer reviewed study published in the British Medical Journal. Wait a minute, so they concluded that these oral bacteria are causative of atherosclerosis? Seriously? Yes!! And in the last one hundred years, atherosclerosis has killed more Americans than any other disease. A...
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Interview with Michael Carter MD
Dr. McGlennen: Who/what introduced you to OralDNA® Labs’ services?
Michael Carter MD: I was introduced to OralDNA® Labs testing during an oral health summit about 3-4 years ago. As I listened to Dr. Bale and Dr. Doneen express how important testing for periodontal pathogens is, I became inspired to learn more about the oral microbiome and the oral connection with systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, arthritic conditions, and neurodegenerative processes.
Many people think b...
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American Academy of Oral Systemic Health: Collaboration Cures
As a young dentist, you are faced with career decisions. Joining the American Academy for Oral Systemic Health (AAOSH) has been one of the best decisions I have made in my career. This organization and its mission, connecting medicine and dentistry to save lives, has encouraged me to look beyond the teeth by making me more aware of the importance of cardiovascular, metabolic, gut, and airway health. Connecting the dots between a patient’s oral and systemic health is where the next frontier i...
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Interview with Brittany Blue DDS
Dr. McGlennen: Tell me how you use OralDNA® salivary diagnostics.
Brittany Blue DDS: We use MyPerioPath® to determine the levels of aggressive periodontal pathogens present in our patients’ oral flora. Traditional periodontal therapy will not be as effective and is certainly more prone to relapse if these harmful bacteria remain in the mouth. The bacterial diagnostics allow us to target the specific harmful bacteria with the specific systemic antibiotic that will help control the level of i...
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