Interview with Tamara Garrett DDS

Posted on July 17, 2020November 3, 2021 by Tamara Garrett DDS

Dr. McGlennen: How are you utilizing OraRisk® COVID-19 PCR testing in your practice? What has been the team response? Tamara Garrett DDS: When my office had to close on March 20th for the COVID pandemic, I was in a complete state of shock. My practice is a second home to me, and my patients and staff are my extended family. I knew I could not stay in a stupor for long and had to put on my “boss” hat to come up with a strategy. I spent hours learning from ZOOM dental seminars, reading j...

Reduce Dental Benefit Hassles and Help Your Patients Say “YES”

Posted on July 3, 2020May 20, 2021 by Tanya Brown, DMD

Wouldn’t it be great if you never had to deal with a denied claim again? One way to help prevent these hassles is by having more diagnostic information from the beginning! The quantitative results that you receive in a salivary diagnostics report gives you a measurable overview of a patient’s bacterial profile as well as risk level—both of which provide crucial evidence for your best chance at insurance coverage. (You’ll also have a great baseline from which you can assess the effi...

Communication is Key

Posted on May 15, 2020May 20, 2021 by Traci Warner, RDH

Periodontal disease is one of the most prevalent chronic inflammatory diseases in the United States and it is a key indicator of other systemic diseases. Dentistry has a significant role in reducing the impact of chronic disease in patients who trust their dental teams to guide them to total body health. From the first call and through every step of the patient experience, such as reviewing the medical history, the conversation should include the oral systemic connection. Dental teams a...

Class II Periodontitis and Mouth Breathing

Posted on December 20, 2019May 20, 2021 by Annie-Laurie Harris, BSDH, RDHMP

Challenge: To establish health through periodontal intervention per JP Institute protocols. Background: A female with ADHD and panic disorder appointed to the office in early 2016. A referral to a periodontist was given resulting in the consultation recommendation of surgery for the extraction of all third molars with a fair prognosis. The patient scheduled, but later canceled the surgery and denied extraction of all third molars. In Spring 2017, at age 25, the female returned to the o...

Periodontal Disease & Pregnancy

Posted on May 10, 2019May 20, 2021 by Carmeliza dela Paz DDS

Challenge: The patient is expressing oral inflammation and is pregnant. The clinical signs of periodontal disease due to pathogenic bacteria look identical to the clinical signs produced by pregnancy hormones. Background: A 21-week pregnant patient, age 34, presented for care. Upon periodontal assessment, there was generalized marginal inflammation with moderate bleeding on probing. The probe depth readings were generalized 3-4mm. The patient’s oral homecare consisted of twice daily brus...

Drug Allergy vs. Drug Intolerance

Posted on January 11, 2019May 19, 2021 by Ronald C. McGlennen, MD

A mark of a great diagnostician is one who can avoid complications through a process of taking an expert medical history. One area of practice where taking a history is critical, if not life saving, is documenting the potential of side effects from prescribed medications, in particular antibiotics. Patients are quick to state, “I’m allergic to that medication”. But what do they mean by that? Allergies are not the same as drug sensitivity or intolerance, and the earnest clinician needs to fig...

Are you tired of the “Are you flossing?” song and dance? Find the Root Cause Instead: An Interview with Angie Bays

Posted on October 20, 2017May 19, 2021 by Angie Bays, RDH

Dr. McGlennen: What are the biggest benefits to using salivary diagnostics? Angie RDH: The biggest benefit with offering MyPerioPath® is it gives the clinician another platform for educating the patient. I know patients are fed up of hearing about brushing and flossing, just as much as hygienists are weary of saying it. Don’t get me wrong brushing and flossing are important but OralDNA® takes care to another level. We can now show the patient the root cause of the infection, maybe even ti...

Salivary Diagnostic Implementation with a Holistic Approach: An Interview with Sandra Lindo

Posted on October 13, 2017May 19, 2021 by Sandra Lindo RDH

Dr. Nagelberg: Tell me how you use Oral DNA salivary diagnostics? Sandra RDH: I use OralDNA® as an essential diagnostic tool on all patients; it serves as a base line to determine their risk factor for periodontal disease and the development of other systemic diseases. It is an adjunct tool that helps customize patient care. Dr. Nagelberg: What are the top two things to consider when you select a patient for testing? Sandra RDH: The top two things to consider when selecting a patien...

Saving Patient’s Time and Money: An Interview with Lori Appehans

Posted on October 6, 2017May 19, 2021 by Lori Appelhans, RDH

In many, if not most dental offices, the dental hygienists are the engine that makes the practice go. Clinicians like Lori Appehans are providing optimal treatment by choosing to utilize salivary diagnostic technology. It is my sincere hope that her patients understand how well they are being taken care of. It was certainly my pleasure to discuss the impact of salivary testing with Lori. Dr. Nagelberg: Tell me why you started to use OralDNA salivary diagnostics. Lori, RDH: We were frus...

We Were Always Taught

Posted on September 28, 2017May 19, 2021 by Richard H. Nagelberg, DDS

Dentists who were trained in the 70’s were always taught that the first instrument used in an operative procedure was the enamel hatchet. Caries excavation was done with spoon excavators and a belt driven low speed handpiece. We were always taught that reversible hydrocolloid was an excellent impression material, especially since you could use the same material on multiple patients. You just had to warm it back up in the water bath. We were always taught that we only needed to use a mask and...