Why Vitamin D? Why Not!

Posted on by Diane Larson RDH, BSDH
The human body is magnificent. For as much as we know about human physiology, there is an even greater number of processes that we don’t fully understand. I am grateful for the researchers/investigators that continue to explore what makes us function. One of my personal mottos, and I hope you add it to yours, is “The more we know, the better we can be and the better we can treat our patients.” The importance of Vitamin D is one of ever-evolving understandings. The more we discover, the more w...
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Oral Hygiene and Cognition By: Ram Rao, PhD

Posted on by Rammohan Rao PhD
A nice, friendly smile is visually attractive and is also a sign of good oral hygiene practice and cognitive health. Numerous studies have found a close connection between poor oral hygiene and dementia. Studies have found that those with poor oral hygiene practices are at higher risk for dementia, and dementia patients are at higher risk for developing gum disease. Poor oral hygiene and inadequate nutrition are likely the primary drivers for the risk of gum disease in dementia patients, par...
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Dental Hygiene: Looking Beyond

Posted on by Barbara Tritz RDH
Dental health has never been more important. We know the mouth plays a critical role in systemic health. It is a bellwether for what is really happening deep within the body. The mouth is the proverbial “canary in the coal mine.” The infections we see clinically are symptoms of bigger problems, and vice versa; inflammation in the mouth affects the entire body. We know: 50% of the US population has some level of gum disease.1 Dementia affects 55 million people worldwide, and this n...
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Unlock the Secret to Successful Medical – Dental Collaboration

Posted on by Geralyn Beers RDH BS FAAOSH
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is on the rise in the United States. Until now it has been thought to be a terminal disease with no cure. However, all that is changing with the development of a precision medicine method called ReCODE (Reversal of COgnitive DEcline). This cutting-edge method has been taught around the world to physicians & health coaches and now the dental team has an exciting opportunity to get involved. As the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., AD is the most common type...
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Active Periodontal Disease with Multiple Medical Complications

Posted on by Brie Eickhoff RDH
Challenge: A patient with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and active periodontal disease, most recently was diagnosed with Type II diabetes, will receive periodontal therapy. Currently, proper home care is limited to the physical difficulties of MS. Background: A 58-year-old female presented on 4/17/2018 with a chief complaint of xerostomia and physical difficulties challenging a proper home care regimen. Due to living with MS for several years, the patient has partial left-side paralysis resulti...
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Interview with Jessie Jones RDH, MSDH

Posted on by Jessie Jones RDH MSDH
Dr. McGlennen: Tell me how you were introduced to OralDNA® salivary diagnostics. Jessie RDH: A fellow hygienist and friend of mine had used salivary diagnostics in her practice and she introduced me to the concept a few years ago. She knew how tuned in I was to the concept of the oral- systemic link, so I was immediately excited when she told me about OralDNA® Labs’ testing. I felt it was important for me to learn more because I wanted to do the best for my patients. Providing salivary di...
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Words of Wisdom with Kary Helmer RDA

Posted on by Kary Helmer RDA
Every patient is different. Overcoming a patient’s obstacles to treatment may take some finesse. The diagnosis and treatment plan are typically the easier task. In this series, we have asked the experts from our Protocol Directory, to share their insight. When we asked Kary Helmer from Growth Mindset Dental Consultants to respond to “I hate the dentist,” here is her approach. We are all accustomed to hearing the dreadful words “I hate being here, or I hate coming to the dentist” in dai...
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The At-Home Collection Kit

Posted on by Diane Larson RDH, BSDH
The previous blogs “Is the Medical Model Right for Your Practice?” Part 1 and Part 2 by Dr. Michael Goldberg are an excellent opportunity to highlight a useful feature OralDNA® Labs has added to our client resources. The At-Home Collection Kit is an opportunity for you to explore telehealth, or at a minimum provide added convenience for your patients who may need to travel distances to receive your higher quality of care. This resource allows you to ship a collection kit direct to your patient’s...
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Is A Medical Model Right for Your Practice? Part 2: Two Visit New Patient Appointments

Posted on by Michael Goldberg DMD
Last week in Part 1, I introduced telehealth as an option to build value into your diagnosis and treatment plan. Since a one-visit new patient system presents some challenges, other than for patients who are very healthy, here is another option to consider. A two-visit new patient process similar to the medical model, especially for patients with more involved issues. This is the model most hygienists and dentists were taught in school. It’s only in private practice that the one-visit model ...
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Is A Medical Model Right for Your Practice? Part 1: Telehealth

Posted on by Michael Goldberg DMD
When you go to a primary care physician for a routine examination, chances are you’ll get weighed, have your “vitals” (blood pressure, temp, pulse) taken, have your lungs and chest listened to, ears, nose and mouth explored. Perhaps they’ll take an EKG to monitor your heart. Lastly, they’ll ask you to provide a urine sample and have blood taken so some lab tests can be run. What happens afterwards? Since the results of your urinalysis and blood work take several days to get back, ther...
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