How do you speak Cardiovascular Disease and Periodontal Disease to your patients?

Posted on October 4, 2019August 14, 2024 by Barb McClatchie DDS

Dr. McGlennen: There is consensus within the medical and dental community that periodontal bacteria contribute to the initiation, progression and prognosis of cardiovascular disease. From key studies, including prospective, retrospective and even meta-analysis studies, persons with untreated periodontal infections have up to a 20% increase in their risk of coronary vascular disease.1 The multiple of risk for stroke (1.74-2.85 fold) and peripheral vascular disease (1.41-2.27 fold) is equal or...

Nobody Has Ever Done that Before

Posted on September 27, 2019May 20, 2021 by Lee Sheldon DMD PA

In this era of trying to differentiate yourself from the provider down the street, a simple solution is incorporating OralDNA® salivary testing services. Imagine a patient who has had periodontal disease and has seen several dentists and periodontists in the past. They may have been told they have pockets, but what do pockets mean to a patient? Perhaps a lot, but only if they have been properly educated about the consequences of a pocket deepening. Let’s look at this from another persp...

To Threshold or Not to Threshold

Posted on September 13, 2019November 3, 2021 by Diane Larson RDH, BSDH

OralDNA® providers frequently comment that some patients will say “I am below those black lines so I must be okay.” To help overcome this obstacle, the MyPerioPath® results have an option to display the threshold lines (black lines) or have them removed. There are benefits to both versions. This blog will provide sample verbiage a clinician can use both when the thresholds are present and when the thresholds are removed. To serve as a refresher and from a previous blog “What is the Therap...

How do you speak Risk of Cancer and Periodontal Disease with your patients?

Posted on September 6, 2019August 14, 2024 by Michael C. Rogers, DDS

Dr McGlennen: Cancer is a word that receives a lot of attention. There are walks, runs and bike rides every day to raise awareness of various types of cancers and billions of dollars are spent on research directed to improve diagnosis and treatments. As health care professionals, we should perform a cancer risk assessment for each patient with a goal to reduce the patient’s risk and to find cancers earlier when cure is more likely. One way that the dental office can contr...

Interview with Richard Zbaraschuk DDS

Posted on August 23, 2019May 20, 2021 by Richard Zbaraschuk DDS

Dr. McGlennen: Tell me how you use OralDNA® salivary diagnostics. Richard Zbaraschuk, DDS: For each patient we utilize chairside microscopy. When I see mature biofilms and/or Fn (Fusobacterium nucleatum), yeast, white blood cells (WBC), or spirochetes with the aid of the microscope, or the patient has consistent bleeding upon probing, I’ll make the recommendation of OralDNA® testing. All new patients are given the MyPerioPath® brochure so they know all the options for testing that our of...

How do you speak Metabolic Health/Diabetes and Periodontal Disease to Your Patients?

Posted on August 9, 2019August 14, 2024 by Elizabeth Farber RDH

Dr. McGlennen: Many resources confirm a bi-directional relationship between periodontal disease and Type II diabetes; which in simple terms means if you have one, you will most likely have the other. Elevated levels of periodontal bacteria can directly cause hyperglycemia.1 Long term, the inflammation associated with increased pathogen burden can affect the health of the pancreas. Specifically, there is the risk of the loss of beta cells that produce insulin and respond to elevated blood glu...

Flower Power: A Less Aggressive Approach

Posted on May 3, 2019May 20, 2021 by Ellie Phillips DDS

When OralDNA® testing indicates worrisome levels of periodontal pathogens, we may want to consider a dentally counter-cultural idea that can help avoid the need for aggressive antibiotics and antiseptics. Most dental professionals believe periodontal disease cannot be cured, yet a more holistic approach has been shown to overcome periodontal pathogens and may offer a way to avoid the continuous cycles of treatment to control re-infection. Our understanding of human bacteria changed as the Human ...

3 Surefire Ways To Make 2019 Your BEST Year Ever

Posted on April 26, 2019May 20, 2021 by Tanya Brown, DMD

WOW! How time flies! It’s hard to believe that the first quarter of 2019 is over. Every day there are countless opportunities to enhance our patient care, create more efficiency, increase our production, and improve team morale. If you are one of those people, like me, who enjoys setting goals and celebrating when you reach them; then you will love these 3 surefire ways to make 2019 your BEST year ever! 1. Get the RIGHT People in the “RIGHT SEATS” on your bus! There have been days when...

Interview with Chelsea Gonzales, DDS

Posted on February 1, 2019May 20, 2021 by Chelsea Gonzales DDS

Dr. McGlennen: Tell me how you use OralDNA® salivary diagnostics. Dr. Gonzales: We use OralDNA® to create a customized plan for treating our patient’s periodontal disease. We also use it to gauge the success of their periodontal treatment and revised home care regimens. Salivary diagnostics enables us to treat the patient’s whole health by tying their periodontal condition to their medical history and treating the specific bacteria that could be contributing to multiple health conditions. ...

I Don’t Need That, We’re Already Getting Good Results

Posted on January 18, 2019May 19, 2021 by Richard H. Nagelberg, DDS

The enemy of optimal patient care is complacency. Why would anyone settle for good results when optimal results are so easily achieved? Put yourself in your patient’s place in the exam chair: would you then want only good enough? Patients trust their dental professionals to provide the voice in decision regarding their care. If given the choice between practicing blindly, with no information about the specific bacterial cause of their individual case of periodontal disease, and having the ba...