Educated in Dental Hygiene, Practicing Dental Medicine

Posted on January 20, 2023January 18, 2023 by Stevey Cline RDH

Think about a smile, what does it mean to you? As a dental professional it likely means more than friendliness and beauty. Does the word medicine come to mind? I have been practicing dental hygiene for five short years and have begun to understand the degree that dental and medical are interchangeable. Dental medicine is a key term used when you understand the interchangeability. I believe in dental medicine. As a clinician, most of us have heard our patients say, “There is just a little ...

There is No Failure, Only Feedback

Posted on December 16, 2022December 14, 2022 by Diane Larson RDH, BSDH

As 2022 ends, most people generally reflect on what was accomplished, maybe started but not finished, successes or failures, and what is to come in 2023. If 2022 didn’t meet your expectations, 2023 is just around the corner with endless possibilities. However, before we think about next year, let’s reflect on if failures are truly failures. In a recent podcast by Jim Kwik, the quote “There is no failure only feedback” resonated with me. As an extension of every OralDNA® provider’s team, d...

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, ...

Periodontal Disease with a Patient Experiencing Vision Impairment

Posted on March 11, 2022March 9, 2022 by Monica Vigon DMD

Challenge: Patient experiencing recent vision impairment presented as Stage III Grade B, active generalized periodontal disease with localized severe periodontal disease in the maxillary anterior area. Background: Age: 36 Sex: M Medical History: Patient reports recent vision impairment with the right eye. Under the care of the ophthalmologist, a diagnosis has not been found. No other systemic diseases or conditions reported. Last Dental Exam: Within 3 years Chi...

Classic Periodontal Disease after COVID with Brenda Sullivan RDH

Posted on January 28, 2022January 21, 2022 by Brenda Sullivan RDH

Challenge: Patients are avoiding routine dental visits due to fear of contracting COVID. This patient had missed several hygiene appointments during the pandemic. Our goal was to re-establish health and increase homecare to help this patient’s general immunity. Background: This case study involves an 84-year-old male with a history of scaling and root planing, who before this assessment was in good periodontal health. His blood pressure was 114/72 and his pulse 83. He has a history of cancer,...

Periodontal Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis – Controlling Two Birds with One Stone?

Posted on September 10, 2021September 9, 2021 by Pete Williams

Challenge: Our case study represents an example of the emerging evidence from interventional and, more recently, animal studies showing how seemingly unrelated diseases such as periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis can be related through similar genetic, biological, and clinically consistent mechanisms.1,2,3,4 Background: The initial medical assessment for a 57-year-old female diagnosed with palindromic rheumatoid arthritis was conducted at our functional medicine clinic....

Classic Periodontal Disease

Posted on July 16, 2021July 9, 2021 by Brenda Sullivan RDH

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...

Classification of Periodontal and Peri-Implant Diseases and Conditions

Posted on July 9, 2021July 6, 2021 by Geoffrey Sharpe BDS MFDS RCPS MSc MRD Perio RCSEd

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 ...

Life and Death of a Saliva Test

Posted on July 2, 2021July 2, 2021 by Chris S Kammer DDS

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...

A Common-Sense Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment Planning: Weekly Case Reviews with Dr. Lee Sheldon

Posted on January 15, 2021May 20, 2021 by Lee Sheldon DMD PA

Most webinars explore new, innovative, fabulous procedures. What about the day-to-day procedures such as the new patient, the periodontal case, or the restorative case? What about the basics? • How to communicate to the patient? • How to prioritize to make dentistry within reach of the average person? • How to gain greater case acceptance? • How to remove the insurance obstacle? Dr. Sheldon brings his whole team approach to patient management and communication to his new webinar series....