Modern Hygienist - October 2008 - (Page 25)

PERIO TRENDS | patients For best results rio-finding methods, Dr. Nabors says. Typical clinical signs and symptoms can help create a visual baseline of where patients are today. KEEPING SCORE Prevention is key in dental hygiene today more than ever before, and risk assessment and disease analysis are ways to follow that trend. To that end, PreViser (previser.com) has developed a software application designed to help dental professionals make more accurate diagnosis and more effective treatment plans. Diagnosing and treatment planning can be subjective, which has affected patient care over the years. This software takes the subjectivity out of it by analyzing 28 bits of clinical information, medical history and lifestyle choices to come up with two scores: the patient’s disease score and a risk score, says Dr. Anthony Stefanou, PreViser’s Director of Sales and Marketing. The information can be entered at chairside and a report generated in minutes. This gives patients a visual to share with their families. And because patients are assessed at every exam, they can look at the graph of their scores over time to see how their dental health is improving. “We can give patients a score similar to a credit score,” he says. “They don’t necessarily need to understand everything that goes into it. They just need to know if the number is good or bad.” The scores help patients and dental profession- als see if the prescribed treatment is working. If it’s not, they can move to plan B. The risk score helps determine how aggressive treatment should be. Maria Cooper, RDH, began using the program a year ago and says acceptance rates have significantly increased. Patients are interested in their numbers and what they mean, and they usually remember them at the next visit. “As hygienists we have to add risk assessment to be proactive in treating perio instead of reactive, which is the tendency in dentistry,” says Ms. Cooper, who is a certified PreViser consultant. The two DNA-PCR tests from OralDNA Labs should be used together with clinical signs, symptoms, medical conditions, health history, smoking and other risk factors often associated with gingivitis and periodontitis. Early diagnosis using DNA-PCR allows for more speciﬁc diagnosis based on causation and genetics. It’s also an important means of “connecting the dots” to the oral systemic link. Click here for sample reports. Source: OralDNA Labs (oraldna.com) WHAT’S NEXT When it comes to the future of perio, it’s all about finding ways to prevent it. Diagnosis techniques will continue to improve, with more in pH testing and genetic testing on the horizon, Ms. Jarvi says. But the one thing that won’t change is the hygienist’s influence on what’s best for the patient. “Hygienists play a key leadership role in the practice,” Ms. Jarvi says. “They’re truly the light that ignites prevention in the dental practice. We have the opportunity to be leaders in the practice. There’s always something new to learn about perio, and technology is only going to get better.” mh Renee Knight is an associate editor for What is DNA-PCR? The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) uses DNA from bacteria or a person to provide information about the pathogenic bacteria that may be found in the oral environment or about genetic susceptibility traits. Source: OralDNA Labs Inc. (oraldna.com) watch this! Check out this video for the low-down on PreViser’s assessment software. Click here to see a sample report. October 2008 | modern hygienist 25 http://www.previser.com http://www.oraldna.com http://www.dentalproductsreport.com/elibrary/video_player/275

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Modern Hygienist - October 2008

Modern Hygienist - October 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Letters News Modern Solutions Trends: Homecare Trends: Perio Trends: Ergo Trends: Mid Care After Chemo Professional Rewind Esthetic Expertise: Make or Break Relationship Hands-on Hygiene: Have You Seen the Light? Going the Distance Training for Life Presi-dental Politics Ad Index Moonlighting

Modern Hygienist - October 2008

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