Salivary Diagnostics:

Stop Guessing and Start Testing

Lora Hooper, BSDH, RDH, EFDA

Have you been struck by the “Curse of Hygiene?”

Guessing what is causing the periodontal infection - only to blame the patient in needing to brush and floss more
Guessing the severity of the periodontal infection - only saying a little bleeding and then needing a tourniquet by the end of the prophylaxis
Guessing the best treatment for the periodontal infection - only to move from one product to the next needing a better solution for recurrent disease

Well it's time to stop the “Hygiene Insanity”- doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Our goals now include making sure that the mouth is not a source of systemic inflammation. So, it is imperative that we know before treatment what our “targets of treatment” actually are for each patient. Then, we must know if our treatment for these “targets” has actually eliminated or reduced these targets to a host acceptable lever. We can only do this if we use a saliva test before and after treatment. This “Road Less Traveled” has now become the new standard of care for this new world of Oral Systemic Medicine.

Lora Hooper, BSDH, RDH, EFDA

Lora received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Dental Hygiene from the Ohio State University in 1995. Lora is a founding member of The American Academy for Oral Systemic Health and a Preceptor for the BaleDoneen Method. Lora is a member of the ADHA, ODHA, and CDHA. She has served as Continuing Education Chair for the CDHA and as a liaison for the ODHA to the OSDB.

At the Prevent Clinic, Lora is one of our care coordinators. In this position, she is able to integrate her expertise in dental knowledge, managing patient care, and incorporating her passion for improving patients’ lives with implementing oral systemic care into practice. In her spare time, you can find her spending time with her children and reading oral systemic health research. She also co-hosts the Ask Why Podcast.