Oral DNA

As one of the few dentists commissioned to administer these saliva diagnostic tests, Dr. Plieva and Dr. Pliev are proud to be a practitioner of the OralDNA process.

Understanding the association between oral health and systemic health provides exciting opportunities today for the dental and medical communities to reframe protocols and initiate cross-referrals. At K&K Dental care, Dr. Plieva and Dr. Pliev take pride in practicing “oral medicine” and focusing on an overall wellness model. Dr. Plieva and Dr. Pliev execute a thorough comprehensive oral assessment, head and neck examination, radiographs (when clinically indicated), periodontal probing, and carious lesion detection.

Periodontal disease is an inflammatory disease of the supporting tissues of the teeth, which is caused by specific microorganisms or groups of microorganisms living in a biofilm, on and around the teeth. Microorganisms initiate an immune response, and in some cases, the result is progressive destruction of gingival tissues, the periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone. Disease progression is characterized by increased pocket formation, recession, tooth mobility, and in some cases, the eventual loss of teeth.

For many practitioners, the traditional standard of recording bleeding, pocket depths, and bone loss seems to simply provide historical information about a patient’s periodontal disease progression. What has been missing is a reliable way to determine the pathogens present and the current microbial makeup of a patient’s specific disease.

Traditional subjective observations fail to provide information about the specific causative agents, their identity, and their concentration. As well, they do not quantify the change in the microbial profile after therapy. Add to this, the patient’s individual immune response, and we can certainly see the need to consider utilizing technology to facilitate an ideal outcome. This paper will describe a novel approach to optimize the diagnosis and treatment of periodontal disease for a more predictable outcome.

With the availability of saliva testing today, we can collect microbial data, determine genetic predisposition, and monitor the elimination or suppression of disease-causing agents during therapy.

OralDNA® Lab is a specialty diagnostics company that offers saliva screening by three DNA-polymerase chain-reaction (DNA-PCR) tests based on bacteria, genetics, and viral load.

Please feel free to speak to either Dr. Plieva, Dr. Pliev, or anyone of our K&K Dental Studio team members here in Ottawa if you have any question regarding periodontal disease.