Inflammatory Testing & the Dental Office

At a conference I recently attended, the keynote speaker was futurist Jim Carroll. He stated that the key going forward is not the size of the entity but how fast it responds. AAOSH finds itself with a unique combination of scientific leaders and practice management specialists that constantly change to keep up with one of the fastest-growing areas of healthcare. Our presentations this year will include critical updates and brand new methods unavailable anywhere else.

Starting around 10 years ago, incredible new scientific tools started showing up, mostly as a result of the genome project. From these new tools, we have new research. Two of the most important research papers of our profession came out this year.

Circulation 3/2013 [i]

The American Heart Association journal cites groundbreaking research showing us the direct connection between oral pathogens (associated with periodontal disease, endodontic lesions, and caries) and acute heart attacks! It tells us that up to half of heart attacks are being triggered by oral pathogens. Oral bacteria were found in every thrombus, and 30% had live oral pathogens in the clot!

Dental infection and oral bacteria are associated with development of acute coronary thrombosis. Oral health and dental care should be part of heart attack prevention!

Stroke 2/2013 [ii]

With over half a million participants, it was shown that periodontal disease is an important risk factor for stroke. Most importantly, it showed that periodontal treatment reduced risk for stroke!

At the same time all of this new research is coming out, there are new tools for us to utilize and incorporate it into our practice. Don’t miss out. Plan on attending the AAOSH Scientific Session September 20-22 to find out the latest ways to understand and implement oral-systemic health into your practice.

AAOSH members can now test for Lp-PLA₂ levels in their dental office with a simple finger stick, the Heart Smart Screen™.

AAOSH is proud to announce an alignment with the Heart Smart Screen™, a revolutionary new technology that tests for Lp-PLA2, hsCRP, and A1c in an easy, non-invasive, and painless way.

Lp-PLA₂ levels via the PLAC® Test tell us how inflamed the arteries are around the heart and lets us know if the patient is at risk for heart attack and stroke. It is the most important test in assessing risk for heart attack and stroke—even more important than cholesterol levels. Periodontal treatment which reduces the inflammatory burden has been shown to be one of the main methods for reducing Lp-PLA₂ levels.

The missing link until now has been getting the necessary inflammatory testing and blood work done which determiens  the Lp-PLA₂ levels for the medical and dental team. With groundbreaking new technology, the PLAC Test can now be done in the comfort of your dental practice with a simple non-invasive finger stick test—the Heart Smart Screen™.

AAOSH is pleased to announce that the national breakout of the Heart Smart Screen™ will be at the 3^rd Annual AAOSH Scientific Session in Las Vegas September 20-22. This is just one of the new advances that will be presented at the AAOSH meeting in September, which  will include discussion and instruction on how to incorporate this inflammatory testing into a dental practice and how to interact with the medical team and your patient.

I look forward to seeing you all there. Please mark your calendars and join with us in Las Vegas. Click here to register.

Dan Sindelar DMD

President - AAOSH