Advanced Diagnosis Provides Dental Physicians With Vital Information—Resulting In More Effective Treatment of Periodontal Disease

Centers for Dental Medicine practices take periodontal disease treatment seriously. OralDNA Labs is an integral part in our comprehensive and highly successful periodontal therapy. OralDNA is a unique testing facility that provides our dentists with an easy-to-use, noninvasive, and affordable testing system--the MyPerioID^sm and the MyPerioPath^sm saliva tests. The MyPerioID^sm PST® susceptibility test determines if you are more likely to develop inflammatory periodontal disease by testing for the interleukin-1a and interleukin-1ß gene. A “Positive” result of the PST test indicates that your patient has an increased Interleukin 1 cytokine response to a host infection, resulting in greater inflammation. If an individual has the "PST-positive" genotype, they are at a 3-7 times greater risk for periodontal disease, plus an increased risk for all inflammatory diseases including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and lung cancer of they are a smoker.

The PST composite genotype is based on the combination of the results for the IL-1a and IL-1ß genes. Any combination that includes the presence of a "T" at both IL-1a (+4845) and IL-1ß (+3954) is defined as PST-positive and predisposes an individual to more secretion of Interleukin -1.

These people need to be advised that they are more likely to worsen rather than improve without aggressive periodontal treatment. They also should be on an anti-inflammatory diet and use anti inflammatory supplements including Grape Seed Extract, Bromelain and Omega 3.

Prevalence of the PST-positive genotype ranges from 30 to 40% in Caucasians populations. This frequency may be different in other ethnic groups. It is important to note that whenever the PST-positive genotype is present, it is associated with an increased susceptibility to periodontal disease and overproduction of IL-1, a cytokine that amplifies inflammation.

The PST test assesses one of several risk factors that should be included in an overall evaluation of periodontal disease.

The MyPerioPath^sm identifies and quantitatively measures the number of the 11 Periodontal Pathogens in the mouth that can cause gingivitis (early stage gum disease) and periodontal disease (mature gum disease). The quantity of bacteria, known as the “bacterial load,” is crucial to determining the dangerous threat of disease-causing infectious bacteria in the periodontal pockets. Thresholds have been established for each type of pathogen above which the average immune system may not be able to effectively combat. A detailed report analyses each pathogen threat level with specific information on targeted antibiotics.

Pre testing with the MyPerioPath^sm test allows CDM dentists and hygienists to determine the threat level and may even help identify possible systemic infections. Post treatment testing allows our dental professionals to evaluate the effectiveness of their treatment program. Any residual threatening levels of pathogens can indicate the need for specific treatment of residual periodontal sites and/or the use of exact targeted antibiotics. Complete control of bacteria to a level below the threshold gives Centers for Dental Medicine the ability to document a “healthy outcome” for that patient.

Back to Top