Did you know that approximately 47% of adults in the United States have some form of gum disease? Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, is a serious condition that can lead to tooth loss and a variety of significant health problems. Saliva diagnostics is a new way to detect gum disease in its early stages. This simple test involves collecting a sample of saliva from the mouth and then testing it for the presence of certain pathogens.
At River Edge Dental, this proactive approach to gum disease detection allows us to provide our patients with the best treatment, as quickly as possible. If you have any questions, please contact our River Edge, NJ office or read below for more information.
What Is Saliva Diagnostics?
Saliva is a complex oral fluid that contains a variety of cells, enzymes, and proteins. While in the recent past, saliva was not given a second thought in the medical field, researchers have now begun to unlock its potential as a diagnostic tool. After all, saliva contains DNA—a combination of epithelial cells shed from the inner linings of the mouth and white blood cells; this makes it an ideal sample for genetic testing.
The practice of salivary diagnostics is a technique that simplifies the detection of infections by identifying certain proteins, pathogens, and biomarkers for the presence or potential of oral and systemic infections. This method is non-invasive, quick, foretelling, and only requires a small sample of saliva.
What Are The Benefits Of Saliva Diagnostics?
The human body is made up of billions of DNA strands. If you’d like to know the specifics, this is 3.2 billion base pairs in the human genome. DNA accounts for all of our individual characteristics, from the color of our eyes to how we metabolize sugar. As these molecular compounds are the very fiber of our being, it would make sense that DNA is also indicative of our state of health.
When it comes to diagnosing disease, salivary testing has a few advantages over other methods, such as blood tests.
- First and foremost, saliva is easy to collect. As part of our process, we require patients to swish and gargle water for 30 seconds before dispensing the solution into a collection tube.
- Second, the method of collection is non-invasive. Blood tests, on the other hand, require needles and can be painful for some patients.
- Third, saliva contains epithelial cells that are constantly being shed from the inner linings of the mouth. This means that problems in the early stages of development, before they present symptoms, can be detected directly from the shed cells.
- Fourth, using saliva rather than blood samples diminishes the risk of infectious disease transmission.
- Finally, saliva tests are more affordable than other methods of extracting DNA for testing.
Saliva Diagnostics With OralDNA® Labs
At River Edge Dental, we utilize saliva testing with OralDNA Labs to detect pathogens associated with gum disease. This test is quick, easy, and painless. After 30 seconds of swishing your mouth with water, we will collect the saliva and send it to the OralDNA Lab. In just a few short weeks, we will have your results and can begin developing a treatment plan that is tailored to your specific needs. The test recognizes a number of pathogens linked to the disease, and depending on your test results, we are better able to determine which bacteria are causing your condition and treat the source directly.
MyPerioPath® Test
When it comes to OralDNA’s MyPerioPath test, we’re able to identify which bacteria are present in your saliva and determine their virulence. The MyPerioPath test analyzes 100% of your sampled DNA with absolute accuracy and can identify 11 pathogens associated with periodontal disease. In as little as two weeks, you could have a treatment plan that’s tailored specifically for you.
In addition to testing for bacteria, the test also produces results that help us identify genetic markers for certain risk factors. This gives patients an idea of what health conditions they may be predisposed to, so they can take steps to prevent them.
To learn more about saliva diagnostics and how it can benefit you, call River Edge Dental today. We’ll be happy to answer any of your questions and arrange an appointment for you.
