When your dental office is a biological one, even a routine cleaning is anything but routine. It’s as individualized as every other treatment. A biological dental hygienist looks beyond removing surface buildup to understand what’s actually happening in the mouth and what’s needed to make sure it supports your overall health.
That’s the level of care our own hygienist, Madeline, has always brought to her work. And recently, she took it one step further, completing advanced training through the International Academy of Oral Medicine & Toxicology (IAOMT). She is now Accredited as a Biological Dental Hygienist.
We’re proud of her for her accomplishment – and we think it’s something our patients will appreciate, too.
Biological dentists like to say that “we treat people, not conditions.” We don’t assume that every case is the same.
Consider gum health. A conventional periodontal exam – with pocket measurements and visual assessment – can tell us if you have gum disease. It can give us an idea of how severe it is, too. What it can’t tell us is what specific kind of infection we’re actually dealing with.
That’s why we also include targeted testing with Simply Perio. This saliva test shows us the levels of specific pathogens in your mouth, including some viruses and fungi, as well as bacteria. This matters because different microbes behave differently. Some are more aggressive. Some are more persistent. The specific mix matters, too.
The clearer the picture we have of the overall health of your oral microbiome and environment, the more targeted and precise we can be during your hygiene visits.
For many patients with active gum disease, treatment begins with a deep cleaning, removing plaque and tartar both above and below the gumline – often with an ultrasonic unit for the most thorough cleaning possible. Even the polishing paste we use is made in our office, with natural ingredients and no additives.
Ozone is also part of this baseline approach. Every treatment room in our office is equipped with ozonated water, after all, so it’s built into care from the start. In cases of more advanced gum disease, we may also apply ozone as a gas to naturally disinfect the periodontal pockets and support healing.
If you just have gingivitis – early, reversible gum disease – this level of care is usually enough. But left untreated, it can turn into periodontitis. This is the stage where tissue damage happens. Pockets deepen. Some attachment is lost. Bone loss begins. The risk of adult tooth loss becomes real.
At this point, we may recommend non-surgical laser therapy, which we do using our Fotona LightWalker. This state-of-the-art laser has two complementary wavelengths – one to remove diseased tissues and biofilm (plaque), and another to reach deeper, reduce bacteria, and stimulate the body’s healing response.
Studies on this type of protocol have consistently shown better periodontal outcomes, including reduced inflammation and better healing. There’s even emerging evidence that reflects something that we’ve seen in our own patients: This type of dual-wavelength laser treatment may support the growth of new bone that supports your teeth.
That type of natural regeneration simply isn’t possible with conventional periodontal care alone.
Another thing we can do to encourage regeneration is use platelet-rich fibrin (PRF). This involves spinning a small sample of your own blood in a special centrifuge to concentrate the healing factors in it. We then place this directly into deeper pockets to support tissue repair, giving your body an added boost in rebuilding what’s been lost.
But Madeline’s role as your hygienist doesn’t end with your office visit. She’s also here to help you make sure that your home care will support the ongoing health of your teeth and gums. And that’s so much more than just brushing and flossing. She helps you understand what’s actually driving the health of your mouth and works with you to build a routine that fits your life. She supports you in making changes that actually stick.
For some, that starts with a few simple shifts. For others, it means building a more comprehensive routine, adding tools and techniques that address your specific needs. That might include oil pulling, tongue scraping, oral irrigation, and using proxy brushes – often with ozonated oil applied directly where it’s needed.
Each of these plays a role. Together, they shape the oral environment, reducing harmful bacteria, supporting a healthy bacterial balance, and giving tissues a better chance to heal and stay healthy.
And while the tools matter, the real foundation of oral health is diet: what you eat, how often you eat, and how that shapes the conditions in your mouth.
In all cases, the ultimate goal is simply prevention.
When your hygiene visits are thorough and individualized – and when that care is supported at home – you’re far more likely to avoid the kinds of problems that require more time, more intervention, and more cost down the line.