Salivary Testing - Westlake Village, CA
Transforming Health Monitoring
with Advanced Diagnostic Testing
What Is Salivary Testing?
Salivary testing is a cutting-edge approach that focuses on identifying a wide range of bacteria, viruses, and fungi present in the oral cavity. It is one of the resources and tools we use to treat gum disease more efficiently and effectively. There are hundreds of different types of bacteria in your mouth, but seven of those bacteria can cause major infections in the gums and the bones around the teeth.
These bacteria have also been linked to the presence of systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, several types of cancers, hypertension, diabetes, and infertility. We can now test for these specific types of bacteria with efficiency and accuracy to determine your risk of these diseases. The process is simple and can be done during your regular cleaning visit. You’ll rinse with a saline solution for 30 seconds and spit into a test tube, which is then sent to the lab for testing.
They’ll provide accurate levels of bacterial, viral and fungal counts and can help us determine what types of treatment regimens will be needed to treat your gum disease, as well as to prevent or lower the risk of systemic diseases from occurring. If we find certain dangerous and destructive bacteria, viruses and/or fungi in your mouth, we can use specific antibiotic, anti-viral and/or antifungal therapy to target and destroy these organisms.
How It Works
Sometimes, patients have chronic infections, chronic gum disease, or problematic bad breath that they can’t seem to get rid of. We use salivary testing to find out if a certain bacterium is the underlying cause of these problems. Gum disease has a genetic link, and salivary testing will reveal if you are genetically susceptible to developing gum disease, as well as many other systemic diseases linked to the bacteria in our mouths.
Why It Matters
A salivary test identifies the specific bacteria present your mouth. If your mouth is infected with the types of bacteria that cause gum disease, Westlake Smile Studio will customize your treatment to eliminate the specific types of harmful bacteria present in your mouth.
The test results will determine if you are genetically predisposed to develop gum disease, as well as certain other system diseases linked to the dangerous bacterium . If we find that you have this genetic predisposition, we will customize your hygiene plan to help you prevent future development of the disease.