Spit Happens: How Salivary Testing Transforms Treatment Planning

1.0 Hrs CE credit
May 29, 2025 7:00pm - 8:00pm CDT
Registration for this event is now closed
About this event
”Spit Happens: How Salivary Testing Transforms Treatment Planning”

With Heather Kenney, RDH

Course Description:
In today’s era of personalized and preventive care, saliva offers a powerful, non-invasive tool to gain insight into oral and systemic health. This course introduces dental professionals to the clinical applications of salivary testing and how to integrate these tools into everyday practice to guide more targeted and effective treatment plans.

Participants will learn about chairside pH testing, nitric oxide strip testing, and oral microbiome diagnostics. These tests uncover root causes of conditions like caries, periodontal disease, and inflammation, enabling clinicians to treat more precisely, educate more effectively, and collaborate more meaningfully with patients and interdisciplinary providers. We’ll explore how salivary biomarkers reflect not just oral status, but systemic trends—and how this knowledge can elevate your clinical care and patient outcomes.

Course objectives:

At the conclusion of this course the participant will be able to:

  • Describe the role of saliva as a diagnostic tool and its value in assessing oral and systemic health.
  • Recognize the critical role of pH in oral disease progression and effectively implement chairside pH testing to monitor oral acidity, support remineralization, and guide individualized dietary recommendations
  • Explore oral microbiome testing as a tool for identifying microbial imbalances associated with caries, periodontal disease, halitosis, and systemic inflammation, while gaining insight into underlying factors contributing to oral dysbiosis and overall health.
  • Introduce the concept of nitric oxide testing and Interpret nitric oxide strip test results and explain the implications for cardiovascular and oral health, including strategies to support nitric oxide production.
  • Review a case study to illustrate how salivary diagnostic testing informs clinical decision-making and guides personalized homecare recommendations.

    • About the presenter:
    Heather Kenney, RDH is a holistic dental hygienist certified through the IAOMT, with a passion for bridging the gap between oral and systemic health. Heather has been practicing dental hygiene since 2005, she has brought her expertise to a wide range of dental settings—including private practice, DSO environments, periodontology, and biological dentistry.

    Heather currently serves as a clinical trainer and consultant for Bristle Health, a leading salivary diagnostics company, where she supports providers in the implementation and integration of oral microbiome testing into clinical care. She is also the founder of Intuitive Training, LLC, where she offers private oral health coaching and practice consulting. Through diagnostic testing she gives personalized guidance and gains key insights to help clients uncover the root causes of oral and systemic imbalances, creating customized homecare protocols and advocating for long-term wellness through collaboration with other care providers to address underlying conditions with gut or airway concerns

    In addition, she works collaboratively with functional medicine practitioners to help patients achieve a healthier oral microbiome as a foundation for improved systemic outcomes. Heather’s approach is deeply patient-centered, blending science, intuition, and education to deliver comprehensive, holistic care.

    Instructor: Heather Kenney, RDH

    # of CE: 1

    Location: Virtual

    AGD Code=730

    Please be sure to note your timezone

    PDT = 5 PM

    MDT = 6 PM

    CDT = 7 PM

    EDT = 8 PM

    AZ = 5 PM

    About this event
    ”Spit Happens: How Salivary Testing Transforms Treatment Planning”

    With Heather Kenney, RDH

    Course Description:
    In today’s era of personalized and preventive care, saliva offers a powerful, non-invasive tool to gain insight into oral and systemic health. This course introduces dental professionals to the clinical applications of salivary testing and how to integrate these tools into everyday practice to guide more targeted and effective treatment plans.

    Participants will learn about chairside pH testing, nitric oxide strip testing, and oral microbiome diagnostics. These tests uncover root causes of conditions like caries, periodontal disease, and inflammation, enabling clinicians to treat more precisely, educate more effectively, and collaborate more meaningfully with patients and interdisciplinary providers. We’ll explore how salivary biomarkers reflect not just oral status, but systemic trends—and how this knowledge can elevate your clinical care and patient outcomes.

    Course objectives:

    At the conclusion of this course the participant will be able to:

  • Describe the role of saliva as a diagnostic tool and its value in assessing oral and systemic health.
  • Recognize the critical role of pH in oral disease progression and effectively implement chairside pH testing to monitor oral acidity, support remineralization, and guide individualized dietary recommendations
  • Explore oral microbiome testing as a tool for identifying microbial imbalances associated with caries, periodontal disease, halitosis, and systemic inflammation, while gaining insight into underlying factors contributing to oral dysbiosis and overall health.
  • Introduce the concept of nitric oxide testing and Interpret nitric oxide strip test results and explain the implications for cardiovascular and oral health, including strategies to support nitric oxide production.
  • Review a case study to illustrate how salivary diagnostic testing informs clinical decision-making and guides personalized homecare recommendations.

    • About the presenter:
    Heather Kenney, RDH is a holistic dental hygienist certified through the IAOMT, with a passion for bridging the gap between oral and systemic health. Heather has been practicing dental hygiene since 2005, she has brought her expertise to a wide range of dental settings—including private practice, DSO environments, periodontology, and biological dentistry.

    Heather currently serves as a clinical trainer and consultant for Bristle Health, a leading salivary diagnostics company, where she supports providers in the implementation and integration of oral microbiome testing into clinical care. She is also the founder of Intuitive Training, LLC, where she offers private oral health coaching and practice consulting. Through diagnostic testing she gives personalized guidance and gains key insights to help clients uncover the root causes of oral and systemic imbalances, creating customized homecare protocols and advocating for long-term wellness through collaboration with other care providers to address underlying conditions with gut or airway concerns

    In addition, she works collaboratively with functional medicine practitioners to help patients achieve a healthier oral microbiome as a foundation for improved systemic outcomes. Heather’s approach is deeply patient-centered, blending science, intuition, and education to deliver comprehensive, holistic care.

    Instructor: Heather Kenney, RDH

    # of CE: 1

    Location: Virtual

    AGD Code=730

    Please be sure to note your timezone

    PDT = 5 PM

    MDT = 6 PM

    CDT = 7 PM

    EDT = 8 PM

    AZ = 5 PM

    Registration for this event is now closed

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