Notably, the patient is much more likely to accept treatment recommendations because of the visible numerical result of the OralFitnessCheck. Besides making the subclinical breakdown visible to them, the numerical readout is more believable for patients because it came from their saliva, was read in a machine, and shared with them in just five minutes. This point-of-care testing has shown results in practice growth from existing and new patients. Patients are used to taking action on numeric test results like Hb1aC and cholesterol numbers because they can relate to a visual numerical test result.

We may be watching a periodontal condition or even just one periodontal pocket, waiting to see if it needs treatment (while getting worse). An elevated Oral Fitness Score can indicate the correct timing for clinicians to decide after a clinical examination about taking action.

Importantly, patients will now have a benchmark to understand their oral hygiene performance and if they have improved their performance from the last visit. It also can lead to a discussion of oral systemic health, and they can visualize if they contribute to their overall general health.

During the maintenance phase, after treatment, if continued, Oral Fitness testing will alert us to any recurrent breakdown very early. This is important because, without OralFitnessCheck, we must wait for further loss of tissue (bone and soft-tissue loss or pocketing) to measure any new occurrence. Also, we have yet to learn of the aggressiveness or speed of the recurrent breakdown.

NOTE: Studies show a reduction in the Oral Fitness Score after whatever therapy is required following the clinical exam. This improvement continues over time, as demonstrated by frequent testing.