RDH Magazine has just published The Dental Hygienist: Essential to Periodontal Healing. It recounts our practice's history and our current methodology to achieve periodontal control without surgery or laser. www.rdhmag.com/patient-care/article/55408235/the-d…
We updated The Three Pillars of Periodontal Healing to better reflect the steps we've used in our practice over the past 25 years. Here is the summary document. We will post the individual documents in the next few days. If you have any questions, please put them in the comments, and I'll do my best to answer. Thanks. Lee Sheldon
Why doesn’t scaling and root planing always lead to periodontal healing? Kevin Henry and I talked about the three things I look for before giving up on a tooth.
Over the past fifty years, I've come to believe that the body can heal from periodontal disease far more often than we assume if we remove the barriers that prevent healing. In my experience, those barriers are threefold: root cleanliness, aggressive bacteria, and occlusal trauma.
First is root cleanliness. It's not the procedure; it's the result. With better visualization and finishing techniques, we can often render a root surface truly clean.
Second, not every patient carries aggressive organisms, but when they are present, it's smart to diagnose and treat them specifically.
Third, teeth weakened by disease often get hammered by bite forces. Small bite adjustments or sometimes splinting can give the periodontal support mechanism a chance to recover.
In my periodontal practice, I've seen remarkable healing when these three factors are balanced. And here's a thought I come back to. Once a tooth is extracted, you'll never know how well it might have healed.
What if the reason periodontal therapy sometimes fails isn't technique... but what we can't see?
This short video is taken from my presentation at RDH Under One Roof 2026.
Over the next few weeks, I'll be posting a series of short lessons on: • Why deep cleaning sometimes fails • Why X-rays can miss important disease • Root cleanliness • Endoscopic treatment • Treatment planning
If you're a dentist, hygienist, or dental student, I hope these spark some discussion.
Patients are welcome too—you may discover why your periodontal treatment succeeded... or why it didn't.
Dr. Lee Sheldon
RDH Magazine has just published The Dental Hygienist: Essential to Periodontal Healing. It recounts our practice's history and our current methodology to achieve periodontal control without surgery or laser. www.rdhmag.com/patient-care/article/55408235/the-d…
4 days ago | [YT] | 5
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Dr. Lee Sheldon
Here’s an interview on The Three Pillars
1 week ago | [YT] | 0
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Dr. Lee Sheldon
We updated The Three Pillars of Periodontal Healing to better reflect the steps we've used in our practice over the past 25 years. Here is the summary document. We will post the individual documents in the next few days. If you have any questions, please put them in the comments, and I'll do my best to answer. Thanks. Lee Sheldon
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 15
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Dr. Lee Sheldon
Here’s a recent radio interview regarding age and loose teeth. Hint: Age has very little to do with it. To save you time, please start at about 20:00.
https://youtu.be/2bqLYjkerCY?is=7R4mh...
1 month ago | [YT] | 0
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Dr. Lee Sheldon
Why doesn’t scaling and root planing always lead to periodontal healing? Kevin Henry and I talked about the three things I look for before giving up on a tooth.
1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 0
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Dr. Lee Sheldon
Balancing the Three Legs of Periodontal Treatment
Over the past fifty years, I've come to believe that the body can heal from periodontal disease far more often than we assume if we remove the barriers that prevent healing. In my experience, those barriers are threefold: root cleanliness, aggressive bacteria, and occlusal trauma.
First is root cleanliness. It's not the procedure; it's the result. With better visualization and finishing techniques, we can often render a root surface truly clean.
Second, not every patient carries aggressive organisms, but when they are present, it's smart to diagnose and treat them specifically.
Third, teeth weakened by disease often get hammered by bite forces. Small bite adjustments or sometimes splinting can give the periodontal support mechanism a chance to recover.
In my periodontal practice, I've seen remarkable healing when these three factors are balanced. And here's a thought I come back to. Once a tooth is extracted, you'll never know how well it might have healed.
1 month ago | [YT] | 3
View 0 replies
Dr. Lee Sheldon
What if the reason periodontal therapy sometimes fails isn't technique... but what we can't see?
This short video is taken from my presentation at RDH Under One Roof 2026.
Over the next few weeks, I'll be posting a series of short lessons on:
• Why deep cleaning sometimes fails
• Why X-rays can miss important disease
• Root cleanliness
• Endoscopic treatment
• Treatment planning
If you're a dentist, hygienist, or dental student, I hope these spark some discussion.
Patients are welcome too—you may discover why your periodontal treatment succeeded... or why it didn't.
👉 Watch the newest clip here: https://youtu.be/r4V_0anU0zI
Tell me what topics you'd like me to cover next.
2 months ago | [YT] | 2
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Dr. Lee Sheldon
1 year ago | [YT] | 3
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