🦷 Why Your Words Are Either Healing or Hurting Your Patients

Let's Stop Normalizing What is Hurting Our Patients

Hey beautiful souls!

If you are reading this, you are either part of our community of excellent dental pros who have been on this journey with me, or you are a new friend who has just discovered our mission to elevate dental hygiene to cosmic heights. Either way, WELCOME!

I'll be honest—life has been a whirlwind lately. Between clinical practice, KOL Management, serving as a board member of the Oral Health Awareness Project, and navigating the beautiful chaos that comes with being human, I've had to step back and realign with what truly matters.

Nevertheless, here's the thing: I'm more focused than ever on our collective mission to transform how dental hygiene is practiced and perceived.

We're not just teeth cleaners. We're not just "the person before the dentist." We are healthcare providers, diagnosticians, and patient advocates who literally have the power to save lives through our scope of practice.

🔥 The Communication Crisis That's Hurting Our Patients

Let's talk about something that's been weighing heavily on my heart: the way we communicate during periodontal assessments. I've been observing (and frankly, cringing at) how we've normalized language that minimizes the severity of periodontal disease.

How many times have you heard (or maybe even said):

• "Just a little bleeding, totally normal!"

• "Your gums are a bit angry today."

• "Some inflammation, nothing to worry about."

• "Everyone bleeds a little when they floss."

Friends, we need to STOP. When we normalize bleeding gums, we're doing our patients a massive disservice. We're essentially telling them that active infection and inflammation—which research consistently links to systemic health complications—is "no big deal."

🧬 The Science is Clear: Oral Health = Systemic Health

The research is overwhelming when it comes to the oral-systemic connection. Let me share just a few key findings:

Cardiovascular Disease: A 2019 systematic review in the Journal of Clinical Medicine found that periodontal disease increases the risk of cardiovascular events by 15-20% (Larvin et al., 2019). The inflammation and bacteria from periodontal pockets don't stay in the mouth—they travel systemically.

Diabetes: The relationship is bidirectional. Research published in Diabetes Care shows that severe periodontal disease can worsen glycemic control, while diabetes increases the risk and severity of periodontal disease (Taylor et al., 2013).

Pregnancy Complications: Studies in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology have linked maternal periodontal disease to preterm birth, low birth weight, and preeclampsia (Kunnen et al., 2010).

Alzheimer's Disease: Recent research published in Science Advances identified Porphyromonas gingivalis (a key periodontal pathogen) in the brains of Alzheimer's patients, suggesting a potential causal relationship (Dominy et al., 2019).

When we minimize bleeding gums, we can minimize our patients' overall health outcomes.

Let that sink in!

✨ My NLP Journey: From Skeptic to Believer

Here's something I'm excited to share with you all—this past June, I completed a six-month intensive Neurolinguistic Programming certification course. Y'all, I went into this thinking it might be helpful, but I had no idea it would be absolutely life-changing for my clinical practice.

I've been testing these NLP techniques chairside for the past few months, and I'm not exaggerating when I say they are Jedi Knight magical. The way patients respond when you shift your language patterns, the way treatment acceptance rates increase when you anchor positive associations, the way you can literally watch someone's physiology change when you reframe their oral health story—it's incredible.

I've seen patients go from defensive and dismissive about their bleeding gums to genuinely curious about how they can improve their health. I've watched treatment plans that would typically get pushed off for "next time" get accepted on the spot. The power of intentional communication is real, and it's something every dental professional needs to understand.

🧠 Reframing with Neurolinguistic Programming

Here's how we can shift our communication using NLP principles to create urgency while maintaining trust:

Instead of: "Just a little bleeding, nothing major"

Try: "I'm noticing some bleeding here, which tells me your body is fighting an infection. The good news is we can address this together."

Instead of: "Your gums are inflamed"

Try: "Your immune system is working overtime in this area, sending extra blood flow to fight bacteria. Let's talk about how to support your body's healing process."

Instead of: "Everyone gets gingivitis"

Try: "Your gums are showing me they need some extra attention right now. Since we know gum health connects to your heart, brain, and overall wellness, let's create a plan to get them back to optimal health."

Key NLP Principles to Remember:

• Use "I notice" instead of "You have" (less accusatory)

• Connect the oral condition to something they value (overall health, appearance, confidence)

• Always follow the news with a solution or next step

• Use present-tense, action-oriented language

💪 Our Professional Responsibility

As dental hygienists, we have an ethical obligation to:

1. Educate our patients about the true implications of their oral health status

2. Advocate for comprehensive treatment when needed

3. Communicate the urgency of periodontal disease without causing unnecessary fear

4. Empower our patients with actionable steps they can take

We are often the healthcare provider who spends the most time with patients. We build relationships. We have their trust. Let's use that power responsibly.

🎯 Ready to Transform Your Patient Communication?

If you're feeling fired up about this topic (and I hope you are!), I've created something special for you. The Dental Pro's Guide to Stop Normalizing Bleeding Gums is a comprehensive resource that includes:

• Scripts for every scenario you'll encounter

• Evidence-based talking points your patients will understand

• Bonus: How to position yourself as the oral health expert you ARE

This isn't just about changing how we talk.  It is about changing outcomes for our patients and elevating our profession in the process.

👉 Get Your Copy Here and Start Transforming Lives Tomorrow

Remember, every conversation you have with a patient is an opportunity to save their life, potentially. That is not hyperbole—that is the power of what we do when we show up as the badass healthcare providers we are.

As I write this, we are in the fourth quarter of 2025. How do you want to close out this year professionally?

Let's stop playing small.

Let's stop normalizing disease.

Let's start changing the world, one periodontal assessment at a time!

With cosmic love and professional fire,

Melissa✨

P.S. - How are YOU showing up as a badass hygienist?

Hit reply and let me know what resonates with you or share a success story from your practice. I love hearing from this fantastic community!

References:

• Dominy, S. S., et al. (2019). Porphyromonas gingivalis in Alzheimer's disease brains. Science Advances, 5(3), eaau3333.

• Kunnen, A., et al. (2010). The role of maternal periodontal disease in preterm birth. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 202(2), 135-e1.

• Larvin, H., et al. (2019). The impact of periodontal disease on hospital admission and medication prescribing. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 8(9), 1358.

• Taylor, J. J., et al. (2013). Diabetes, periodontal diseases and the two-way relationship. Diabetes Care, 36(4), 1065-1070.