A dental partner in your patients’ systemic health.

Why a dentist belongs on the care team

Chronic periodontal disease is a treatable bacterial infection, and the research literature consistently associates it with the conditions you manage: cardiovascular disease, glycaemic control in diabetes, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and sleep-disordered breathing. We are deliberate about the language — these are documented associations, with interventional evidence still maturing — and we link the primary sources below rather than overstating them. What is not in dispute: active oral infection adds to a patient’s total inflammatory load, and it responds to treatment.

If you practice functional, integrative, or lifestyle medicine, this is likely the piece of the inflammation picture you cannot examine yourself. We can.

Patients we can help you with

• Patients managing type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, where gum inflammation and glycaemic control interact in both directions
• Patients with cardiovascular risk factors and untreated or unexamined periodontal disease
• Pregnant patients — preventive dental care during pregnancy is safe and recommended, and hormonal changes make gum tissue more reactive
• Patients with suspected sleep-disordered breathing, bruxism, or airway concerns, including candidates for oral appliance therapy
• Patients with persistent systemic inflammation where an active oral source has not been ruled out

What your patient’s evaluation includes

Comprehensive periodontal examination

Full charting and an in-depth clinical exam of gum health and active dental conditions.

Live phase contrast microscopy

We sample plaque and examine it under the microscope at the visit itself — the patient sees their own slide — to profile periodontal and systemic disease risk.

Comprehensive pathogen report

When in-office findings show moderate or high risk, we add a Fida Labs comprehensive periodontal pathogen report, so treatment is guided by the patient’s actual flora rather than a default protocol.

Radiographs & iTero digital scan

Bone, roots, and teeth; bite, alignment, and occlusion.

Airway & bruxism assessment

Airway look, bite, and signs of grinding — the dental findings that travel with sleep-disordered breathing. Diagnosis remains medical; our role is to notice, evaluate, and refer back.

Oral cancer screening & full health history

Including medical history, medications, diet, and home care — the first visit runs about 90 minutes.

About the pathogen panel

The comprehensive oral pathogen panel we use (Fida Labs) is a saliva-based assay reporting two sets of organisms: periodontal pathogens — including P. gingivalis, T. forsythia, T. denticola, A. actinomycetemcomitans, and the F. nucleatum subspecies — and the cariogenic species behind decay, chiefly S. mutans (including the collagen-binding cnm+ strain) and S. sobrinus. Candida and herpesviruses are reported when detected.

Results come back as risk-stratified composite scores for each panel, plus the individual species that exceed their reporting thresholds. That stratification drives recall interval, whether targeted rather than conventional therapy is indicated, and what we retest after treatment — which is the part most relevant to you, since it turns "we treated the gums" into a measured before-and-after.

If a specific patient's report would be useful to you, we're glad to walk through it. The patient-facing explanation is here.

What you receive back

• A findings summary after the comprehensive evaluation: periodontal status, microscopy findings, and the pathogen report when one was indicated
• The treatment plan and its rationale
• Status updates at re-evaluation, so you can see whether the oral inflammatory burden is actually coming down

Communication goes through the channel you prefer. We do not collect patient information through this website — records move directly between our offices.

How to refer

1. Have your patient call us at (925) 687-0343 and mention your name or practice — no forms, no portal.
2. Or call us first. If you’d like to discuss whether a patient is a good fit, Dr. Uddaraju is happy to talk it through before anyone is scheduled.
3. Send records your way. Use whatever secure channel your practice already trusts; our front office will coordinate.

Print the one-page referral sheet → — a summary of all of this for your exam rooms or front desk.