FAQ concerning dentistry:

What costs are incurred by the dentist when he needs or orders the mD/PST sampling sets?
None!

When is a PST test carried out?
To determine the individual hereditary periodontits risk before the first clinical signs appear.
When periodontitis is present for monitoring.

When is a microdent® test recommended?
When the pocket depth is more than about 4 mm or when periodontal pockets suddenly appear.

What are the indications for using an MD test and do you have documented successul treatment outcomes which are due to antibiotic treatment in combination with an MD treatment? In general for periodontitis cases with a pocket depth of more than 4 mm; prior to implantation (when the teeth have already been damaged by periodontitis) and when periimplantitis is diagnosed.
The only exeptions are periodontitis cases in which pocket depth and attachment loss have progressed slowly over many years i.e. in patients which respond well to a conventional mechanical periodontitis therapy. Antibiotic treatment is indicated on the basis of positive microbiological or molecular biological test results and corresponding clinical symptoms and is usually very successful and recommended by leading periodontologists and Universities on the basis of numerous studies and reports.

What are key elements of a modern prophylactic programme  based on recent findings?
The most important finding is that caries, periodontitis, periimplantatitis and stomatitis are usually diseases caused by bacteria. Hence diagnostics are crucial as a basis for selecting specific preventive and treatment methods. In an ideal case the aim of a prophylactic programme should be to determine the individual morbidity risk of each patient and to prevent the pathogen from becoming established by suitable preventive measures before onset of the disease.

When is antibiotic treatment recommended?
When the result is positive in conjunction with corresponding clinical symptoms - especially when Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and/or Porphyromonas gingivalis are detected.

Which diseases can be triggered by periodontal microorganisms?
A systemic spread of the microorganisms can in the worst case result in vascular diseases, stroke, diabetes, endocarditis, osteoporosis, elevated risk of premature birth and still births.
How can I as a dentist sell a non-reimbursable test to my patients?
mD: A specific treatment based on an accurate diagnosis is often impossible without the microdent® test. An effectively treated periodontitis is in the mid-term considerably cheaper than an inadequately treated periodontitis.
PST: The PST test is a test which determines the individual risk of developing periodontitis. Hence the test allows a prognosis about a possible future periodontitis at a time when the patient still has a completely healthy parodont and the development of a severe periodontitis can be very effectively prevented by individual prophylaxis: Surely a very worthwhile investment in the future also from a financial perspective.

How can I be reimbursed for using microdent® and/or PST ? Will the costs be reimbursed by the health insurance?
For further information refer to  http://www.dent-all.de , under "Abrechnung". At present the National Health Insurance will not reimburse the costs but some private insurers do. A corresponding letter for private insurers is available from us on request.

What is the reason for a negative mD result, although the clinical symptoms point to a periodontitis?
This may be due to the fact that the patient is for example PST-positive, i.e. he reacts more strongly to the periodontal marker microorganisms below the detection limit. It may also be due to an inadequate supragingival cleaning or the fact that other rare microorganisms are responsible for the periodontitis (e.g. viruses such as herpes), he may be immunodeficient e.g. in the case of diabetics, HIV or leukaemia patients or the patient has been treated with antibiotics in the recent weeks  for an infection.
Possible sources of error when taking samples:
- incubation period too short (ideally 10-20 sec.)
- paper tip comes into contact with saliva before sampling
- sample was taken from a strongly suppurant pocket
- paper tip was not inserted down to the sulcus bottom
- the subingiva was cleaned mechanically before the sample was taken

How long does it take to analyse the microdent® sample?
ca. 6 days.

What does "PCR" mean?
Polymerase chain reaction. It is a modern molecular biological method for the specific amplification of hereditary material (DNA) for which a Nobel price was awarded.


FAQ for laboratory physicians:

What are the major advantages in using a DNA strip test compared to an in-house or competitive method?
Our certified tests cover the most important and frequently requested parameters. They are validated and can be completely automated. The open DNA strip design allows continuous test updating, e.g. by adding new genetic parameters, and ensures an optimal quality and suitability for the routine laboratory. Thus the genotype microbacteria test is the only test on the market which allows the differentiation of 13 species from culture.

Do you manufacture the test kits yourselves?
Yes! Products which are based on the DNA strip technology are developed and manufactured according to the strict requirements of the ISO 9001/EN 46001 standard at our headquarters in Nehren.

Are the company and the products certified?
Our company has an ISO 9001:2000 and EN 46001 certification since 2001. This sets high demands on our development/manufacturing and quality management processes and on our suppliers. For you as a customer this means a very high level of quality and reliability. Of course Hain Lifescience also fulfils the criteria for the CE mark.

Since when has Hain Diagnostika GmbH offered species-specific Chlamydia diagnostics and what are the advantages of such tests?
The Sero CT/CP/CP quant test from our company provides high sensitivity and specificitiy, furthermore it is a simple procedure that can be automated using interchangeable reagents and correlates excellently with the gold standard. All Sero tests of course have the necessary approvals e.g. from the  Paul-Ehrlich Institute.

Is there also a pancrease elastase test for serum?
The Elastase-1-ELISA from Hain Lifescience is a very reliable diagnostic test thanks to its clinical specificity and it can also be automated. Its ready-to-use solutions and breakable strips additionally make it particularly simple and economic to use. The test is carried out using stool. The serum test is in the pipeline and will be launched at the beginning of 2002. Please ask us for additional information.