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Show Notes

Integrated dental and medical care is closer than most dentists think. Joe Feldsien of PDS Health explains how blood work, salivary diagnostics, wearable data, and an AI health agent are coming together in one Epic MyChart experience for patients.

WHAT THIS EPISODE IS ABOUT

Joe Feldsien, who leads technology strategy at PDS Health, joins Adrian Lefler on BYTE SIZED to describe what patient care looks like once dental and medical data finally live in one place. PDS Health builds its model around the mouth-body connection, the link between oral inflammation and systemic disease. Joe pictures a near future where primary care and oral care share a reception area, a chart, and a team of collaborating clinicians.

The diagnostics are getting deeper. Joe calls saliva the new blood and describes salivary tests that can measure the most harmful oral bacteria in about 10 minutes, blood panels that go well past the standard workup, and CBCT imaging, where PDS has passed 3 million scans since 2020. His point on CBCT is trust. For the first time, the patient can see what the dentist sees and actually understand it.

All of that data lives in Epic, which Joe says now holds a chart for roughly 70% of patients in the country, and feeds a longitudinal patient dashboard. PDS is launching an app, starting with its own employee community, that gives patients an AI agent to explain results like ApoB and coach behavior changes. LabCorp and Quest results fill the gap when a patient’s physician isn’t on Epic, and Joe expects wearable alerts that prompt a clinician to reach out to be less than two years away.

The hardest part isn’t patients. It’s clinicians. Drawing on 33 years in dentistry, Joe explains why many dentists stay inside the standard of care: fear of missing something and peer pressure. The ones who step outside it earn patient loyalty and full schedules, and Joe expects health systems and self-insured employers to speed adoption as they see how oral health drives down medical costs.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS EPISODE

1. What is the mouth-body connection, and why are dental and medical care being integrated?

The mouth-body connection is the link between oral inflammation and systemic disease, including several leading causes of death. Organizations like PDS Health are integrating dental and medical care so primary care and oral care share a chart, a reception area, and collaborative clinicians, giving both teams a complete view of the patient’s health.

2. How will salivary diagnostics change the way dentists assess oral health?

Salivary testing is moving well beyond what practices use today. New tests can measure the most harmful bacteria in a patient’s mouth in about 10 minutes and connect those levels to periodontal risk and how the patient will respond to treatment. Paired with blood work, saliva gives dentists and patients a shared, data-driven path to better oral and overall health.

3. Can an AI health assistant help patients understand their lab results?

Yes, and that may be its biggest value. Most patients see a number like ApoB in isolation, feel intimidated, and do nothing. An AI agent inside a patient app can put that number in context alongside blood and saliva results and the doctor’s input, then suggest behavior changes in diet, exercise, and flossing that bring the number down.

4. Why are dentists slow to adopt new diagnostic technology?

The biggest barrier is fear of stepping outside the accepted standard of care. Dentists worry about missing something, and peer pressure keeps many of them doing what colleagues do. Those who adopt tools like CBCT and salivary diagnostics tend to earn stronger patient loyalty, patient advocacy, and fuller schedules because they deliver value most practices don’t.

5. How many US patients have an Epic chart, and can dental practices use Epic?

Roughly 70% of US patients now have an Epic chart in some form, making it the largest EHR in healthcare. Few DSOs and almost no unsupported private practices use it for dentistry. PDS Health runs its own dental-optimized Epic instance, and lab results from LabCorp and Quest can still flow in when a patient’s physician isn’t on Epic.

ABOUT

Joe Feldsien leads technology strategy at PDS Health, the Henderson, Nevada-based healthcare support organization formerly known as Pacific Dental Services. With more than 33 years in dentistry, he joined PDS in 2004 and previously served as president of PDS Health Medical, which he helped build from its inception to connect primary care with dental practices. He is now building an integrated patient platform that brings blood work, salivary diagnostics, wearable data, and an AI health assistant into Epic’s MyChart.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Guest: Joe Feldsien

Website: https://www.pdshealth.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-feldsien-a150163a/