Brooke Sergent, RDH, BS
Brooke Sergent, RDH, BS, graduated cum laude from Big Sandy Community and Technical College Dental Hygiene program in 2004, where she was also the recipient of the Colgate S.T.A.R. award. In 2005, she moved to East Tennessee and earned her Bachelors in Science from Tennessee Tech University based in Cookeville, TN. Brooke served on the Colgate Oral Health Advisory Board in Piscataway, NJ, in 2013. In 2014, she organized a Colgate Bright Smiles Bright Future Event for a local elementary school. Brooke currently works in private practice and serves as a BURST Ambassador.
Artificial Tooth Enamel: New Synthetic Material Could Impact Dental Care
The human tooth is no stranger to abuse. The human dentition has been taking a beating for years from everyday use and not-so-dental-friendly habits such as opening bottles. With the human bite force exerting 162 pounds of pressure per square inch (PSI), our teeth undergo extreme conditions that we, the owners, put them through. Due to stress levels on...
Oil Pulling: Is It Worth the Effort?
Just when I think a popular dental trend has phased out, it gets rehashed, and I find it on a particular social media platform daily. Oil pulling has always been a trend that I find senseless and unnecessary. Yet, thousands of people continue to practice and promote this oral hygiene regimen.
Oil pulling dates back 3,000 to 5,000 years ago...
Chewing into Nutrition: Foods that Help Promote a Healthier Oral Biome
Details about the foods dental patients eat seem to be a natural conversation for dental hygienists to initiate in the pursuit of a healthier oral cavity. I am sure I have given that same spiel hundreds of times to patients and their caregivers. In fact, I am guilty of sharing nutritional information with friends and family when I overhear...
De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis: The Painful Part of Practicing Clinical Dental Hygiene
While browsing social media, I recently stumbled upon a post on a dental hygiene page of an individual complaining about pain within the lateral aspect of her thumb. This particular post drew my attention since I have pain in the same area. Curious about other hygienists’ advice and responses, I scoured the comment section to find that many gave...
Halloween: A Sweet Balance of Dental Health and Celebration
'Tis the season of football, cooler temperatures, sweaters, pumpkins, and exquisite leaf foliage. While summer is my jam, I do love the beauty and excitement the fall season brings. Let's not forget that October is National Dental Hygiene Month. My hat goes off to each of you. October also brings a season of spooks and Halloween.
As a child, I...
Suicide in Dentistry: Revealing the Facts
Can we take a moment and address the pink elephant in the room? How often do you hear dentists have a high suicide rate? Maybe you have personally worked for a dentist that took his/her own life. Maybe you or someone you know wants to go to dental school, but the mere fact that looms over the possibility of...
A Dental Hygienist’s Heart: The Depth of Patient-Hygienist Relationships
When I write a dental article, it is usually full of research and nerdy information that I find myself geeking out as I dive into the facts. However, I come to you today on a more somber note. Do me a favor and take a break right now as you read this, and allow yourself to breathe. Maybe what...
A Dental Hygienists’ Overview of Nano vs. Micro Hydroxyapatite
With the increased controversy of fluoride obscuring large amounts of patients’ opinions, it is imperative that dental hygiene professionals are educated on fluoride alternatives so they may guide their patients accordingly. While there are several options for those wishing to remain fluoride-free, I find the hydroxyapatite (HAP) studies compelling and superior to other alternatives.
Hydroxyapatite
First, let’s remind ourselves of the...
Oral Probiotics: The Missing Home Care Link to Controlling Oral Bacteria
The routine of proper oral hygiene is widely understood (while not always practiced) by the majority of society. For most, this practice begins with parents upon the eruption of their child's first tooth. Those who have visited a dental office for a routine exam and hygiene care will have been given oral hygiene directives. Those instructions will include the...
A Look at PAP+ as an Alternative to Hydrogen Peroxide-based Teeth Whitening
If you use social media, you are fully aware of the vanity that we pour into our looks. Some of us are so self-conscious that we use photo filters to smooth our skin and give our appearance an airbrushed look. Therefore, when a recent study performed by Mintel/Greenfield Online revealed that 67% of Americans had whitened their teeth, it...
An Overview of Dental Hygiene Guidelines for Treating Patients with Cardiovascular Disease
Heart disease is on the rise, and it is no secret that it's the leading cause of death in men and women across all racial aspects in the United States. Sadly, every 34 seconds, someone dies of cardiovascular disease.1 Due to the commonality of this disease, dental hygienists will frequently see patients afflicted with heart disease in our dental...
Deafening Truth: Without Ear Protection, Hearing Loss Plagues Dental Professionals
Dental professionals have always been masters of personal protection equipment, and we have lately donned more PPE than ever before. Despite being covered from head to toe in gowns, gloves, masks, head coverings, and loupes, many still fail to equip themselves with a vital piece of PPE – earplugs.
When noise levels are taken into consideration, it is often in...
A Hygienists’ Overview of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation Therapy
Many people do not make the correlation between sleep apnea and dentistry, and it is overlooked or goes unmentioned in the dental setting. However, I like to look outside of the box and focus on any medical factors that my career can and does encompass. Due to the frequency that dental professionals essentially stare down patients’ throats, I find...
OSHA’s Surprise Visits: Tips for Dental Offices to be Prepared
Prior to the pandemic, during a normal hectic workday at my office, the local component of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) dropped in for a surprise visit. I think it is safe to say that this is one of the most dreaded moments by dental professionals in a dental office. While many offices go their entire business...
Hygiene Treatment CDT Code Breakdown and Patient Explanations
Some dental hygienists have likely struggled with delegating the correct code for hygiene treatment. I know it certainly happened to me, especially when the D4346 code came into play in 2017. Dental hygienists might find it helpful to understand the differentiation of the existing codes and policies related to dental hygiene treatment types.
Further, explaining each type of hygiene treatment...
Instrument Sharpening by the RDH: The How and Why
I can almost vouch with utmost certainty that one of the most exhilarating events for a dental hygienist is receiving and opening brand-new instruments. The sheer knowledge of knowing that new instruments pack a sharp edge is sure to have every hygienist playing favoritism among the instruments in their stash − at least until the edges become dull.
While sharp...
Fun Teeth Facts of Different Animals, Including Slugs!
Most dental professionals, if not all, find themselves gravitating towards any and all things dental. It's a second nature we cannot mask. Whether it's tooth-adorned apparel, custom dental license plates, or just merely seeing teeth when we look at random objects. Teeth are a major part of our lives in and out of our careers.
What if we discussed the...
Suction Backflow: How Dental Hygienists Can Prevent Cross-contamination
Many of us drink through a straw. When you take a long, delicious slurp, have you ever noticed that, once you release your lips from the straw, that the remaining liquid trapped inside the cylinder tubing backflows into the cup in which it rests? I have witnessed the process multiple times and even watched my children play insipidly with...
Do Millennials Truly Have Worse Oral Health Than Their Parents?
It’s the 21st century, and one would think that ‒ with the advancement of technology and the surplus of knowledge and research in the dental industry ‒ oral health across the nation would be at its utmost best. However, recent studies prove this erroneous theory and leave dental professionals like me in collective disarray.
Any dental professional who has spent...
Dental Stain: Hygienists Can Ascertain Source, Help Increase Dental Patient Confidence
I think it’s safe to say that most dental hygienists loathe extrinsic dental stains. Personally, nothing exhausts me more than working relentlessly to remove tenacious stain. Despite the pleasing satisfaction of accomplishment once the mouth in our chair is stain-ridden, the task is one I can go my entire career without ever having to repeat.
On the contrary, intrinsic stain...