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.
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...
How Short Yoga Breaks Can Relieve Dental Professionals’ Aches and Pains
Years ago, when someone mentioned yoga to me, my mind conjured up an image of posed individuals meditating while practicing serious dragon breathing in a room full of incense and feng shui music. As a runner, I began reading articles and researching how yoga was beneficial for those who ran. A quick search on the web yielded educational results...
Dental Sealants: Saving Teeth since the 1960s
Tooth decay is no stranger to the dental professional. In fact, it isn’t a stranger to most! According to a study done by the CDC, 1 out of every five children aged 5-11 and 1 of 7 adolescents aged 12-19 have dental decay.1
However, children are not the only ones who suffer from dental decay. According to the CDC, 91%...
Open Letter to Dentists: How to Show Appreciation to Your Hygienist
October was National Dental Hygiene Month. Unfortunately, not every dental hygienist was recognized for their efforts or shown appreciation. As I scrolled through my social media accounts, I detected a consensus that more dental hygienists were not shown appreciation than those who were.
This broke my heart. As a fellow dental hygienist, I know just how deserving we are. Fellow...
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...
Exploration of the Human Mouth: Bacterial Colonies Do Present Dangers
The human mouth is a sodden ecosystem housing billions of microorganisms − mostly bacteria − burrowing in our gingiva, living within plaque, and surviving on our tongues. Dental plaque and the surface of the tongue are among the densest microbial habitats on Earth.1 In fact, 100 billion organisms exist per gram of plaque.1 Scientists have unveiled over 700 different...
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...
The Doorway We Use: Dental Exams Provide Valuable Medical Alerts Too
Did you know that the mouth is a window to overall health? Think about that for a second. The anatomical area treated with our expertise is also where many health conditions and diseases begin. By thoroughly examining and paying particular attention to our patients, we can be an intervention when needed. Dental professionals possess the ability to guide patients...
Geographic Tongue: Dental Hygienists Can Help Locate Lesions and Guide Treatment
My favorite subject in dental hygiene school was oral pathology, which remains true 18 years later in my dental professional career. I perform a complete oral evaluation on every patient during their routine appointment, and it seems I find one finding more than any other ‒ benign migratory glossitis, which many of us know as geographic tongue. In fact,...
Cleidocranial Dysplasia: Stranger Things Series Highlights an Oral Health Condition
My husband and I recently fell victim to binge-watching Stranger Things after the much-hyped season four finale. While I admit I became captivated by the show, I was also derailed by a completely different issue that the producers were quick to mention and incorporate into the storyline in the first season.
Naturally, this particular issue had me pulling out my...
PFAs: Controversy over Chemicals may Surface with Some Dental Floss
Recently, many dental hygienists caught wind of controversy over PFAs in floss. While some may be on alert and highly concerned regarding this issue, others may not be even remotely invested in the hype.
As of writing this article, I have not been confronted by any of my patients on the matter. But I felt it was important to arm...