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.
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 the box and focus on any medical factors my career can and does encompass. Due to the frequency that dental professionals essentially stare down patients’ throats, I find the path...
Human Sex Trafficking: Who’s in Your Dental Chair?
How well do you know the patient sitting in your chair? Have you ever taken the time to assess what story their behavior, appearance, and oral health may be telling, or have you gotten caught in the monotony of simply performing the scheduled procedures on your schedule?
How shocked would you be to learn that your patient was a victim...
How I Beat the Dental Blues by Remembering Why I Started
Like most typical teenagers, I toyed with many ideas throughout my high school career. Initially, I wanted to be an architect. After a brief job shadow with a local architect, I quickly realized the electric eraser was the only thing appealing to me about that job.
Then, I moved on to nursing around the same time my grandfather’s health deteriorated...
Teeth Stress Lines: How Teeth Are Archives of Our Past
Researchers have been utilizing tree rings for years to determine a tree's age and the environmental factors that influence the development of a tree. In school, you may possibly recall learning this information yourself.
However, did you know human teeth also have "rings" similar to trees? Researchers are now concluding that these markings can be used to determine what types...
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...
A Dental Hygienists’ Overview of Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Replacement
Total joint replacements are surgical procedures that replace a damaged or arthritic joint with a prosthetic joint. This procedure is common knowledge among the public and, most certainly, among dental professionals. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the hip and knee are among the most commonly replaced joints.1 While not as common, other joints such as the...
Is Smokeless Tobacco Safer than Cigarettes?
As if cigarettes aren't enough of a battle, there is also smokeless tobacco (SLT) that plagues the population. The smokeless tobacco industry sold a whopping $4.98 billion in 2022, which only validates the seriousness of the addiction in the United States.1
It appears that people choose this method because it is slightly more discreet and is not accompanied by...
The Dental Professional’s Vital Role in Identifying Primary Immunodeficiencies
A dental patient recently expressed frustration and concern about her son during her hygiene appointment with me. Her son is not a patient of mine as he seeks care elsewhere due to several medical factors. She explained that his ongoing throat soreness with white ulcerations has been cultured, showing Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus oralis, and occasionally methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
Little...
Deafening Truth: Without Ear Protection, Hearing Loss Plagues Dental Professionals
Dental professionals have always been masters of personal protection equipment (PPE). 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 environments where loud sounds are prominent, such as factories,...
The Unofficial Guide to National Children’s Dental Health Month
February is National Children's Dental Health Month, and if you are like me, you scour the internet for presentation ideas as you prepare to reach out to the youth in your area. For years, I have been going to the local elementary school to give a presentation to at least one grade level. Over the years, I have accumulated...
Are Cigarettes More Addictive Today? A Comparison of Cigarettes Now and Then
A patient spoke to me about her efforts in tobacco cessation. She had recently stopped smoking for the second time in her life, but not without much exertion. As she detailed her battle, she mentioned her second round with cigarettes was much more difficult to end than her first.
As I probed her for more information, she stated that when...
What Is the Correct Sequence of Brushing and Flossing?
Perhaps one of the oldest dental questions to date could quite possibly be one of the simplest tasks of all, and yet, it is still debated among dental professionals alike. While the importance lies within the actual implementation and technique, we still find ourselves contemplating the proper sequence of interdental cleaning and brushing.
Firstly, shall we state the obvious? Brushing...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...