Brooke Sergent, RDH, BS
Brooke Sergent, RDH, BS, obtained an Associate of Science degree from Southeast Community College in Whitesburg, KY, in 2002. While obtaining this degree, she took an elective course that allowed her to job shadow her mentor, a Registered Dental Hygienist at a local dental office. It was here her passion was confirmed for dental hygiene. In 2004, she graduated cum laude from Big Sandy Community and Technical College Dental Hygiene program in Prestonsburg, KY. Brooke was also the recipient of the 2004 Colgate S.T.A.R. award.
Immediately following graduation and obtaining licensure, Brooke began her clinical dental hygiene career. In 2005, she moved to East Tennessee and earned her Bachelor of Science from Tennessee Tech University based in Cookeville, TN. After years of clinical hygiene, Brooke felt the need to connect in other ways to those in her profession. She became a Colgate Oral Health Advisor and served on the Colgate Oral Health Advisor Board in Piscataway, NJ, in 2013. In 2014, she organized a Colgate Bright Smiles Bright Future Event for her local elementary school.
Brooke is approaching her 14th year of dental hygiene. She resides in Telford, TN, with her husband and twin sons.
From NASA to Your Mouth: The Dental Benefits of Nano-hydroxyapatite
Ask any dental professional what the hardest substance in the human body is, and they will quickly answer that question. In fact, I hear this question often on radio and TV trivia. While the common population may not be aware of it, dental professionals know this answer without fail: The hardest substance of the human body is tooth enamel.
Enamel...
Toothbrush Etiquette: Could Your Toothbrush Have Fecal Matter On It?
For most of us, brushing our teeth is something we do daily, at least twice. It helps freshen our breath and to brighten our smile, but most importantly, we do it to keep our mouths healthy which unknowingly to most, affects our overall health. Society has been brushing their teeth for thousands of years now. The brush has evolved...
Halitosis: How Dental Professionals Can Sniff Their Way to the Source
Halitosis is a malodor that is expelled from the mouth. While everyone wakes in the morning with a less than desirable mouth aroma, some dental patients actually battle chronic bad breath on a daily basis.
One in four people experience bad breath, and some studies have reported as high as 50% of the adult population suffers from halitosis.1,2 In fact,...
Straight to the Source: How Dental Professionals Should Seek Professional Information
In a world surrounded by social media that is growing exponentially, we often find ourselves delving into these platforms for answers, advice, and news. Social media is a part of many people's routines, and users average 144 minutes on social media daily.1
Facebook, specifically, is chock-full of groups for connecting with like-minded individuals. The dental community is no exception, with...
Decorative Dentistry: Dental Patients Continue to Invest in Trendy Teeth Modifications
It is no secret that society has become center focused on appearance, and the mere fact that “selfie” was named word of the year in 2013 by Miriam Webster further clarifies this.1 Focusing on ourselves more leads to the desire to look better.
New research reveals that American women spend nearly a quarter of a million dollars on their appearance...
A Comprehensive Review of Designs for Vision Loupes & Headlight
Disclosure: This article is sponsored content from Designs for Vision as part of our sponsored partner program.
The mere thought of how I ever practiced my dental hygiene career without loupes is unfathomable. Loupes have assisted me in my career by improving my posture, as well as reducing musculoskeletal disorders and hand fatigue. In addition, loupes help perform dental procedures with...
Flossing: An Inexpensive Way to Add Years to Your Life
Currently, more people are flossing than ever! However, don’t get excited… They are flossing their bodies not their teeth (you know you have tried it!) If I could get my son to be as diligent with his math as he is with his floss dance, he would become the next Albert Einstein. Flossing, such a simple concept yet practiced...
Things I Wish I Could Tell Myself When I Started Hygiene
The ever-popular catchphrase that hindsight is 20/20 has been validated throughout my dental hygiene career. If the 15-year veteran in me could go back to talk to the dental hygiene student in me, she would have a plethora of advice and suggestions to offer. However, all I can do now is pass along what I have learned to those...
Tattoos in the Dental Office
The world in which we inhabit has vastly evolved over the years. Practices that were once frowned upon or considered rude or unprofessional are now more widely accepted. Among those new modernized ways of life is the tattoo.
Decades ago, it was a rarity that people inked their skin with colorful art much less proudly displayed it for the world...
Sinusitis: A Chronic Illness Dental Professionals Can Help Reduce
Dental hygiene is a kaleidoscope of entities that do not always concentrate only on the oral cavity. The entire head and neck region should be the focus of every dental professional. Obviously, it is hard to look at the mouth without actually seeing the components surrounding this area.
Daily, dental patients sit in my chair and complain about sinus and...
Cancer: How the Dental Professional Can Help Fight the Battle
Cancer is a fearfully dreaded word that has the capability of defeating dreams and breaking hearts. It is a word that has encroached in our lives and became far too comfortable. Unfortunately, we all have a common association with this word in some aspect, whether it is a friend, relative, or ourselves that has battled this ugly disease.
As dental...
Sugarfree Gum: How It Can Benefit Oral Health
Chewing gum has been around for hundreds of years, and we have all dealt with it in some form or fashion. It could be that your child enjoys chewing gum while trying to perfect his or her bubble-blowing skills. Maybe you have unpleasantly found it by stepping in the sticky goo while walking through a parking lot. Many keep...
A Comprehensive Review of LM Sharp Diamond™ Instruments During COVID-19
Disclosure: This article is sponsored content from Planmeca as part of our sponsored partner program.
A newfound appreciation for sharp, reliable curettes and scalers is sure to have swept the dental hygiene nation recently. With the current COVID-19 pandemic enveloping the world, a new set of guidelines for practicing dentistry emerged to assist in keeping the dental professional and patients...
The History of Fluoride & Why It’s So Important
In dental hygiene school, I remember being taught the efficacy and benefits of fluoride on the dentition nearly from day one. There were never any questions asked nor did students doubt what this element was capable of. We studied the content in our “dental hygiene bibles,” a.k.a. Textbooks, and as we transitioned into clinic, the proof was simply in...
Mask Selection: What the Dental Professional Should Know Post-COVID-19
Editor's Note: Information about COVID-19 is changing on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. We have made every attempt to ensure this article is up-to-date at the time of original article publication (June 20, 2020), but with the rapid changes occurring, some information may have changed since publication. Please visit coronavirus.gov for the latest news and information on COVID-19.
Masks have long...
10 Ways that Self-isolating RDH Students Can Keep Preparing
Editor’s Note: Information about COVID-19 is changing on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. We have made every attempt to ensure this article is up to date at the time of publication, but with the rapid changes occurring, some information may have changed since publication. Please visit https://www.coronavirus.gov/ for the latest news and information on COVID-19.
There is a light at the end of...
Why Dental Hygienists Should be Using a Saddle Stool
Disclosure: This article is sponsored content from The Brewer Company as part of our sponsored partner program.
The prevalence of back pain in dentistry over the past 50 years is at a steadfast 67%.1 According to Dr. Bethany Valachi, a physical therapist, one in two dental professionals experienced back pain during a 12-month study.2
At some point when standing dentistry transitioned...
Turning Your Dental Hygiene Career into a Passion
As the year winds down, many of you will be pondering about New Year's resolutions to pursue. I encourage you to add your career to that list. Something attracted you to the dental hygiene field. At one point, your heart, soul, and mind were in love with dentistry.
Maybe this is still true, and you are content and satisfied. Or,...
10 Expert Tips for Treating Pediatric Dental Patients
Let’s travel back a few years, okay a few decades, to my first dental appointment. A state ran facility had established itself a little over a mile from my childhood home. I remember arriving that day, and the first thing that greeted me was a wad of blood-soaked gauze on the sidewalk outside. I remember starring in horror, but...
Dental Hygienist’s Letter: I Am Qualified to Provide Care for Patients
Dear inquisitive hygienist minds as well as current and future patients,
Throughout the years, I have been humorously entertained during many conversations about the dental hygiene profession. I have even been questioned personally about my credentials. I feel the need to help lay your curiosity to rest. Better yet, I hope to help you feel more confident in your dental...