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.
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...
Why Dental X-rays Are Needed & Are Less Radiation than You Think
For some, a dental appointment is a fearfully, dreaded appointment; while others don’t mind or even eagerly anticipate the appointment. However, no matter which side of the fence you are on it seems to be a mutual consensus that no one enjoys dental X-rays, and many are confused why they are even necessary. Often, dental professionals are questioned about...
Obstructive Sleep Apnea: How the Dental Professional Can Intervene
Thankfully, I am a deep sleeper. I often joke that I die every night and resurrect every morning. I have been blessed with good sleep genes and require no assistance from the Sandman.
In addition, noises such as snoring (from my bed partner) have never disturbed me. The same cannot be said for my sister. She sleeps very lightly, and...
Electric Brush Vs. Manual Brush: Which is right for you?
Taking a walk down the dental aisle in any retail store can be slightly overwhelming. The selection of dental products is rich. Among that selection exist a multitude of toothbrushes. Toothbrushes have evolved into technologically advanced gadgets that some may contemplate the effectiveness or the need.
A routine visit to your dental office can often lead to a recommendation for...
More than Just Teeth: A Hygienist’s Journey to Patient Satisfaction
Landing my first dental hygiene job was a breeze. I had just graduated from the dental hygiene program and was excitedly looking for a position to jumpstart my career. The third office I walked in to hired me on the spot after I handed them my very green resume. I was beyond perplexed but also extremely ecstatic. I smiled...
Mail-Order Orthodontics: Are They Worth the Risk?
The world in which we live in is centered around convenience and appearance more than ever. Take these two said factors and mix them together, and you have a booming business of mail-in orthodontics. While this may sound like the perfect combination, it is actually one to seriously contemplate.
In 2013, the first mail-in orthodontics to straighten consumers teeth was...
E-cigarettes: An Unhealthy Epidemic Impacting Adults and Youth
Get in your car and drive into town and pay close attention to the cars around you. If you see a billowing cloud of smoke rolling from within the car, you have found a “vaper” or e-cigarette user. I recollect the first time I witnessed this monstrosity. My initial thought was the car was on fire. To my wondering...