Heather Hakes, RDH
Heather Hakes, RDH, was born in Upstate New York where she started her Dental Hygiene career in 2000. Heather practiced in Upstate New York for three years at a general dentist practice where she gained experience with high and low functioning special needs patients. Heather then went on to pediatrics before moving to Virginia in 2007. She currently practices in Virginia in a general dental practice, where she has worked for the last ten years. Heather also works one day per week in an office with periodontal focus.
Heather resides in rural Virginia with her husband, Robert, her son Ryan, and two dogs, Rex and Jake. Heather enjoys home improvement projects, reading, writing, and spending time with family and friends.
Halloween Candy and Dental Decay: Taking the Trick out of the Treat
On October 31st, dental professionals cringe every time the candy lands in the bucket after our kids shout out the expected “Trick-or-Treat!” Once our little ghouls come home with a full bucket of “treats,” the “trick” is keeping their mouths cavity-free.
Dental caries among children from ages six through eleven affects up to 21 percent of the U.S. population.1 The...
10 (More) Pet Peeves of Dental Hygienists
Although the dental hygiene profession can be rewarding at times, those little nuances called “pet peeves” can overshadow the day. After a positive response to my first article, 10 Pet Peeves of Dental Hygienists (Plus 5 Patient Pet Peeves), I am following up with 10 additional pet peeves.
The following is a list of pet peeves not yet explored on...
Athletes and Dental Caries: The Power of Acid on Tooth Decay
A new school year always represents the start of students participating in school sports. The athletic activities typically precipitate an increase in the consumption of sports beverages and protein bars for increasing carbohydrate intake for energy and to replenish electrolytes.
The role of the dental hygienist is to educate the parent and the child on the importance of good nutritional...
Periodontal Diagnosis: How to Maintain Positive Control of the Appointment
As dental hygienists we’ve all been there, treating a new patient with a periodontal diagnosis. How do we turn an appointment around after we diagnose a new patient who has been seen by the same dentist regularly for years yet has never heard of periodontal disease? It’s an everyday struggle for a dental hygienist to gain control of the...
Dental Hygiene: A Community Coming Together with Shared Experiences
The dental hygiene profession can be self-satisfying, rewarding, educating, and humbling, as well as trifling, mentally and physically exhausting, and perplexing. Judging from recent dental hygiene blogs, it seems that the majority of practicing dental hygienists have encountered similar reactions, both positive and negative, in their work environments.
Dental hygienists juggle the emotional rollercoaster of patients, fellow employees, doctors, professional...
Vitamin Deficiencies: Noting the Oral Health Clues Present in the Mouth
The recent emphasis on the importance of a healthy diet and good nutrition has not been ignored by the dental profession. Vitamins and nutrients can have significant effects on the oral cavity. The patient’s medical history, clinical evaluation, and radiographs can reveal the negative effects of vitamin deficiencies and resulting oral manifestations.
The most common vitamins that are introduced and...
Pediatric Prophylaxis: Helpful Hints for Dental Appointments with Children
An emphasis on the importance of dental health has increased the number of children seeking dental visits. A study conducted in 2014 reported that 64.6% of children under the age of 18 visited their dentist every six months.1 This statistic increased to 84.6% in another study conducted in 2017.2
Implementing a successful pediatric visit will often encourage children and their...
Restorative: Additive Developed in Oregon Could Strengthen Treatment Options
The dental community is in a continual search for better dental materials and treatment options to provide an affordable, durable, and improved quality of care for its patients. The Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) School of Dentistry has recently developed a filling material that is “two times more resistant than standard filling” materials presently used in dentistry.1
Currently,...
Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome: The Importance of a Dental Diagnosis
As dental clinicians, the medical history and clinical examination of our patients play important roles in differentiating vital signs which may be affecting the patient’s medical and dental health. Recently, the dental community has become more aware of the potential risks to medical health through disrupted sleep patterns caused by anatomical facial variances. Dental clinicians can initiate the diagnosis...
Laser Dentistry: Cutting Edge Dentistry
Laser dentistry is a non-evasive approach to dentistry. “Laser” is derived from the acronym “Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation.1” Lasers have been used in dentistry for over twenty years for the treatment of both hard and soft tissue.
In 1994, lasers were first introduced in dentistry for soft tissue treatment, after receiving approval from the Food and...