Lara James, RDH
Lara James, RDH, is a licensed dental hygienist of clinical hygiene, including corporate, dental management, and private practices. She graduated in 2004 from Portland Community College in Portland, Oregon. Lara has created DentalAisle.com, a dental blog, to educate consumers on dental products and dental issues. Lara also has written an online continuing education course on dentalcare.com. For more information, email her at lara@dentalaisle.com.
Ethical Dilemma: Trying to Encourage Patient to Seek a Second Opinion
Recently, I was in a situation where I thought I needed to be more of an advocate for the patient than agree with the dentist’s treatment plan. This situation tugged at my heart, and I didn’t know how to encourage a second opinion professionally.
The 69-year-old patient left the office thinking she needed five crowns. They were diagnosed a year...
A Look at Pontic to Natural Tooth Bridges
A pontic to natural tooth bridge is when an anterior tooth is extracted and then used as the replacement tooth. The compromised tooth may be affected by trauma, periodontal disease, root canal failure, root resorption, or other root problems to where it needs to be extracted. If the crown of the extracted tooth is healthy, it can then be...
Autoimmune Diseases: Making Sense of Dental Patients’ Complaints
When a patient states that they have an autoimmune disease, I admit that generalizations about the diseases enter my mind, but not the specifics of each disease. While I know that immune function is decreased and good home care is especially needed, it may be just enough to know what to look for during the appointment.
However, patients will voice...