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Spring Hatfield, RDH, BSPH

Spring Hatfield, RDH, BSPH
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Spring Hayes Hatfield, RDH, BSPH, is a graduate of Florida State College at Jacksonville, and she holds licensure in Florida, Louisiana, and Alabama. Spring is on the Advisory Board and holds the position of Continuing Education Manager at Today’s RDH. Her passion is elevating the dental hygiene profession through science, education, and clinical excellence. In her free time, she loves traveling, reading, and spending time with her husband, children, and the animals at her useless animal farm. She can be reached via email at Spring@TodaysRDH.com

Smoking Cessation: Deliberate Education Can Steer Smoking Dental Patients towards Quitting

Most people are aware of the systemic diseases caused by smoking. Many, though, are unaware of the multiple oral health implications that are associated with smoking. Some oral health issues associated with smoking may be a precursor to systemic disease. In addition to improving oral health, dental professionals can encourage smoking cessation before the onset of systemic diseases that...

QUIZ: Test your Pregnant Patient Knowledge

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Research Analysis: The Risk of Dental Professionals Contracting COVID-19

Emerging infectious diseases are a concern for public health and safety. Experiencing the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted the need to better understand the process of developing guidelines to ensure public safety while also considering financial burdens. At the start of the pandemic, dental practices were shut down as the mode of transmission and infection rate were still not completely...

QUIZ: Test Your Cariology Knowledge

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Implant Maintenance: An Overview

The number of implants placed by dentists and dental specialists is increasing based on a predictable outcome of success. A comprehensive treatment plan includes advising the patient of the risk of failure based on smoking, history of radiotherapy, systemic health issues, and local bone quality and quantity. Peri-implant disease is a combination of poor oral hygiene, placement of a...

QUIZ: Test Your COVID-19 Infection Control Knowledge

  Need CE? Get the Complete Today's RDH On-Demand CE Bundle for One Low Price!

Hydrogen Peroxide Pre-rinse during COVID: Have We Been Misled?

Hygiene schools teach the importance of preprocedural rinses (PPMR), viewing it as a method for lowering the bacterial load and preventing the spread of disease/microorganisms. When the pandemic descended upon us, the American Dental Association (ADA) and the American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) once again pushed the narrative that preprocedural rinses, specifically hydrogen peroxide, were necessary and beneficial to...

Should Dental Hygienists be Independent Contractors or Employees?

At the end of every year, dental hygiene groups and forums are blowing up with questions concerning the 1099 they received from a dentist they worked for at some point that year. Most of these questions are regarding dentists that hired the hygienist on a temporary basis. Many of the responses focus on the legality of being paid with...

COVID-19 Vaccinations: Analyzing Potential Virus Protection for Dental Professionals

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 (December 24, 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. The current pandemic...

The Dangers of “Curing” Tooth Decay Naturally

The idea of “naturally” curing tooth decay is a fast-growing fad. It has become such a craze there are Facebook pages and groups encouraging and supporting the idea. One such group called, “Cure Tooth Decay – Heal Tooth Cavities, Dental Caries, Tooth Abscess,” is a closed group, in which you must be accepted to join, which I’ve recently learned...

Tubarial Salivary Glands: Scientists Discover New Salivary Glands in Human Throat

Tubarial Salivary Glands
The year 2020 has brought us some wild and crazy things, including a novel virus that led to a global pandemic, a record-breaking number of hurricanes in the Atlantic, and, most recently, the discovery of previously unidentified salivary glands. The most astonishing to me is the discovery of the salivary glands; admittedly, I may be a little biased as...

Loupes: Dentistry Doesn’t Have to be a Pain in the Neck

Disclosure: This article is sponsored content from Designs for Vision as part of our sponsored partner program. The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the dental profession is well established and can have detrimental effects on productivity and lead to early retirement. The cause is attributed to ergonomic hazards, such as strained posture and repetitive movements. Studies show MSDs occur in...

Amazing but True Dental Tales of Past US Presidents

It is an election year. When is a better time to explore the oral health of some of our previous commanders-in-chief? If you work in the dental profession, you have undoubtedly heard about George Washington’s not so wooden false teeth. (As a child, I was told he had wooden teeth. I now know that is untrue.) Washington’s teeth were made...

Pathogen Classifications: Where Dentistry Has Gone Since The “Complex Theory”

In 1998, Dr. Sigmund Socransky developed the “complex theory” where periodontal pathogens are categorized based on their association with the severity of disease. In the complex theory, periodontal pathogens have been identified and classified by color to indicate which bacteria are associated with the onset and progression of periodontal disease. The classification includes the red complex, orange complex, green...

Colleagues Who Test COVID-19 Positive: Steps Dental Offices Should Take

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 (July 2, 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. Most dental professionals...

Ventilation: Safely Control Flow of Bioaerosols in Dental Operatories

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 28, 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. The worldwide spread...

CDC Releases New Guidance for Dental Care During 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 publication (May 26, 2020), 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. Article updated August 4, 2020...

Do Low Vitamin D Levels Have an Association with Oral Disease?

Hygienists are known for their preventive role in health care. We often pride ourselves on being one of the only health-care providers who prevent disease and do not just treat it. Many hygienists like the idea of being able to tweak diets and home care to help their patients remain healthy and disease-free. One of the supplements often discussed by...

The Role of Macrophage Polarization in Periodontal Disease and Gingivitis

The discovery of macrophage polarization by Charles Dudley Mills changed the way immunologists viewed the immune system. Prior to this discovery, it was long thought that macrophages were like a garbage disposal, gobbling up pathogens and eliminating them, serving the T and B cells as if they were royalty while the macrophages were mere servants. These beliefs were based...

Coronavirus: The Current Science Behind SARS-CoV-2 and How it Impacts Dentistry

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. Unless you are living under a rock, you...