Spring Hatfield, RDH, BSPH
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
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...
Radiology Update: Evolving Standards for Pregnancy, Shielding, and Frequency
The Archives of Clinical Skiagraphy was the first radiology scientific journal. First published in May 1896, just six months after the discovery of x-rays by Wilhelm Roentgen, Sydney Rowland wrote in the first editorial: “The object of this publication is to put on record in permanent form some of the most striking applications of the New Photography to the...
Mandibular Anterior Crowding: What is the Etiology?
When working clinically, a common question I receive is: “Will my wisdom teeth make my teeth crowded?” Many discussions in dental hygiene forums end with little consensus.
Many studies have investigated the possible link. But is it really that simple? Can one single entity be the cause of mandibular anterior crowding?
I have found that mandibular anterior crowding is one of...
Saddle Stools: The Importance of Quality and Individualized Fit
Disclosure: This article is sponsored content from The Brewer Company as part of our sponsored partner program.
The number one cause of early retirement in dentistry is musculoskeletal disorders, making the number one preventive measure to be proper ergonomics. Dental hygienists are preventive care specialists. We work hard to help our patients achieve optimal overall health. However, often I...
Epigenetics: How Medical Research Can Aid Dental Diagnosis
In the late 1940s, Dr. Conrad Waddington, an embryologist, coined the term epigenetics. At that time, most embryologists did not consider genes important for human development. They believed genes only played a minor role, such as with eye color and hair color.
Dr. Waddington proposed that genes were regulated by an epigenetic landscape, and this landscape was to “illustrate the...
Oxidative Stress: Will Future Solutions Launch Antioxidant Therapies for Dentistry?
Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS/free radicals) and antioxidants in the body. Prolonged oxidative stress is associated with a wide range of chronic illnesses, which includes, but is not limited to, cancer, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, chronic inflammation, stroke, and numerous neurodegenerative diseases.1
As with most bodily functions, there is...
Tooth Loss Impacts Cognitive Function: Bringing Mastication Symphony into Tune
In an article titled Dental Deafferentation and Brain Damage: A Review and Hypothesis, published in The Kaohsiung Journal of Medicine and written by Yi-Tai Jou, the author describes masticatory function as a symphony orchestra. When all members of the symphony are present and playing well, it is a beautiful harmony.
However, if one musician, for example, is missing, it can...
What Hygienists Need to Consider when Treating Patients with Malocclusion
Malocclusion is defined as “irregular contact of opposing teeth in the upper and lower jaws.”1 Most people with minimal knowledge of dentistry view it as an esthetic problem and not an oral health problem. Not only are there oral health implications, but general health can be affected too. It is estimated that about 65% of the U.S. population has...
Noma (Cancrum Oris): A Case of a Third World Disease in a First World Country
People who live in developed countries often lack knowledge of some of the serious dental and health issues that persistently trouble residents in developing countries. On an infrequent basis, a horrible disease will surface in a developed country where medical care, nutrition, and sanitation are too often taken for granted.
One of those diseases is noma.
Noma, also known as cancrum...
Research in Nutrition Helps Sharpen Focus on Oral-systemic Links for Dental Treatment
Since periodontal disease is a chronic complex disease affecting 47% of the adult population in the United States,1 we know that treatment of the periodontium with an eye on oral-systemic links is an important focus. Proper nutrition should not be neglected as it plays an intricate role in the control of periodontal disease.
The good news is that a huge...
Dear CVS: I Have Concerns About Your Do-It-Yourself Orthodontics Partnership
Dear CVS,
As a dental professional, I am writing with serious concerns associated with your recent partnership with a do-it-yourself orthodontic company. Upon looking into this company, I discovered they are quick to threaten or pursue litigation against anyone that questions their ethics, safety of patients, or quality of work they provide. For this reason, in an attempt to avoid...
Understanding and Managing Xerostomia
Xerostomia or dry mouth is one of the most undermanaged oral health conditions in medicine and dentistry. This could be due to the lack of diagnosis and the lack of understanding about the oral implications associated with xerostomia. In addition to oral implications, many patients experience a decrease in quality of life that can potentially lead to depression. The...
Measles: How Dentistry Can help Slow Outbreak through Diagnosis
We may see a record-breaking number of measles cases in the United States for the first time this year, the highest since the elimination of measles in the year 2000. From January 1 through April 19, there have been 626 individual cases of measles confirmed in 22 states.
I would like to emphasize these are confirmed cases; there could be...
Oral Cancer Awareness and Adjunctive Screening Devices
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. According to the CDC, 598,038 people died from some form of cancer in 2016. Of those deaths, approximately 10,000 were from oral cancer. That number may seem minor in comparison, however, consider this - 10,000 deaths a year is approximately one death per hour, every 24 hours.
The...
Does Xylitol Outshine Fluoride in the Fight against Tooth Decay?
For years fluoride has been dentistry’s gold standard in the fight against tooth decay. In 1945, water fluoridation was implemented. A 60% reduction in tooth decay was reported over a 12-year span after water fluoridation. In 1950, the first fluoride toothpastes were marketed.1,2 The discovery of fluoride has no doubt been a huge benefit in reducing tooth decay. Even...
“Root Cause” Netflix Documentary: Let’s Review the Science
If you haven’t heard, let me be the first to introduce you to a documentary on Netflix called “Root Cause.” The documentary follows an individual’s experience with root canal treatment, and the alleged systemic issues he claims is directly associated with root canal treatment. I decided to watch the documentary for the sole purpose of preparing myself for the...
Sealants: Not Just For Kids Anymore
As a dental hygienist, I consider myself a preventive oral healthcare specialist. Dental hygienists are one of the few healthcare providers with the primary goal of preventing disease - not just treating it. We have an entire arsenal of preventive procedures we can offer our patients which ultimately leads to reduced cost and discomfort by reducing restorative treatment needs....