Dental Hygiene

Disclosure: This video is sponsored content from Cetylite, Inc. as part of our sponsored partner program. Kara Vavrosky, RDHEP, and pharmacologist Tom Viola, R.PH., C.C.P., discuss the use of appropriate topical anesthetics, when to consider putting down the needle for perio procedures, and how topical anesthetic can be used to keep any of your patients more comfortable. Learn more about Cetylite's Cetacaine®...

Do you recommend to your patients to chew gum? Not the sugary kind like Juicy Fruit, but say gum with xylitol. Xylitol gum is wonderful at preventing decay, and some practices even supply it in their offices.1,2 When doing the research, I found an animal study as far back as 1978 showing xylitol increasing bone density. Xylitol has also...

Handheld portable imaging devices have increased in popularity over the recent years. Offices are converting to handheld units for a number of reasons. This includes portability, space-savings and the big one, cost-effectiveness. Handheld units are battery operated and can be recharged in a timely manner. As dental hygienists, we are the ones exposing the majority of images throughout the...

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...

If COVID-19 wasn't enough to cause practice disruption, the shortage of registered dental hygienists certainly is. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics reports that, as of 2019, that there are 226,400 dental hygiene jobs in the U.S., with a projected increase in demand of 13,300 by 2029.1 This article explores the current status of the hygienist shortage as...

Disclosure: This video is sponsored content from Heartland Dental as part of our sponsored partner program. Not all DSOs are the same. Watch Kara Vavrosky, RDHEP's chat with Jill Ulrici, RDH, a Regional Hygiene Mentor at Heartland Dental, to see how Heartland Dental is different. Jill discusses the onboarding process, the mentorship opportunities available, and types of training available for hygienists at...

Disclosure: This video is sponsored content from ARM & HAMMER™ as part of our sponsored partner program. The new and improved Spinbrush™ power toothbrushes from ARM & HAMMER™ are coming soon! Watch this video to discover why they are an affordable option for those patients who want to step up from a manual brush! To learn more about the new Spinbrush™ power...

Years ago, when someone mentioned yoga to me, my mind conjured up an image of posed individuals meditating while practicing serious dragon breathing in a room full of incense and feng shui music. As a runner, I began reading articles and researching how yoga was beneficial for those who ran. A quick search on the web yielded educational results...

I graduated from Northern Arizona University’s dental hygiene program in May 1997, following my father’s footsteps into a career as a dental hygienist. When I first started, I moved around a lot, trying to get settled with my young family. I finally ended up in my hometown, working in an office with my dad. The town had maybe a...

We all took that class. It was the class where we tried not to fall asleep during our first year as dental hygiene students. We knew there was important information during the lectures, but we hoped that we would never have to experience an ethical dilemma. Now here you are in your dental office faced with a situation that needs...