Dental Hygiene

Disclosure: This article is sponsored content from Designs for Vision as part of our sponsored partner program. Dentistry has advanced in plenty of ways, including techniques, equipment, and the science behind it all. Unfortunately, as we age, instead of improving as dentistry does, we degrade due to stresses on the body. In hygiene, our bodies are not only affected ergonomically, but...

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...

Addison’s disease is a disorder that was first discovered by Thomas Addison in 1885. It is defined as an endocrine disease that targets the adrenal glands that are found on top of the kidneys. This disease causes a decrease in the production of the aldosterone and cortisol hormones.1 Cortisol is known as the “stress hormone” and is responsible for increasing...

If you have ever been interested in getting more involved as a dental hygienist or if you’ve been looking for an opportunity to volunteer, Happy Teeth presents feel-good gear for health-care professionals. Happy Teeth is not only a super cute purse in the shape of a tooth, but it is part of a whole collection of bags designed by health-care...

In part three of our series, we move our way up the ranks to a hygienist who has many years of experience under her belt. Kimberlee Faria, RDH, is a Massachusetts native who has been practicing for 30 years. She graduated from dental hygiene school in 1990. To view the previous articles in the Different Stages of Career series, click...

Like life, temping is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're going to get. Well said, Forrest! At one point or another, you may consider taking on the challenge of temping for an office you’ve never been to, or maybe returning to one you’ve already graced with your awesome presence. So, just how prepared are you? Do...

The uvula should not be neglected when evaluating the oral cavity for any discrepancies. The uvula is a fleshy, soft tissue in the middle of the soft palate that hangs down in the back of the throat in front of the tonsils, resembling an oval or teardrop shape (see Figure 1). The uvula’s flexibility prevents food and liquids from...

Ergonomics Noun, plural in form but singular or plural in construction er·go·nom·ics   ˌər-gə-ˈnä-miks  An applied science concerned with designing and arranging things people use so that the people and things interact most efficiently and safely – called also biotechnology, human engineering, human factors.1 If Only I’d Known… If only I’d know that this body would age, If only I’d known that loupes were good for my...

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...

Disclosure: This article is sponsored content from Planmeca as part of our sponsored partner program. A newfound appreciation for sharp, reliable curettes and scalers is sure to have swept the dental hygiene nation recently. With the current COVID-19 pandemic enveloping the world, a new set of guidelines for practicing dentistry emerged to assist in keeping the dental professional and patients...