Dental Hygiene

The question comes up a lot: How do I expand my career outside of the clinical setting? It is quite difficult to answer this question. Not because there are no opportunities, there’s actually many. It’s because there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to answer this question. It really depends on you, as an individual; including your particular goals, expectations, skillset, and what...

Not many people like going to a dental office, whether it’s because of the amount of time that is spent or because of dental anxiety. Therefore, as dental hygienists, we try our very best to ensure that each patient has a smooth time in the office and our patients feel comfortable. However, there are a few things that patients...

There are many misconceptions regarding oral hygiene and the mouth that some of our patients believe to be true. With a large amount of false information found online, it’s no wonder our patients can be easily led in the wrong direction when it comes to oral health. It’s always important to remember that just because you read something online, doesn’t...

In December 2016, the world of dentistry lost a remarkable and groundbreaking woman, just three days after her 100th birthday. Esther Wilkins, the "matriarch of dental hygiene" was first licensed as a hygienist in 1939, and presided over decades of revolutionary changes in oral health and dental practice. Her long career in the field spanned sweeping changes such as: The evolving...

As a practicing dental hygienist, I know every day I will fail to perfectly communicate the importance of diligent daily oral health care to a patient. I would like to believe that every single instance where a patient presents with gingivitis or incipient decay, I would be able to impress upon them the need to clean interdentally once, brush...

Disclosure: We value transparency at Today’s RDH. This review is sponsored content from The Brewer Company as part of our sponsored partner program. As dental hygienists, we all know the importance of ergonomics. Hygiene program instructors stressed its importance every moment they could. “Shoulders down, elbows in, use your modified pen grasp, and sit up straight” are among a few phrases I...

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) became an epidemic in the United States in the early 1980s causing great concern for many healthcare workers. Today, after almost forty years of research, infection control guidelines and universal standard precautions are set in place due to the epidemic to ensure clinicians and patients are protected with proper PPE, no matter their health status....

Dear Dr. Oz, I would like to begin by saying, your show has been very informative over the years, and I appreciate what you are trying to do for patients and healthcare providers. However, I am disappointed in your recent show titled, “Undercover Investigation: Dental Scams: Are You Being Overdiagnosed and Overcharged?” Before I get into the issues I have with...

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...

Human trafficking is a modern form of slavery, second only to drugs as the world’s largest criminal activity. The United Nations defines trafficking in human beings as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, detection, abuse of power or position of...