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 dental hygienist, at the end of a long work day... Does your body ache? Are you exhausted? Are you stressed out? Do you wonder why you ever chose such a career that is so mentally and physically demanding? Most hygienists enter our profession because we want to help people. What we quickly realize though, is that due to...

In today’s day of insurance coverage for all, one would think everyone would have access to quality dental care. This is a myth. 28.2 million Americans remain uninsured1. This population will go without care, even when in pain, due to the cost of receiving that care. This is where low-cost dental clinics come to the rescue. When people have...

Parody of Cardi B's Bodak Yellow by Whitney aka Teeth Talk Girl! Follow Teeth Talk Girl on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!

It is that time of year when children dress up and go door-to-door to collect bags full of candy. It is also that time of year where diet and nutrition are discarded, and parents face the unthinkable: their children will be consuming large quantities of Halloween candy. Sweets play one of the key roles in dental caries. However, the...

There are numerous online discussion forums devoted to dental hygiene career advice. Many of these discussions focus around “getting out of the operatory” as countless hygienists begin to feel like the operatory isn’t for them anymore after several years in practice. You may be a seasoned hygienist who needs a change, or you may be practicing in a difficult...

The dental community is in a continual search for better dental materials and treatment options to provide an affordable, durable, and improved quality of care for its patients. The Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) School of Dentistry has recently developed a filling material that is “two times more resistant than standard filling” materials presently used in dentistry.1  Currently,...