Dental Hygiene

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...

As I mentioned in part one of this series, Different Stages of Career, part two will focus on a dental hygienist from Massachusetts, who wishes to remain anonymous. She did attend the same dental hygiene school with Mary Reis, RDH (who was featured in part one). The goal of having two hygienists with the same career experience is to...

An amazing thing about being a dental hygienist is the flexibility of our work schedule. Hygienists can choose the days and times to work. We can even choose where. Temporarily employed dental hygienists can do just that − work on our own terms. Before deciding to temp, though, here are a few tips to follow that can ensure you have...

Tonsils are part of the immune system and contain an abundance of white blood cells to combat germs from entering the body. They are part of mucous-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT).1 Tonsils are made with lymphocytes and cells that prevent and fight infections.1 The tonsils have antigen-presenting cells on their surface that communicate with the B and T cells as...

Over the past three years of clinical experience, I have been introduced to many different dental professionals, especially hygienists. Everyone possesses their own opinions, perspectives, and experiences about the profession. My goal here is to have hygienists reflect on their dental hygiene career based on their experience − a new graduate, a hygienist with a few years under her...

Oral pathology has always been one of my favorite subjects to study for continuing education and while in school. Recently, while filling in for a new dentist, she remarked human papillomavirus (HPV) oral cancers were on the rise. So I began to study. I found HPV is a leading cause of oropharyngeal cancers and is thought to cause 70%...

After graduating from a dental hygiene program, new hygienists certainly are not thinking about stepping back into an educational institution. For most new graduates, a looming student debt needs to be tackled. As a result, practicing as a clinical dental hygienist is the most accepted and lucrative route when beginning a dental hygiene career. It is well known that you...

Currently, more people are flossing than ever! However, don’t get excited… They are flossing their bodies not their teeth (you know you have tried it!) If I could get my son to be as diligent with his math as he is with his floss dance, he would become the next Albert Einstein. Flossing, such a simple concept yet practiced...

It is, of course, common knowledge to all of us in the dental profession that systemic diseases can be exacerbated or even caused by negligent dental hygiene and related oral health diseases. But, did you know that, as a dental professional, you may notice various side effects of certain diseases that the patient doesn't realize that they have? Ankylosing Spondylitis Dr....