Dental Hygiene

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I love the online dental hygiene community. I enjoy being a part of several forums and continuously find myself learning new information. In a field where many of us are the sole hygienist in an office, forums help to bring unity and ensure us that we are not alone in our struggles and triumphs. There are times, however, when a...

I’m not quite sure how to introduce a topic that some may categorize as a dead horse, beaten over and over again. In my opinion, though, instrument sharpening clearly needs to be readdressed in light of recent events. I suppose I’ll just start with a couple of stories to help shed some light on this recurring issue. One gloomy morning,...

When working clinically, a common question I receive is: “Will my wisdom teeth make my teeth crowded?” Many discussions in dental hygiene forums end with little consensus. Many studies have investigated the possible link. But is it really that simple? Can one single entity be the cause of mandibular anterior crowding? I have found that mandibular anterior crowding is one of...

As I get older, I notice myself commonly making references to the past by using the phrase, “Back in the day…” Music and television award shows also pay homage to their past and the changes that have taken place over the years. Then, too, education teaches lessons on past world history as it does on current world affairs. History...

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...

There are only a few things in this world that people enjoy more than sweets, whether it be chocolate or even adding sugar to a daily cup of coffee. We humans just cannot seem to get enough. However, tooth decay is considered an epidemic in children in the USA. Further, sugar, and the inflammation caused by it, feeds many...

So many career options are available to people. Do you ever find yourself wondering how someone ended up doing what they do for a living? Some people know from a young age what career they want and gear their playtime, education, and training toward that for most of their lives and end up ecstatic with their choice! Not all...

Christmas is a joyous holiday enjoyed by all ages. The annual celebration brings together families for cookie baking, gift exchanging, trimming the tree, and caroling. Gift exchanging has become commemorative of the Christmas tradition. Waking in the morning to find gifts under the tree or stockings stuffed with gifts brings joy to those receiving and those observing. Christmas traditions are...

Health trends are like bad friends, they come and go. It is easy to get sucked into the pressure of the latest diet and lifestyle trend that is sure to give you that bikini body you have been working to achieve since high school. “Probiotic,” “good bacteria,” “microbiome,” “healthy gut,” are they just trendy buzzwords or have scientists finally...