Dental Hygiene

Dental hygiene is a profession of life-long learning with new studies and discoveries constantly providing a plethora of information and products to help patients navigate various oral conditions. The steady stream of research and treatment options can be helpful, but keeping up with the safety and efficacy of these products can be hard for dental hygienists and patients alike. ...

Once again, another new year is upon us! For some of the lucky ones, a new year is a time of hope, inspiration, and maybe even change! For others, perhaps more “seasoned” life veterans, a new year is simply a reminder of the many unkept New Year’s resolutions that have vanished somewhere amidst the short, dark days of January. For...

It’s that time of year! New Year’s Resolutions have been made (and hopefully not already broken). Perhaps this is the year that you are going to focus on yourself to get fit and strong. If you are a dental professional who has been having some aches and pains, this couldn’t be a better goal! Fitness plays a huge role...

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...

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...

Pet oral health has become a huge topic lately with so many hygienists being animal lovers, as well as oral health experts. We know that each state has different requirements allowing hygienists to complete professional pet prophylaxis, and it all seems quite obscure as to what the exact requirements are. Attending a recent veterinary conference in San Diego, California,...

For most of us, brushing our teeth is something we do daily, at least twice. It helps freshen our breath and to brighten our smile, but most importantly, we do it to keep our mouths healthy which unknowingly to most, affects our overall health. Society has been brushing their teeth for thousands of years now. The brush has evolved...

The question, “What does my blood pressure have to do with my teeth?” is likely one dental hygienists who take blood pressure have heard. As dental hygienists, we realize the simple answer to this question is a lot; specifically safety while under our treatment and overall health of the patient. Many clinicians have had cases of referring a patient...

Our goal as hygienists in treating active periodontal disease is not only to remove calculus contributing to bacterial growth and chronic inflammation but also to kill the bacteria which causes periodontal disease progression. Many of us were taught in school to irrigate periodontal pockets with chlorhexidine gluconate following non-surgical periodontal therapy/SRP to ensure bacterial destruction, as chlorhexidine has been...

It is no secret our nation has some controversial and serious concerns regarding healthcare, and oral healthcare is no exception. In fact, oral health is often overlooked completely, as leadership struggles to address healthcare issues. That may be changing, though, as a victory for dental health advocates was recently accomplished in the form of the Action for Dental Health...