Dental Hygiene

Angie Abramowicz is a recent, 23-year-old graduate of Fox College in Chicago. A first-generation American, Abramowicz offers a unique perspective about embarking on a career in dental hygiene. It was exciting to learn more about Angie and her goals and dreams for her professional future. In recent months, Decades of Dental Hygiene has interviewed Fran Tourdot, Barb Orth, Renee Ahlf, Kelli...

You can’t open a dental industry magazine or social media page without seeing some information about sleep. Sleep apnea is a health crisis that affects almost a billion people worldwide. Dentistry is at the forefront of treating the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, and, of course, we all should be screening for symptoms. But this isn’t just another apnea article....

Working as a clinical dental hygienist can lead to aches, stress, and occasional pain. It’s fairly common that a dental hygienist may encounter these discomforts throughout his or her career. Dental professionals are more susceptible to musculoskeletal disorders and often cope with these occupational hazards. Fortunately, there are many ways to relieve and prevent the aches and pains associated with...

Today, more than ever, we live almost devoid of natural stimuli in our homes, in our cars, at work, and when we relax. Most of our experiences are manufactured for our comfort. For most people, their time outdoors consists of moving from a climate-controlled building to a climate-controlled vehicle, and this cycle is repeated for days, even years. Regardless...

Editor's Note: Information about COVID-19 is changing on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. We have made every attempt to ensure this article is up-to-date at the time of publication, but with the rapid changes occurring, some information may have changed since publication. Please visit https://www.coronavirus.gov/ for the latest news and information on COVID-19. On February 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced...

Every so often, a patient will admit to rinsing regularly with undiluted 3% hydrogen peroxide. If you’re anything like me, your mind immediately envisions a thick, black, carpet-like tongue coating in the near future. Thankfully, peroxides have been used safely in dentistry since first introduced in 1913 as a treatment for “pyorrhea.”4 When used in a controlled manner, peroxides...

Dental hygiene comes to each of us in a unique way. This is a description of the journey by Candy Malone, BSDH, a 2003 graduate of Marquette University. As a nine-year-old, Candy was an orthodontic patient of Dr. Gregory Kubik. She had the most positive, wonderful experience as he worked his miracle, creating her now infectious smile. Candy also had...

You heard these words while you possibly were in dental hygiene school: “Become a member of your professional organization for x, y, z, reason(s).” Like many hygienists, you might have heard this as yet another piece of advice that you may or may not follow depending upon a number of reasons − usually time and cost. Quite possibly, you may...

According to Bankrate.com, nearly half of American employees participate in the gig economy and can potentially earn a monthly income of over $1,000. A side gig (also known as the independent workforce or freelancing) is any type of employment undertaken in addition to one’s full-time job. Dental hygienists are the definition of multitasking. We review medical histories, provide oral services,...

Why do some of our patients believe that eating “clean” or eating only organic foods is some magic bullet for dental health!? In the last three weeks, I have seen multiple patients who eat only foods purchased from high-end grocery stores or boutique-style shops. These patients present with a ridiculous amount of interproximal tooth decay. When questioned about food intake...