Dental Hygiene

A few nights ago, the boyfriend and I went out to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. If you’re ever in the Phoenix area, make sure you enjoy a cocktail and dinner at The Gladly, as it truly is an experience. In fact, I’ll happily join you, shoot me a Facebook message! Our favorite part about The Gladly: we...

When patients dawn the door of their dentist, whether to spruce up their pearly whites or to cure a toothache, they do not think any further about the appointment outside of its purpose. Patients do not think twice about the radiographs that were taken, the charting that took place, or the molds that were made of their teeth; just...

Let’s face it, as dental hygienists we love what we do! But scaling teeth day in and day out, week after week, can get pretty old, pretty fast for some. Thankfully, the dental hygiene profession has reached a pivotal moment where there are now countless non-traditional career opportunities both in and out of the clinical setting. More than ever...

It is that time of year when the kids start a new school year, and many participate in school sports programs. Although schools attempt to keep our children safe on and off the field, the regulations for athletic mouth guards are not consistent with the need to prevent injury in the majority of school-based sports. A dental professional has...

During dental treatment, saliva is generally not our friend. We fight with it to keep patients from feeling like they are drowning, it is always interfering with sealant placement and other restorative procedures, but what if that saliva we loathe could help our patients with early disease diagnosis? The ability to utilize saliva to monitor the health and disease...

Abstract Students enrolled in dental hygiene programs are required to take a preclinical dental hygiene course prior to delivering dental hygiene therapy to patients. In preclinical dental hygiene, students are introduced to various concepts, with the primary focus being dental hygiene instrumentation. Dental hygiene instrumentation is a fine motor skill that is a requisite for students, yet very challenging and...

Ultrasonic scaling has been around for decades and should be part of the dental hygienist’s daily patient routine. Sonic scalers are still around, but most have transitioned to ultrasonic scalers. Ultrasonic Scaling Technology There are two types of ultrasonic scalers: magnetostrictive and piezoelectric. Both ultrasonics are effective but operate differently. Piezoelectric devices use electrical energy to activate crystals within the...

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

Every hygienist can remember the first day they got their shiny, new instruments. Each instrument came with a clear purpose, a goal. There were so many and each one needed to be unwrapped, labeled, and properly sterilized. It was exciting to finally get the tools of the trade necessary to fight against periodontal disease. At the time, none of...

Join us as we conclude our series, Social Media for the Dental Professional. In Part 1, we discussed social media dos and don’ts. In Part 2, we explored ways to use it to advance your career. Here, we conclude our dialogue as we consider the future of the virtual dental world and how it can impact your professional life. More...