Dental Hygiene

October is finally here, and it is absolutely my favorite time of year. The leaves are beginning to show their beautiful orange, red, and yellow colors. Temperatures are dropping, and bonfires and pumpkins are a regular sight. The carved pumpkins with the big toothy grins are my favorite! October is also National Dental Hygiene Month, a whole month dedicated...

Have you ever noticed that everywhere you shop, everything seems labeled with that word “antioxidant” or “now contains antioxidants?” I was at the makeup counter, and even the moisturizer said, "now with antioxidants." After a shopping trip one day, I wondered what I was missing. What is so important about antioxidants that manufacturers are taking up label space to announce...

The years and tears spent on attending dental hygiene school are marked with a high level of stress that hygienists know all too well. You are so excited during the first two weeks. You have the perfect planner to organize all of your assignments and quizzes. You have a locker, a cubby, and a dressing room. The anticipation of...

Tetracycline and minocycline are common antibiotics used medically for infections and inflammation. While useful for medical reasons, dental professionals know it more for internal staining of the teeth. Tetracyclines lead to permanent tooth staining when ingested during pregnancy, nursing, or during the developmental period of secondary and primary teeth. This vulnerable time frame is from the fourth month in utero...

 

Have you ever found yourself discussing with coworkers about the patient in your schedule who is non-compliant with their treatment plan? The patient has had treatment recommended countless times, only to have them walk out with it unscheduled or has ended up canceling the appointment for said treatment. Working in the dental field, we hear all too often from...

Disclosure: This video is sponsored content from Heartland Dental as part of our sponsored partner program. Not all DSOs are the same. Hear how Heartland Dental is different during Kara Vavrosky's chat with hygienist Adandra Torres-Martin, RDH, who works in a Heartland Dental supported practice. Adandra Torres-Martin, RDH, discusses the many advantages of working in a Heartland Dental supported practice, including her...

Imagine that it is about 3 pm, and you have just finished a tough SRP. You walk your patient to the front, and she seamlessly gets checked out. You then have a quick chat with your coworker about her upcoming nuptials. After returning to your operatory and breaking it down and setting up, you realize that you need a...

Cerebrocostomandibular syndrome (CCMS) is an extremely rare disorder with a low survival rate. This condition is so rare that only around 80 confirmed cases have been reported in medical literature. The disorder involves a severely small chin, glossoptosis, an absent uvula, a cleft palate, narrow chest, missing ribs, gaps between the ribs, and difficulty breathing and feeding.1 Other conditions are...

According to Beltone, one in six people in this country has some form of hearing loss.9 Much research is available about how to treat or accommodate deaf or hard-of-hearing patients. However, there is a lack of resources pertaining to how the deaf or hard of hearing can enter the dental profession. Prior to writing this article, I was hoping to...