Dental Hygiene

Most career paths have a stereotype associated with them, which is usually untrue. For example, doctors are known for having "chicken scratch" handwriting. Librarians are known as little, old ladies with glasses, and police officers are rumored to love donuts. While these stereotypes were meant to be humorous, they don't define the careers. Several years ago, before I was even...

The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) defines the competencies required for entering the practice of dental hygiene. The four core competencies are health promotion/disease prevention, patient/client care, community involvement, and professional growth and development."3 The five-page ADEA document breaks down these core competencies into five domains. Each domain was then broken into numerous individual competencies. The domain directly associated with...

So many dental hygienists aspire to leave the operatory. The why doesn’t matter. It is just their time to transition out of clinical care. As it happens, the road isn’t necessarily quick and easy, and you do need to do a little planning. I decided to interview my good friend Maria Smith who has done just that. She moved very...

Disclosure: This video is sponsored content from Cetylite, Inc. as part of our sponsored partner program. Kara Vavrosky, RDHEP, and pharmacologist Tom Viola, R.PH., C.C.P., discuss the use of appropriate topical anesthetics, when to consider putting down the needle for perio procedures, and how topical anesthetic can be used to keep any of your patients more comfortable. Learn more about Cetylite's Cetacaine®...

Do you recommend to your patients to chew gum? Not the sugary kind like Juicy Fruit, but say gum with xylitol. Xylitol gum is wonderful at preventing decay, and some practices even supply it in their offices.1,2 When doing the research, I found an animal study as far back as 1978 showing xylitol increasing bone density. Xylitol has also...

Disclosure: This video is sponsored content from Planmeca USA as part of our sponsored partner program. Watch this video where I discuss why dental temps should consider investing in their own instruments. See the latest specials Planmeca USA has on LM Instruments at https://shop.planmecausa.com/

The recent emphasis on the importance of a healthy diet and good nutrition has not been ignored by the dental profession. Vitamins and nutrients can have significant effects on the oral cavity. The patient’s medical history, clinical evaluation, and radiographs can reveal the negative effects of vitamin deficiencies and resulting oral manifestations. The most common vitamins that are introduced and...

If COVID-19 wasn't enough to cause practice disruption, the shortage of registered dental hygienists certainly is. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics reports that, as of 2019, that there are 226,400 dental hygiene jobs in the U.S., with a projected increase in demand of 13,300 by 2029.1 This article explores the current status of the hygienist shortage as...

Disclosure: This video is sponsored content from Heartland Dental as part of our sponsored partner program. Not all DSOs are the same. Watch Kara Vavrosky, RDHEP's chat with Jill Ulrici, RDH, a Regional Hygiene Mentor at Heartland Dental, to see how Heartland Dental is different. Jill discusses the onboarding process, the mentorship opportunities available, and types of training available for hygienists at...

Disclosure: This video is sponsored content from ARM & HAMMER™ as part of our sponsored partner program. The new and improved Spinbrush™ power toothbrushes from ARM & HAMMER™ are coming soon! Watch this video to discover why they are an affordable option for those patients who want to step up from a manual brush! To learn more about the new Spinbrush™ power...