Modern Hygienist

What does this mean for Nevada hygienists? Kara RDH is here to tell you.

A properly run hygiene department can account for 25–35 percent of the general practice’s production total.

It’s common knowledge that eating the wrong things can be bad for one’s teeth – especially if proper oral hygiene is not observed afterward. However, the changing face of Americans’ diet has an impact beyond candy and cavities.

Despite the purveyance of articles online and on social media, I find some hygienists are still unaware of oil pulling.

A University of Sydney study has revealed that tooth decay (dental caries) can be stopped, reversed, and prevented without the need for the traditional 'fill and drill' approach that has dominated dental care for decades.

As a a well-known and accomplished dental hygienist, Kara Vavrosky often gets asked for advice.

The new relationship will help Modern Hygienist to reach a new audience while allowing Kara RDH to continually expand her presence and role as a hygiene thought leader.

Hu-Friedy, a global leader in the manufacture of high quality dental instruments and products, announced the launch of its new periodontal maintenance curettes developed in partnership with Anna Pattison, renowned dental hygiene educator and practitioner.

With the holidays-and all of the accompanying sweet treats seemingly destined to cause dental caries-right around the corner, researchers at the University of California have made a timely discovery that may lessen or even eradicate pain caused by tooth decay.

As the temperatures being to drop around the Rocky Mountains, I decided to pay a visit to another Colorado hygienist recently and talk to her about her own clinic and starting her own business as well.

Every day is the perfect day to screen for oral cancer, but, as we move into November, now is an excellent time to make preparations for Oral and Head and Neck Cancer (OHNC) Awareness month coming up in just 6 months.

It’s a no brainer that smoking is bad for your health, and the health of those subjected to your secondhand smoke. Now, researchers say that secondhand smoke can have even more detrimental effects than previously believed – on the dental health of children.

As we enter the fall season, chances are that you have patients with remaining dental benefits who also require dental care. According to Forbes, only three percent of patients use all of their benefits in a given year.

Anyone who’s had a fixed orthodontic appliance knows how frustrating oral hygiene can become. Fixed appliances often make the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and plaque, which can accumulate under the appliance. In an attempt to abort development of bacteria, researchers recently examined if daily doses of xylitol could make a difference.

When it comes to technology and the integration of it, there are many ways to skin the “Technology Cat.” For many, it might mean integrating computers into your daily clinical routine. Or it might mean finally embracing digital radiography and adding that component to your office armamentarium.

We recently had a chance to sit down with Angela Fuller, RDH, to discuss a research-based article that she wrote for the October edition of Dental Products Report, which discussed dental implant maintenance and instruments used to provide this service.

Women are becoming a notable force in dentistry, and this is why Dental Products Report’s annual recognition of women is an important and worthwhile tradition.

“The current generation of women dentists will be a bridge generation that deals with the many challenges of being pioneers in the way women practice dentistry.”

The tough economic times have affected all of us in some way, and for many this effect has come in the way of no pay increase in recent years. As news of a recovery and the “new economy” cross the news media, dental hygienists wonder where their recovery is.

Pregnancy is stressful enough without having to worry about a child’s future dental health. But, researchers now say, mothers may need to be thinking about just that.

Hygienists have different needs, depending on their day-to-day practice. As a hygienist in a practice that specialized in placing dental implants, I had to find instruments that worked well to clean the surfaces of the abutments, crowns, threads and overdenture bars thoroughly, without the worry of scratching the surfaces of the restorations, which causes bacterial adhesion and can lead to peri-implantitis or, worse, implant failure.

When dental teams begin tracking total treatment presented to patients and the amount of treatment accepted by patients, they often discover their true treatment acceptance is much lower than they thought. And they uncover opportunity to help their practice and patients get healthier.

The innovative varnish system of Fluor Protector S features a homogeneously dissolved fluoride source said to ensure immediate availability of the fluoride.

He’s a 30-something professional with impeccable home care, routine professional dental care and seemingly excellent overall health. He has never smoked. He eats well and gets plenty of exercise

One of the big mysteries of dental hygiene practice is how some hygienists are highly paid and some are not. Even people from the same class with the same grades have a per-hour discrepancy that defies logic.

Researchers from the Cochrane Oral Health Group, however, did find data suggesting water fluoridation may reduce cavities in children, although they most of the studies were conducted before widespread adoption of preventive measures such as fluoridated toothpaste and sealants.

Stories on all types of media question whether victims of sexual harassment, rape, bullying, poverty and more are at least partially to blame for their circumstances. How often do oral health professionals do the same-blame the victim for new or continuing conditions?

According to a recent survey by the American Dental Assistants Association (ADAA), 61 percent of its members shop and buy the products for the practice. Of the 39 percent who don’t do the buying, 50 percent told the ADAA that it’s another dental assistant in the office who does it.

Almost 11,000 Australian patients have been warned that they may have been exposed to HIV, hepatitis and other blood-borne diseases due to appalling hygiene negligence in Sydney dental clinics.