Category: Uncategorized

The benefits of digital radiograph system with pediatric
patients lowers everyone’s anxiety

By Amber Auger, RDH, MPH

The xray is positioned for a pediatric patient. Courtesy of Dentsply Sirona.

When I first graduated from hygiene school, I worked full-time in a busy pediatric office. Our “open bay” layout, which included four dental chairs in a large room, was designed to allow parents, siblings, and other children to engage in the “show-tell-do” systems that ease the inexperienced patient’s anxiety. For the pediatric patient, everything involved in the dental experience is new.

The patient’s first-time experience can be overwhelming due to the sounds alone, such as the high-pitched sound of the polishing handpiece and suction. However, with the gentle touch of a skilled dental hygienist, the patient can overcome the initial fear of the unknown. The role of the pediatric dental hygienist is imperative to the patient’s future success in oral health.

Retaking X-rays

Imagine that you have a patient in your chair who is five-and-a-half years old. During the initial assessment, you notice a dark shadow on the distal of number K. The patient’s sibling is at high risk for tooth decay, the patient’s home care is poor, and her diet includes juice throughout the day.

There’s a reason why female patients should
be forthcoming when pregnant

Eileen Morrissey, RDH

My 33-year-old female patient told me there were no changes in her medical history when I asked about any updates at her recare visit. I told her that since we had taken radiographs at her previous appointment and there were no apparent problems, we would not take x-rays today. She replied, “Good!” This patient normally has an excellent home-care presentation, and there is very little work for me to do at her cleanings.

As I looked at her mouth, these conditions appeared consistent. However, when I probed and performed her debridement, there was definitely more bleeding than usual. Something about her tissues seemed off. I found myself thinking about her three-year-old son and wondering when or if she and her husband were going to try for a sibling for little Joey. My intuition was speaking loud and clear, and I blurted, “Linda, is there any way you could be pregnant?” She looked at me in amazement and said, “How did you know that?”

I told her it was a hunch based on the bleeding I was seeing. She divulged that she was indeed 11 weeks into her pregnancy. Her reason for not sharing the information was that she and her husband had not yet told anyone, even family. When she saw that I was not going to take radiographs, she felt that she could keep the information to herself.

I explained why it is so important that we be made aware of any changes in our patients’ health histories. I took advantage of my newfound knowledge to educate her in whatever ways I could regarding all that is important in terms of prenatal oral care. She was still reeling from my discovery. I have to say I was shocked that someone who I have been treating on and off for six years would hold back such information. Now it makes me wonder how many times this has happened before with a pregnancy, or any condition for that matter. Probably more than I imagine. The recurrent theme among patients seems to be that nothing in the mouth has any connection to their systemic health.

Addressing the oral care challenges posed by braces

By Katie Melko, RDH, MSDH

Braces, braces, braces—I don’t know about you, but I used to cringe when I got these patients in my chair. I knew that my appointment was going to be filled with poor oral hygiene and floss threaders galore. Now I welcome the changeup and don’t mind treating these patients, because I have finally found great resources and tools for both the patient and myself. As you know, orthodontics is an expensive process and it’s important for us to be able to educate parents and patients on all its aspects, from oral hygiene to nutrition.

Here’s a short overview of my recommendations: Always use an ultrasonic scaler; recommend the GumChucks flossing tool (OralWise, Inc.), a water flosser, and an electric toothbrush; provide education on a floss threader and Super Floss; and fluoride varnish at a recall appointment.

My must-have products for these appointments (with a little overlap with the suggestions I just mentioned) are: GumChucks, the Cavitron (Dentsply), 2pro disposable prophy angles (Premier Dental), Vera Advanced Bright prophy paste (Young Dental), and the Varnish Pen (Young Dental). These products help make appointments painless for the patient and provider.

If you use GumChucks during your appointments, not only are you introducing them to the parent and child during the visit by using it to floss, but you can also use it for oral health instruction and recommend this product for use at home. The company makes autoclavable handles for hygienists to use chairside; the consumer packages come with plastic handles.

Tips for balancing the physical and emotional toll of clinical practice

By Sarah Clark, RDH, IPDH, CSMC

It is no secret that dental hygienists are very proud and resilient individuals. We conduct ourselves with the utmost professionalism and confidence, even in the many stressful situations that may cause us to imagine a very different response. While we would never purposefully be unprofessional, it is true that our kill-them-with-kindness façade is typically used to placate the source of these stressors. In the end, we are rewarding the stressor and causing ourselves to compartmentalize the negative emotions, all while maintaining our professional and confident stature without skipping a beat.

The “Big B”

We have all experienced days that bring us to our breaking point. We are tired, broken, and have nothing left to give. Our tank is empty. Working in a profession where we are forced to give 100% of ourselves, all of our emotional and physical energy, every minute of every day, and then compartmentalize our emotions, we will always be at risk for the “Big B.” Just as the “Big C” is used to discuss cancer without ever saying the word that so many are ashamed or afraid to speak, the “Big B” can be used the same way to describe burnout. In our profession, it seems shameful to admit being burned out, causing us to force those feelings away and pretend that we always love our jobs and are happy 100% of the time.

How teledentistry is expanding and energizing practice settings

By Anne Guignon, RDH, MPH, CSP, and Cindy M. Purdy, RDH, BS, CEAS

It’s vacation time! Spending time in the Big Apple has been on your bucket list for years. Now you’re standing right in the middle of the fabled Times Square. People of all sizes, ages, and nationalities are moving through the famous area. Some are old; others are young. Some are living on the streets; others live very comfortable lives. Some appear to be very healthy; others look frail and sickly. Times Square is a beehive of humanity.

The looming crisis

It takes a few minutes to soak in all the sights and smells. Glancing upward, your eye catches The Zipper, the famous New York Times news ticker. Headline after headline streams across the screen. The Zipper has been alerting crowds to breaking news headlines since 1928. Today is no exception. This moment’s visual sound bites are about oral health: Looming crisis—Lack of quality, affordable dental health affects millions in the US…Dental care: highest financial barrier of all health services…51 million lost school hours due to dental issues…Severe periodontitis associated with increased risk: stroke, heart disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory illness…50% of children age 5 to 9 have had one area of decay…RDH magazine reports Utah dental hygienist, Staci Stout, develops a sustainable business model that provides quality dental services to at-risk children and seniors. Stout works outside of a traditional dental office, harnessing the power of portable equipment and tele-dentistry communication platforms…

Tips for purchasing magnification and illumination devices in the dental hygiene operatory

Adding orthodontic, orofacial therapy evaluations for challenging kids

By Shirley Gutkowski, RDH, BSDH

At the morning huddle, I learned a family was up for a quick in-and-out visit—prophy, fluoride, exam—boom! Addison came in with her mother and little brother in tow. Her smile was disrupted by six missing front teeth, but she didn’t seem bothered. As if she worked there, Addison confidently led the way down the hall to treatment room No. 8. Each step she took was measured to get the most bounce out of her corkscrew curls, her arms moving to get the best swish out of her skirt with its tulle scaffolding. On her feet were sparkling ruby red Mary Janes.

Addison is a big girl of six, and her brother, Mason, is four years old and challenging. In sharp contrast to his big sister, the chart notes for Mason commented repeatedly on behavior, even charging out behavior management codes. He smelled of diaper, his mouth hung open, he exhibited adenoid facies, his lips were fire-engine red from licking, and when he wasn’t a tornado (for example, sitting on his mother’s lap), he looked comatose. Caroline, the children’s mother, looked exhausted. Fortunately, imaging was not on the schedule.

As expected, Addison’s mouth was a shining example of good dental hygiene. The six-year molars were in, sealants would be indicated in six months, and—“Mason, please don’t shake the dental chair.” Why isn’t this mother managing this kid? He dropped like a sack of potatoes and wailed.

Disaster Preparation

The recent natural disasters have challenged residents in affected areas to plan more thoroughly for events

By Anne Guignon, RDH, MPH, CSP,

For the past two decades, my work has involved a lot of travel for presenting continuing education programs, attending dental and dental hygiene conferences, and spending time with students at colleges and universities all over North America. It’s a thrill to see how people come together to create communities and work together. It is also interesting to see the regional differences that often reflect the physical landscape of the area.

On August 31, I flew to Wichita, Kansas. My hotel room faced west, overlooking the Arkansas River. The water was so still it looked like glass. Dozens of people in kayaks and paddleboards leisurely glided past the colorful artwork floating in the middle of the waterway. The sculpture is a huge strand of DNA depicting the vital interaction of human genetic material and water. The Wichita Wingnuts baseball team was playing in the brightly lit stadium on the other side of the river. The sound of the Star-Spangled Banner filled the air. As darkness fell, the Labor Day weekend celebrations commenced with a huge firework display on the river’s edge that punctuated the night sky. It was a quintessential portrait of Midwestern America.

While this Norman Rockwell moment was soothing, my mind and heart were totally pre-occupied with the damage Hurricane Harvey was creating for my friends, colleagues, and neighbors in Texas and Louisiana. Two high-pressure cells kept Harvey parked over a large portion of southeast Texas. The Houston area averages 50 inches of rain a year. Many parts of Houston got 50 inches in three days.