February is National Pet Dental Health Month and the staff at New Hope Animal Hospital wants to draw attention to essential pet dental needs. Pet dental exams, teeth cleaning, and check-ups are available to pets in and around Durham and Chapel Hill. Dental issues can go beyond pain and significantly impact other aspects of pet … Read more
Research shows that smoking can damage every part of the body, including the mouth, causing life-threatening cancers and chronic diseases. During National Non-Smoking Week (January 15‒21), dental hygienists across Canada remind us all of the need to eliminate tobacco use for better oral and overall health. Dental hygienists are skilled in health promotion, disease detection, … Read more
Today, I would like to share my thoughts on the ongoing debate between dental floss and interdental brushes, and what we should be recommending to our patients to enhance their oral health. I will begin by sharing a few recent studies that I have found that are relative to this subject: Recently, a report by the Associated … Read more
Care homes should assess, record and help residents maintain their oral health. A new draft quality standard out for consultation advises care home staff to assess the oral health needs of their residents on admission and record these in personal care plans. They should then be supported to clean their teeth twice a day or … Read more
The beginning of a new year is a perfect opportunity to make a fresh start and set new personal and professional goals. While many people focus on self-improvement initiatives, dental hygienists remind Canadians not to overlook oral health when making choices about improving overall physical and mental well-being. “Good oral health is essential to total … Read more
Dr. Esther Wilkins, a Chelmsford native and longtime professor at Tufts University who was known as the “godmother of dental hygiene” as one of the world’s foremost experts in the field, died Monday. She turned 100 just three days prior. Tufts University School of Dental Medicine was to celebrate the achievements Wilkins and two others … Read more
32-year-old Dental Hygienist, April MacDougall, has returned from volunteering with Mercy Ships onboard the world’s largest charity hospital ship, the Africa Mercy, in Cotonou, Benin. MacDougall paid her own way to live and work amongst 400 international crew members all giving their time to provide free life-changing healthcare to thousands in need. MacDougall was born and raised … Read more
The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) is pleased that Health Affairs recognizes the enormous impact oral health has on the overall public health system in the U.S. by devoting an entire issue to the subject. ADHA has long advocated evidence-based oral health management strategies for the prevention of oral and systemic diseases. In fact, ongoing … Read more
A new study in the Journal of Dental Research suggests that dental problems commonly associated with cleft lip and palate may be caused by abnormalities in salivary glands and an imbalance of immune compounds in the mouth. Dr. Timothy Cox, a craniofacial researcher at Seattle Children’s Research Institute and lead author, found that mice with … Read more
Only 12 percent of older Americans have some form of dental insurance and fewer than half visited a dentist in the previous year, suggests new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research on Medicare beneficiaries. Insurance status appeared to be the biggest predictor of whether a person received oral health care: For those with … Read more
The Internet-of-Things is everywhere. Even in your toothbrush. Chicago startup Onvi has created what it calls the world’s first video toothbrush, named Prophix, which uses a video camera paired with an iOS app that lets you see the areas you’ve missed while brushing. The high-tech brush connects to your phone via Bluetooth (no pun intend) and lets … Read more
After revolutionising the design of vacuum cleaners, hair-dryers and standing fans, Dyson could now be looking to conquer the dental hygiene market. The British tech company has filed patents for a new electric toothbrush with built-in water jets capable of blasting away food debris from between your teeth, potentially doing away with the need to … Read more
America’s ToothFairy: National Children’s Oral Health Foundation recently announced the retirement of Fern Ingber, founding president and CEO. The Board of Directors has appointed Jill Malmgren, former chief operating officer, as her successor. Malmgren assumed leadership of America’s ToothFairy as executive director on Nov 7. Ingber will serve as president emeritus in an advisory capacity … Read more
Background PANDAS is an acronym for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal Infections. This is a condition that affects a small group of children resulting in a sudden and abrupt onset of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) symptoms. In the late 1990’s, investigators at the US National Institutes of Mental Health, during a study of … Read more
Your three-pound brain is the CEO of your whole body’s operation. It’s the playmaker, manager and overseer. It keeps 2000 gallons of blood surging through your heart each day and throughout 63,000 miles of blood vessels. It has you place one foot in front of the other as you walk from patient to patient and … Read more
The first touch-point for patients is the reception area and it is critical to make a positive and lasting impression. Patients expect a dental office to maintain high standards of cleanliness and safety, which starts from the moment they enter the door. Is the room inviting, comfortable, organized and well maintained? Or does the room … Read more
In the September 2016 issue of this journal, I shared information about how the dental professional can help patients with their general and oral health through the diagnosis of acid reflux, a condition that affects up to 50% of the population. In this article, I discuss bulimia, an eating disorder which in the early stages … Read more
Have you ever experienced listening to a grandparent, a parent or a spouse snoring so loud you couldn’t sleep? No matter how hard you tried to ignore it, that’s all you could focus on. Then suddenly, sweet silence! You breathe a sigh of relief because they stopped! However, the only thing that stopped was their … Read more
Sometimes it takes a village, sometimes a marriage of powerful forces to produce something meaningful and that is the case with the recently-released custom collaboration between Colgate and Scientific American Custom Media. “The Future of Oral Health, Global Challenges, Advances and New Technologies” is an important document introduced at the ADA’s annual meeting in Denver … Read more
On November 20, dental hygienists will celebrate Universal Children’s Day, reminding us all of the importance of protecting and promoting children’s rights, including the right to good oral health. As Gerry Cool, president of the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA), explains, “Optimal oral health is the cornerstone of overall physical, social, and mental well-being. CDHA … Read more