Fanshawe College is the Only School to Get a 100% Pass Rate on National Exam

Fanshawe’s Dental Hygiene program landed a 100% pass rate on the National Dental Hygiene Certification Board Exam. The closest behind Fanshawe was Algonquin College with a 96% pass rate. Graduates had a difficult year, with the pandemic putting programming on hold.  Their year was extended, but the way Fanshawe adapted still worked. “We have a … Read more

TempStars Brings Better ‘Career Opportunities for Dental Hygienists and Assistants’ to Phoenix and Scottsdale

TempStars, North America’s largest and #1 rated dental temping and hiring service, announced today that it is open for business in Phoenix and Scottsdale, another step in the company’s expansion in the United States. “This will create many new opportunities for dental hygienists and assistants in Phoenix and Scottsdale that weren’t there before,” said Dr. James Younger, … Read more

Competing with TikTok Dental Advice: Educating Gen Z Before the Damage is Done

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Up-and-coming social media platform TikTok has well over 1.29 billion active users who post and view short clips on a plethora of different topics, including dental and oral hygiene. Unfortunately, as trendy and popular as these videos are among Gen-Zers, they are all too often based on a poor understanding of dental science. This means … Read more

Tackling the Threat of Burnout Among Dental Hygienists

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Dental practices nationwide are facing shortages in qualified staff, in large part because of the pandemic that’s resulted in more people having second thoughts about their careers. In fact, in a survey published in the Journal of Dental Hygiene, 8% of dental hygienists have left the industry since the onset of the pandemic.  While there’s … Read more

Technically Speaking! Tips for Implementing the 2018 AAP Periodontal Classification (Part 9)

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Q: If a patient has lost one tooth to periodontitis and there are an additional four teeth treatment planned to be extracted due to periodontitis, do these extractions also count as being lost to periodontitis and potentially increase the patient’s stage? A: Yes. The AAP considered that when the worst affected tooth is lost, severity … Read more

Canada’s Dental Hygienists Elect New President

The Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) is pleased to announce the installation of its new president, Wendy Stewart, at its virtual annual general meeting on Saturday, October 16. Wendy is from Nova Scotia and joins president-elect Anne Marie Caissie (New Brunswick), past president Tiffany Ludwicki (Newfoundland and Labrador), and directors Rae McFarlane (British Columbia), Alexandra … Read more

Hygienists Brace for Pitched Battles with Dentists in Fights Over Practice Laws

This year, the Illinois legislature was considering measures to expand oral health treatment in a state where millions of people live in dental care deserts. But when the Illinois State Dental Society met with key lawmakers virtually for its annual lobbying day in the spring, the proposals to allow dental hygienists to clean the teeth of … Read more

‘It’s Never Too Late’: Salinas Dental Hygienist Spent 11 Years as Farmworker

Working in the fields takes a physical toll on a person. Long hours and harsh working conditions is the price paid by farmworkers to ensure that grocery stores are stocked and families have food on the table. Martina Hernandez Garcia watched her father work endlessly in the fields before she started harvesting lettuce herself. The experience motivated her … Read more

TempStars CEO Dr. James Younger Adopts Perspective of Hygienists and Dental Assistants in Oral Health Magazine Article

Dr. James Younger, the founder and CEO of TempStars, North America’s largest and #1 rated dental temping and hiring service, has authored another piece for Oral Health Group, Canada’s leading magazine for the dental industry – this time for Oral Hygiene, the leading publication for Dental Hygienists in Canada. Dr. Younger co-wrote “Great Temping Expectations; Make … Read more

Research Examines the Effectiveness of Various Oral Hygiene Tools

Do probiotics prevent gum disease? Is flossing necessary? Many patients are unable to confidently answer these questions and more due to the abundance of conflicting medical information. However, new research led by the University at Buffalo aims to separate fact from fiction in determining which oral hygiene tools actually prevent gum disease. The paper, published … Read more

Discover the EMS AIRFLOW Prophylaxis Master & VoiceWorks at the Oral Science JDIQ Booth

Oral Science invites all Dental Professionals to its Les Journées dentaires internationales du Québec (JDIQ) booth (#617) to discover 5 new innovations to enhance patients’ satisfaction and the return on investment of dental hygiene departments. #1 NEW – EMS AIRFLOW Prophylaxis Master & Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT) Our GBT trainer Natacha Barbeau (RDH) will do … Read more

Paid

Spotlight Oral Care – Pregnancy Toothpaste

Pregnancy Toothpaste

When my friend asked what type of toothpaste she should use while pregnant and breastfeeding, I was stumped. All I could say is, “That’s a great question.” This month’s review is from Spotlight Oral Care– a brand that develops products that are clinically proven, toxin-free, and sustainable. And most importantly, this brand was the ideal … Read more

The Value of an Optimally Sharp Instrument

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Manual and Ultrasonic instrumentation techniques and guidelines for treatment have changed over the past few decades according technological advancements and theoretical interpretation for the literature. Technological advancements in the areas of ergonomics, metallurgy and cryogenic processing have led dental manufacturers to develop instruments that lessen the incidence of musculoskeletal disorder, increase patient comfort, and permit … Read more

The Troublemakers: How to Deal with Difficult Patients

Difficult Patients

Eventually, every dental hygienist will deal with a difficult patient. Despite best efforts, a patient may be angry or upset with the care they have received or something that has been said to them. Sometimes they will be angry for no perceivable reason at all. Regardless of why the patient is being difficult, dental hygienists … Read more

Are You a New Generation Hygienist?

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It has nothing to do with your age – or where or when you graduated – but everything to do with your commitment to excellence. When new procedures and techniques become available, do you update and adapt your clinical strategies to provide superior patient outcomes? If so, you may be a new generation hygienist. These … Read more

Great Temping Expectations: Make Your Temporary Time at a Practice Count.

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This past year has been a roller coaster ride for everyone, and the job market for dental professionals is no exception. There has been a huge flux in job-seekers looking for new positions and dental offices searching for new team members. And during all of this, there has been a real shift in the dental … Read more

Technically Speaking: Tips for Implementing the 2018 AAP Periodontal Classification (Part 8)

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Still confused about the 2018 AAP Periodontal classification. Never fear! The next few monthly columns will review some of the most important updates made to the industry’s global periodontal guidelines to help hygiene teams achieve the highest level of care. Once we have exhausted this topic we will move onto other questions about the process of … Read more

Perfectionism: A Blessing and a Curse

Perfectionism

The dental profession often sets extremely high standards for excellence. I recall the pressure I felt to ensure I didn’t miss a thing. We were trained to measure in millimetres, feel specs of grain and see the slightest shade differences; so we can’t help but notice the minute. Even years after retiring from the profession, … Read more

Assessing Tethered Oral Tissues and Understanding Their Role in Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders

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The world of healthcare is ever evolving, and as science continues to discover the intricate network of systemic health, the focus becomes more holistic or whole body focused. Connective tissues or fascia have been a long-overlooked system of the body that we are just beginning to understand. Dr. Richard Baxter DMD, MS, talks about the … Read more