National Dental Hygienists Week™ (NDHW™) takes place April 7‒13 as part of oral health month in Canada. During the week, which emphasizes “Oral Health for Total Health,” dental hygienists remind us that taking care of our mouth, teeth, and gums benefits our overall physical and mental well-being. Dental hygienists are oral health experts and primary … Read more
P.E.I. dental professionals will once again be opening their hearts by providing free oral health care to those in the community who need it most. On Saturday April 7, the Prince Edward Island Dental Hygienists’ Association is hosting a one-day event, Gift from the Heart, for people who can’t afford dental hygiene treatment at the … Read more
A report released today by the Center for Oral Health (COH) found that a significant number of older adults in California are plagued by oral health problems despite the fact that dental disease is largely preventable. The study, “A Healthy Smile Never Gets Old: A California Report on the Oral Health of Older Adults,” found … Read more
A study undertaken by British American Tobacco has shown that teeth exposed to cigarette smoke over a period of 2 weeks became very discoloured very quickly, whereas teeth exposed to e-cigarette vapour or vapour from glo, a tobacco-heated product, did not (Figure 1). After 2 weeks of almost continuous exposure, these teeth were almost indistinguishable … Read more
On March 20, Canadian dental hygienists will join in the global celebration of World Oral Health Day (www.worldoralhealthday.org). Using the theme “Say Ahh: Think Mouth, Think Health,” this public awareness campaign highlights the important connection between oral and overall health. Canada’s own National Dental Hygienists Week™, which takes place April 7–13, echoes this message by … Read more
For some millennials, morning breath may last for more than just the morning. That’s because, according to new research, many young Americans are failing to regularly clean their teeth. A new study into the dental hygiene habits of 2,000 Americans found three in ten millennials studied only brush their teeth once a day. Results also … Read more
Red wine has previously been linked to a range of supposed health benefits, from helping the heart to lowering the risk of diabetes. Now a new study suggests it contains chemicals that can help in the fight against tooth decay and gum disease. Researchers found compounds from the drink, known as polyphenols, helped fend off … Read more
Sipping acidic drinks such as fruit teas and flavoured water can wear away teeth and damage the enamel, an investigation by scientists has shown. The King’s College London team found that drinking them between meals and savouring them for too long increased the risk of tooth erosion from acid. The research, in the British Dental … Read more
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported another peak of weekly visits for influenza-like illness last week, as provided by the US Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network. As this notably widespread flu season continues into February — and may bear more infections in the form of a second viral wave — researchers and physicians continue … Read more
It is one of your worst nightmares. Public health officials get a complaint from one of your patients. They storm into your office and shut you down for having inadequate infection control practices. Bad as that may sound, it gets worse. They then send a letter to ALL of your patients, notifying them of the … Read more
Lessons in leadership show up in unlikely places. As the mother of two rough and tumble boys, one of life’s greatest gifts was unexpectedly having to raise my niece, Carrie, from the age of five. While I’ve cheered at baseball games, marveled at snowboarding feats, and watched with one eye open at the motocross competitions … Read more
The Surprising Link Between Your Teeth, Real Food, and Life-Changing Natural Health It is said that awareness is the key to change. Awareness however, is simply not enough. We must take the new knowledge learned and actually do something with it! This requires effort, change, boldness, and a willingness to take consistent, persistent action … Read more
The signs and symptoms that may save a life We are all familiar with the signs and symptoms of gripping chest pain, radiating to the jaw and arm for males, but do we know the difference for women’s heart attacks? Recently, many articles and television programs have been highlighting the very different signs for … Read more
“I’m sorry… we have not received your claim.” “Why did I get a statement? I have already paid your office my co-payment!” Ah, the wonderful effects of non-communication. Nothing is more frustrating for a dental office than a patient or insurance company who misunderstands what we are trying to communicate to them. The most important … Read more
They say a lady always know when it’s time to leave and so it is with mixed emotions I tell you that I am retiring from the dental group and Newcom Media as of March 29th, 2018. I’ve only worked for two publishing companies (many, many owners) since 1986, a feat unto itself in the … Read more
I am not a dentist. I am not a dental hygienist. Admittedly, I never had the desire to learn about the importance of our teeth. I am not an expert, nor will I ever be when it comes to dentistry, but I have a responsibility to become an expert at my job and establish authority … Read more
Ergonomics refers to the interaction between a human’s musculoskeletal system and his or her workspace. Studies show that various job functions performed by dental professionals expose them to risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The Effects of Hand Fatigue Hand fatigue is a serious work place issue. The tasks that dental professionals perform can often … Read more
Periodontal disease is at an epidemic level. “Periodontal diseases and dental caries are the most prevalent chronic diseases, affecting children, adolescents, adults and the elderly.”1 Over seventy percent of Canadians have some form of periodontal disease. The statistics are similar in the United States. Gingivitis is present at all ages.2 Fifty percent to 94% of … Read more
Introduction Kissing teeth are extremely rare incidental radiological findings. Only very few cases have been reported in the literature. Kissing mandibular teeth can be divided into kissing molars (KM) and kissing canines (KC). Kissing Molars KM are impacted permanent molars that have occlusal surfaces contacting each other in a single follicular space with roots pointing … Read more
Dentistry is a “people business” that serves a broad spectrum of age demographics that span multiple generations – from the millennials to the Gen X to the boomers, silent generation and so on. It’s well-known that there are significant generational differences that are common to each segment, depending on when they were born and what … Read more