Now in its third year, the prestigious Cellerant Best of Class Hygiene Awards program was created by Cellerant Consulting founder and CEO Lou Shuman, DMD, CAGS, to honour the standout dental products designed for use during dental hygiene appointments. Chosen by a panel of dental hygiene thought leaders, the awards highlight innovative technologies, materials, and … Read more
Now, more than ever, we keep hearing and reading about how dental hygienists are leaving the profession. New and ever-changing guidelines, critical Quality Assurance programs, and personal burn-out are adding up and causing dental hygienists to explore other career paths. Before you jump ship on a profession you have spent years in school training for … Read more
In the last issue of Oral Hygiene, the introduction to this topic and Secret #1 was revealed. If you missed it, be sure to look back at this article. Secret #2: Be a Leader Being indispensable at a dental practice means taking on a leadership role. A leader is a visionary who motivates and encourages … Read more
Q: How do I stage and grade Necrotizing Periodontal Disease (NPD) and Periodontitis as a Manifestation of Systemic Diseases (PMSD)? A: NPD and PMSD fall under the classification of “Periodontitis” in the new 2018 America Academy of Periodontology (AAP) global classification. (See Table 1.) However, the guidelines don’t recommend staging and grading these types of … Read more
Confession. I eat chocolate every day and I don’t feel guilty. I also don’t make my clients feel guilty about having a sweet tooth. That’s because I know how to decrease the harm from sweets on my teeth and I tell my clients how to do the same. We all have bad habits that we … Read more
Q: This is a constant a debate among the hygienists in our practice. Do you provide nonsurgical periodontal therapy (NSPT) for children? A: If they do not fall within the parameters of health, then yes, they need nonsurgical periodontal therapy. The term “child” is defined as a young individual below the age of puberty or, … Read more
Musculoskeletal disorders are unfortunately affecting many dental professionals. A recent systematic review shows the prevalence of general musculoskeletal pain ranging from 64%–93%.⁵ This issue happens as a result of the awkward positions that are held for 6-8 hours during a typical workday. Additionally, there are several other risk factors that come with working in the … Read more
Q: I am an experienced, technically-sound dental hygienist, so why do I have so many periodontitis clients that still have active disease on a three-month maintenance interval? Their plaque control is excellent, there is no detectable subgingival calculus, and I feel I understand endpoint. What am I missing? A: The more experienced you are, the … Read more
Because of the special relationship that exists between a healthcare provider and a patient, dental practices must be dedicated to the well-being of their patients. The duty of healthcare providers obligates the entire dental office team to treat patients with dignity. Unlike the transactional relationships that may exist in non-healthcare retail sectors, clinicians and team … Read more
A few months ago, a patient of mine sat down and proudly informed me she had “swimmer’s mouth.” It was the first time I had ever heard that term, but having only been practicing dental hygiene for 3 years, I assumed it was something I had perhaps missed while in school. Upon further inquiry, I … Read more
Wikipedia defines neurodiversity, neurodivergence, or neurovariance as “Variations in the human brain and cognition, for instance in sociability, learning, attention, mood and other mental functions.”1 The term was first coined in the 1990’s by sociologist Judy Singer and tended to be used when discussing autism spectrum disorder and attention hyperactivity disorder within the self-advocacy movement. … Read more
Q: Our hygiene team gathers for monthly chart audit meetings to align on patient treatment, but we are debating the correct diagnosis of our last case. Perhaps you can help us settle the debate. A: Great to hear you have monthly chart audit meetings. They are a great way to align and learn. So, let’s … Read more
What do you think of when you hear the words “client experience”? The client experience is defined in various ways, but a simple way to think of it is how the client feels. The term client experience is becoming the focus in health care as it has been shown to increase client satisfaction, staff fulfillment … Read more
Today, more than ever, is our chance to shine! I am confident that you have experienced, and probably still are experiencing, sub-service in many different areas. I have visited various places, whether it is a professional place of business, a restaurant, or even a grocery store, where there have been signs at the front entrance … Read more
Since the inaugural presentation in 2009, the Cellerant Best of Class Technology Awards have grown to occupy a unique space in the dental industry by creating awareness of manufacturers that are driving the discussion as to how practices will operate now and in the future. This this is the second year for the Best of … Read more
It’s no surprise to anyone that the dental job market is in a state of flux these days. COVID threw a wrench in everyone’s plans, and the feelings about working and returning to work in dental offices span the entire spectrum. While studies have shown that dental offices are among the safest workplaces due to … Read more
THE CHALLENGE: Bringing together a group of team members representing different educational backgrounds, clinical experiences, patient care philosophies, and work ethics to provide a consistent standard of care. THE SOLUTION: Team alignment! If your practice suffers from conflicting diagnoses, misguided treatment planning, or inconsistent client service, chances are you need alignment. The good news is … Read more
Dental hygienists certainly work diligently each day to create health and prevent disease in our patients. Despite our best efforts, we have staggering current statistics from the CDC; nearly half of all adults aged thirty years or older show signs of gums disease. This begs the question, “Is what we are currently doing actually working?” … Read more
Q: I work in a large practice with many hygienists, and we do not align on the interval timing for a re-evaluation appointment. We seem to be all over the place in our rationale. When should a 2-week, 3-week, 6-week, and/or 3-month re-evaluation appointment occur after nonsurgical periodontal therapy? A: The re-evaluation appointment occurs after … Read more
If your dental fairy godmother popped out of your compressor room tomorrow and granted you three dental hygiene-related wishes, what would they be? New instruments? An air-polishing device? Paid vacation time? Let’s assume the fairy godmother doesn’t exist, but those needs are still very significant to you. What would you do for them? Or would … Read more