What Best-of-Class Trends to Look for in 2023 for Dental Hygiene

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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

Time for a Change? Exploring Orthodontics as a Dental Hygienist

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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

Level Up Your Clients

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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

Two Common Muscle Imbalances That Can Be Seen in Dental Professionals

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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

The Rights and Responsibilities of Dental Patients

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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

Frequent Swimmer? Your Oral Health May be Grimmer

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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

Simple Strategies for Accommodating Neurodiverse Children in the Dental Setting

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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

Improving the Client Experience

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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

8 Simple Secrets to Being Indispensable in the Dental Practice

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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

Job Market Update: You’re in High Demand, Now What?

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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

Are You Aligned? Here’s How You Can Get Every Member of Your Practice Team Working from the Same Playbook!

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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

How to Make the Most Out of Your Dental Hygiene Appointment with Technology!

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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

Stop Using the “F” Word.

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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