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
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
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
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
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
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
The use of fluoride is normally an easy topic to agree upon for evidence-based dental professionals. However, in the past year, I’ve stumbled upon an aspect of fluoride usage that seems to be rather debated between dental professionals. The issue that leads to a difference of opinions is the age that a child should begin … Read more
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 … Read more
The Support Network for Indigenous Women and Women of Colour (SNIWWOC), in collaboration with Khalsa Aid Canada and Wheely Clean, is breaking down financial barriers to oral healthcare. Always focussed on holistic healthcare program delivery for racialized women, SNIWWOC strives to meet the needs of their community in many ways, from free mental health counseling, … Read more
Knowing what I know now, if I could travel back in time and talk to my former professional self—oh, the things I would tell her. With 16 years of experience as an RDH, it’s now been 5 years since I made the decision to become an independent dental hygienist and open my own stand-alone, storefront … Read more
The conditions created for the healthcare industry in 2020 have created substantial pressures for professionals within the industry—dental hygienists and other dental professionals included. A 2021 journal published in the BMC Journal of Systematic Reviews found that, globally, there is huge scope for dental hygienists feeling extra pressure—socially, professionally and ethically. The pressures put on hygienists are greater … Read more
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 … Read more
Cellerant Consulting Group is excited to announce the launch of the inaugural Cellerant Best of Class Hygiene Award Program. “Since 2009, the Cellerant Best of Class Technology Awards have identified and acknowledged the top technologies in dentistry,” said Melissa Turner, Chief Hygiene Officer at Cellerant. “We will now expand the program to focus on the … Read more
From an impressive field of 778 deserving nominees from across Canada, the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) is thrilled to reveal the winner of its fourth annual Dental Hygiene Superhero Competition. This remarkable field of nominees was narrowed to 21 finalists and evaluated by a panel of judges who selected Natasha Kellett of Masset, British … Read more
Dental hygienist Jeannette Diaz’s patients sometimes cry. Lately, she’s been crying with them. It’s not just because so many people refrained from getting dental work during much of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving her to scrape off more than a year’s worth of tartar and plaque. It’s not just because the labor of cleaning teeth can … Read more
A dental hygienist has been doing treatments in gardens amid a backlog of demand for her services due to the coronavirus pandemic. Fiona Perry, 56, from Comrie Perthshire, has been cycling between clients homes with her equipment on a cargo bike. She started the initiative, called Flying Smiles, in March 2020, but was hampered by … Read more
So that’s it! Board exams are done and passed, the stress of studying endlessly for weeks at a time is behind you, and you can finally celebrate the joys of being an educated professional. Any new career can cause a mix of emotions, as you are closing one door and boldly stepping into another; you … Read more
Temporary dental hygienists are rapidly growing in popularity. Not only are dental offices needing more for those at home in quarantine, but a variety of hygienists are also finding the flexibility of temporary jobs appealing. These temps include dental hygienists who recently graduated and wish to try out different dental offices before committing, as well … Read more
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. Please feel free to send in your questions! Q: Do you stage and grade a patient with a reduced periodontium due to non-periodontitis causes? A: … Read more
As the focus shifts from oral health month (April) to a new membership year and a first-ever virtual conference, the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) continues to foster meaningful partnerships with dental industry. CDHA recognizes how important these partnerships are to the success of its mission: advancing the dental hygiene profession and promoting the importance … Read more