Professional athletes place as much importance on their rest and recovery as on their performance strategy. Why? Because the time we spend recharging directly impacts our ability to perform and thrive both personally and professionally, as well as cope with stress. With life’s daily demands, it is essential to manage our personal well-being so we … Read more
Oral health practitioners experience a significant amount of occupational stress from the time they start studying towards their chosen qualifications. This stress, which is believed to affect nearly 50% of the overall Canadian workforce according to the Microsoft Work Trend Index, can have a severe impact on everything from the personal health to the professional performance of … Read more
The use of heartburn medication is associated with decreased severity of gum disease, according to a recent University at Buffalo study. The research found that patients who used proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) – a class of drugs commonly prescribed to treat heartburn, acid reflux and ulcers – were more likely to have smaller probing depths … Read more
Providing patients with proper oral hygiene instruction is recognized as an important part of dental hygiene appointments – but should we also be encouraging patients to exercise for oral health benefits? The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines recommend adults accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity each week.1 You have likely heard … Read more
Other than looking a little more youthful or sporty in your Facebook or Instagram profile picture, why else ought we get a little fitter? There are many reasons to get fit, live fit and stay fit. We wanted to focus on why versus how. You see most of us do hours of online reading and … Read more
Dentists have always needed to take care of their posture. Many dental procedures and surgeries involve some element where craning the neck, twisting the body, and taking unnatural posture can be encouraged. However, with a new Boston University analysis highlighting the face of modern dentistry changing to incorporate digital checkups and robot repairs, the threats that … 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 Food and Drug Administration on Aug. 23 granted full approval for the first vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19. The vaccine, previously referred to as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, will be marketed as Comirnaty, “for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older,” according to an FDA news release. The … 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
Tech neck, a layman’s term for the onset of muscular pain and disorders stemming from modern smart device and computer usage, is a big problem for dental professionals. An important study published by the Journal of Education and Health Promotion found that 69 percent of dental students suffered from significant pain, with clinicians in endodontics and pedodontics particularly … Read more
According to the World Health Organization’s March 25th, 2020, report on oral health, dental caries remains the number one dental issue globally to this day. While we are seeing a decrease in dental caries in both fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities in Canada, there is still much work to be done. Dental decay occurs when the … Read more
University of Otago, New Zealand, and UK researchers have developed a world-first weight-loss device to help fight the global obesity epidemic. DentalSlim Diet Control is an intra-oral device fitted by a dental professional to the upper and lower back teeth. It uses magnetic devices with unique custom-manufactured locking bolts. It allows the wearer to open … Read more
The road to becoming a dentist is not an easy one. Aside from mastering the science and art of caring for patients’ dental and oral health, dental students must make sure they possess and further develop the manual dexterity required of those in the profession. Without a doubt, a dentist’s hands are their most important … Read more
Individuals with diabetes are at greater risk of developing oral health issues, like gum disease, yet care for these linked health issues are usually disconnected, split between primary care and dental care. A research team from the University of Amsterdam developed an intervention that provided primary care-based oral health information and dental referrals for patients … Read more
I was so mad, I couldn’t see straight. He was blinded by love. I have thought about where these phrases came from after enjoying a wonderful article titled Tame Reactive Emotions By Naming Them by Mitch Abblett. I do a lot of reading about how our brains work with respect to dealing with our emotions … Read more
The last year has been chaotic for a myriad of reasons, and there can’t be many people around who haven’t suffered as a result. The most common damage, of course, is psychological. People have lost loved ones, been left in professional limbo or outright unemployed, and had to remain stuck at home for long stretches … Read more
2020 brought tremendous change, hardship, and loss for a great many of us. We were catapulted out of our comfort zones as we had to adjust to the new normal. With a new year around the corner, we have a unique opportunity to recognize how unprepared we may have been to handle an abrupt change … Read more
What is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)? When young women experience infrequent or irregular menstrual cycles, it is quite common for them to receive a diagnosis of PCOS from their physician. PCOS affects 4-21% of reproductive age women and is the leading cause of anovulatory infertility.1,2 The most commonly used diagnostic criteria states that women with … Read more
Floss. Brush. Rinse. These simple instructions for healthy teeth seem easy enough. So why is it that only 4% of Canadians follow this dentist-recommended regimen? In a survey1 run by Crest and Oral B, most people cited fatigue and lack of time as their reasons for skipping out on oral care. But of course, dentists … Read more
Quebec’s Health Ministry is asking health professionals, including psychologists, social workers and dental hygienists, if they are willing to administer vaccines, as the current labour shortage has the province concerned about keeping up with demand. The government says it is trying to expand its pool of workers not only for the flu shot this season, but … Read more