Dental Hygiene
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November 17, 2023
An In-Depth Exploration of Uses, Safety Measures, and Applications of Benzocaine
Benzocaine is a popular topical anesthetic that offers relief from things such as pain, itching, and discomfort in various situations. In this article, we'll delve into what benzocaine is, how to use it, where and how to apply benzocaine topicals, potential side effects, and the clinical applications in a dental office.
What is Benzocaine and How Do You Use It?
Benzocaine is a synthetic compound classified as a topical anesthetic. It works by temporarily numbing the area where it is applied, thanks to its ability to block nerve signals. Benzocaine
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October 13, 2023
Let's talk about it!
When we think about oral health, we often limit our concerns to our teeth and gums. However, emerging research has shed light on the profound impact of periodontal disease, commonly known as gum disease, on our overall well-being. It turns out that this seemingly isolated oral condition is intricately linked to several other diseases and conditions throughout the body.
Understanding Periodontal Disease...
Before we dive into the connections, let's briefly explore what periodontal disease is. It's a chronic inflammatory condition of the gums and supporting structures of the teeth, typically caused by the accumulation of plaque and bacteria.
In its early stages, it might manifest as gingivitis, which is characterized by redness, swelling, and
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August 22, 2023Fluoride is an element found naturally in air, soil, and water. Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic diseases among children, especially those living below the federal poverty level. This disease can contribute to days of pain, interrupted school days, difficulty eating, concentrating, and lack of self-esteem. Tooth decay is preventable, and fluoridated water supply, fluoride-containing home care products, and professionally applied fluoride treatments can potentially prevent this chronic oral disease.
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August 10, 2023
Introduction
Aphthous ulcers, also known as canker sores, are a type of mouth ulcer many experience at some point in their lives. While they may seem harmless, these ulcers can cause significant pain and discomfort, making chewing, speech, and oral home care difficult. Despite their common occurrence, the exact cause of aphthous ulcers remains a mystery, and there is no known cure. This blog will delve into the unseen pain of aphthous ulcers, exploring their symptoms, potential causes, and available treatments. Understanding this condition can help provide much-needed relief and support for our patients.
What is an aphthous ulcer?
Oral aphthosis is a painful and recurring inflammatory process of the oral mucosa producing ulcers affecting 20-25% of the population worldwide.
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March 05, 2023A dental office reprocessing area must be organized in a one-way workflow to prevent cross-contamination. The one-way workflow is composed of stations that are linked in functionality to one another to finally achieve the end point of reprocessing; sterilization. Each station can only perform the duties of THAT station and can only host the contents of THAT station’s tasks. In ‘common practice’ vs ‘best practice’ reprocessing rooms ...
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March 05, 2023Our previous blog post discussed the Canadian dental labour shortage and identified some rationales as to why there is a labour shortage in dentistry. In the first post, we identified that Dentistry requires a high level of performance expectations from those working in the industry.
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February 24, 2023
For years, dentistry has had an oversaturation of dental professionals. There hasn’t been a dental labour shortage before now. Instead, job postings were few and far between and most jobs surfaced through word of mouth and were immediately filled. Currently, Canada is experiencing a significant labour shortage in dentistry. Dental professionals, where are you?
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August 26, 2022
Fluoride continues to be our number one defence in the prevention and progression of dental caries. For those patients who adamantly refuse to use fluoride in any form, we must be knowledgeable in guiding them to alternative methods to increase their resistance to and prevention of caries. Prevention of dental caries involves many aspects. Primary prevention involves the etiology of ...
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June 30, 2022Finding instruments affected by an IPAC lapse requires a system that leaves no room for error. That translates to either missing notifying clients involved in the lapse and/or notifying by error clients not involved in the lapse. Both are HUGE risks that no office wants. Can this risk be mitigated? Good news, yes, and the answer is digital logging with barcodes that ensure accuracy with a system computer engineered with prompting screens loaded with the actual IPAC standards.
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May 30, 2022The AAP has graciously opened the door to start the tobacco cessation conversation during the A and D of ADPIE when staging and grading the client’s periodontal health. Your action plan revolves around five success measures that are simple to integrate, impactful to client care and all within the scope of practice of the dental professional. Here is how dental offices can start the tobacco cessation conversation ....
