Maryanne Ferree, RDH, BS, PHDHP
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December 08, 2022Antibiotic resistance is a global issue that requires the attention of all countries, governments, and health agencies.
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September 30, 2022Although we need more studies to assess the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and long-term use of teledentistry, the observed strengths, and upcoming opportunities indicate that teledentistry may fill a significant gap in oral health care delivery. But we also need to consider essential aspects of teledentistry when providing this service.
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September 21, 2022The workplace has been evolving over the past few years, and the dental office is no exception. Making sure that employers and employees are on the same page can circumvent a toxic work environment potentially leading to passive-aggressive behaviour such as quiet firing or quitting.
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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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August 22, 2022Fluoride 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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July 28, 2022Dentistry needs the use of ultrasonic scalers, air polishers, and dental handpieces to perform our treatments properly. Professional health and safety recommendations are regularly developing, and we must continue to seek the most evidence-based information for proper infection prevention against the many forms of disease transmission challenging us today. The most significant reduction in aerosol production at the site of formation is by the proper use of a ...
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June 24, 2022The transfer of these microorganisms must occur in a sequence; this sequence is what epidemiologists call the chain of infection. This chain of infection transmission can be broken by integrating controls or methods that mitigate the pathway of disease spread from person to person. This sequence must be in order for the disease to occur. The way to stop disease transmission is to interrupt this chain at any link. Knowledge of the exit and entry portals and transmission modes provides a basis for determining appropriate control measures.....
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June 17, 2022It's easy for us to open the box of gloves, put them on, do our job, and take them off without giving them a second thought? But when we think about it, are we making infection control mistakes with the gloves we use many times during the day?
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May 05, 2022As oral health professionals, it's our responsibility to keep dental clinical contact surfaces clean and disinfected. At the same time, oral health professionals have a substantial investment in dental office equipment that they don't want to destroy with harsh chemicals. This is why it's important to look for cleaning and disinfecting products that meet or exceed IPAC standards and are also gentle enough to use on equipment. You can definitely have the best of both...
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March 29, 2022For dental offices that want to be water conscious, it can be hard to find the balance between following IPAC best practices and using less water. There are several things that dental offices can do to be more water conscious. Water conservation isn’t about being stingy or sacrificing patient safety. Water sustainability in dentistry is about finding an efficient way to use and reuse a limited and valuable resource and everyone can do their part.