Dental Hygiene
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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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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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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 ....
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May 20, 2022
Knowing more information about choosing the right protective gown hopefully solves any dilemma about selection and usage. The required dental PPE lineup is full and highly influenced by the task. Remember to ‘pick the mask for the task’ and ‘go to town with the right gown!'
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April 14, 2022
Managing dental fear in children can be challenging. In my about 30 years working in dentistry, I have picked up some tips to help alleviate dental fear in pediatric clients. Yes, there is a business management side to a dental office, but we cannot be so wrapped up with the tight schedules that we lose sight of the importance and value in the role we play as dental professionals to make dental visits fantastic for every child.
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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.
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February 18, 2022
As a consumer standing in front of a well orchestrated display of oral care products, one word comes to mind; overwhelming! Added into the already overwhelming list of products is an entire line up of natural oral health care products. Marketing is aimed to have every product promise to deliver something wonderful. That may be the case, however, is that ‘something’ wonderful suited for your clients' needs? Is what your client is putting in their mouth good for them? Even if they are natural products?
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February 15, 2022
There is a current and robust trend to embrace all-natural products from what we eat, what we put in and, on our bodies, and lately, what we use for oral hygiene home care. We, as consumers, assume that natural products are better for our health and the environment. The vast array of dental products on store shelves along with internet and television advertisements flood our patients with the latest and greatest products....