Modern Hygienist

A trip to the dentist can be a stressful experience for many people – but to some children on the autism spectrum, it can be beyond frightening. With more and more children being diagnosed as on the spectrum, it’s more important than ever for dentists to have strategies in place for dealing with autistic patients who are overwhelmed by the experience.

A mentor once gave me some advice for a successful practice: “As a dentist, it is all in the diagnosis.” From that time on, I have strived to adopt technology that is integral to diagnosis, especially concerning imaging. The use of technology has changed the way I communicate diagnostic findings with patients. In fact, it’s instrumental in meeting one of my most important goals, creating patient trust and loyalty.  

As part of last month's look at the caries detection category, DPR asked DEXIS to show us how their new device - the CariVu - sets itself apart.  

In our previous article, we introduced the idea of the Modern Millennial Hygienist (MMH). MMH challenges our brains to use higher level revolutionary thinking. Growth and change can warp-speed return on investment (ROI) and profitability for the practice AND the hygienist. This issue, we will look at how a MMH uses the opportunities downtime provides.

The Pride Institute's "Best of Class" Technology Awards represent an initiative to promote innovation in new and existing dental technology companies, providing a means through which the organization can educate those in the dental profession to use technology more effectively. 

We asked our friends at HygienistPrep to tell us some tips to share with dental hygiene students who are preparing to take the NBDHE and move further down the path toward becoming a full-time dental hygienist. Here are the 5 things they believe every dental hygiene student should know before taking the NBDHE.

A recent study has found that a very unpopular weed that ravages gardens and crop fields around the world may not have always been a nuisance: it may have actually protected prehistoric humans from tooth decay.  

Brasseler USA’s new ultrasonic scaler inserts for its HygienePro family of products are ergonomically designed to reduce user fatigue while increasing patient comfort.

While we were at the California Dental Association's fall meeting in San Francisco, we got a look at the Forza V3 Piezo Ultrasonic System from Brasseler USA.

HygienistPrep™ released its NBDHE prep program to the public in mid-2013 and, after a year in business, is pleased to announce a 100% reported pass rate among subscribers.

In her 30 years as a dental hygienist, Elizabeth Martens has heard plenty of times why people won’t floss … they simply can’t get their hands and the floss inside their mouth.

Perio-Therapeutics & Beyond is a unique dental hygiene consulting firm created in 2003 by Colleen Rutledge, RDH. The firm provides over-the-shoulder, in-office training for various non-surgical periodontal therapies.

Supersmile’s Dr. Irwin Smigel, known as the “Father of Aesthetic Dentistry,” wanted to set new standards of beauty and performance for the dental industry.

It’s often the first sign to a dental patient that something might be wrong in his or her mouth … bleeding gums. They may not know the term “periodontal disease,” but your patients certainly know about bleeding gums.

For Julie Johnston, RDH, the AirFloss from Philips Sonicare has become a mainstay in her downtown Denver practice. When asked why, Johnston is quick to answer.

DentalPost, an online dental job board, helps dental professionals and dental offices to fulfill their employment needs. Their mission is to maintain the most active and extensive resume database the dental industry has ever seen.

For Anastasia Turchetta, RDH, everything in the dental practice begins with the patient's health history form. That includes the possibility of the dental practice being the place where a patient can finally rid themselves of migraine headaches.

One of the most common business headaches for a dental practice is staff turnover.

To learn more about how DEXIS is changing the caries detection landscape with CariVu, DPR sat down with DEXIS Product Manager Adam Palermo to learn more about the innovative device.

There’s no question that technology plays a big role every day for today’s dental hygienist … but are there pieces of technology that hygienists could add to their arsenal or use more effectively in the battle against oral disease?

I recently did a podcast with Dayna Johnson, a practice management consultant and dental software implementation and training expert with Rae Dental Management. In the podcast, we discussed best practices and how to succeed with a dental software implementation.

Do you believe that the lips are part of what dental professionals should be checking when their dental patients come into the practice?

Untapped Power in 5½ Minutes If your patient is experiencing their dental hygiene care as a prophy, a brush and floss lecture and quick dentist check at the end, then you are NOT getting the most out of the most powerful 5 ½ minutes in your hygiene appointment.

While pet owners hold concern for their four-legged friend’s oral health, many do not have the time or forget to brush their dog’s teeth.

As part of DPR's June coverage of caries detection devices in our print publication, Products Editor Michael Quirk caught up with Dr. Richard Nagelberg, DDS, a family dentist who practices out of Plymouth Meeting, Penn. to learn why he relies on the Canary System to help ensure the health of his patients.

 “Immune Response” can easily be defined as the immune system attacking microorganisms that cause disease in our bodies.

According to the National Cancer Institute, it is projected that approximately 1,665,540 people in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer in 2014, and of these cases, 42,440 people will be affected by oral cancer.

For Karey Kershner, RDH, BS, the true testament of how well NUPRO® extra care prophy paste from DENTSPLY Professional worked came in the form of a compliment from a patient.

Caries Management by Risk Assessment (CAMBRA) has been something of interest to me for a few years. Last February, I decided to take the leap and give it a try in my office.

PeriRx LLC, a company developing non-invasive, oral diagnostic technology, recently released their latest diagnostic finding that will aid in early detection of Sjögren’s Syndrome.