Katrina M. Sanders

May 7, 2024 | rdhmag.com | Bethany Montoya |Brooke Crouch |Katrina M. Sanders |Melissa Calhoun

It’s no secret that millions of people suffer from dry mouth. Many oral health-care providers would say that they encounter patients with signs of xerostomia on a near-daily basis.

May 2, 2024 | rdhmag.com | Kirsten Brancheau |Katrina M. Sanders |Kathy Forbes |Michele White

Kate Machado, MEd, BS, RDH, FADHA: Educator and lifelong learnerWhen asked what she enjoys about clinical hygiene, Kate Machado goes right to the basics: “I love using my favorite instruments and getting that black subgingival calculus removed in a difficult area.” She also enjoys patient education and product recommendations. “When a patient finally gets that ‘light-bulb’ moment and praises my hard work, it truly makes me feel good, especially on a hard day.” Kate is also an educator.

Apr 30, 2024 | rdhmag.com | Katrina M. Sanders |Amanda Hale |Susie Keepper |Kirsten Brancheau

In dental hygiene school, I learned how to articulate my instruments into anatomical findings, and I worked tirelessly to leave behind a “glass-smooth” root surface. Sound familiar? If you’re anything like me, you were taught that the critical success of our work is rooted (pun intended) in our ability to root plane everything from granulated deposit to necrotic cementum.

Apr 30, 2024 | rdhmag.com | Andreina Sucre |Katrina M. Sanders |Amanda Hale

Dental hygienists are frontline guardians of oral health, positioned to identify subtle changes that could point to larger health issues, including oral cancer. During Oral Cancer Awareness Month, let's emphasize our diagnostic abilities and crucial role in providing compassionate support to patients facing life-altering diagnoses. This requires a combination of clinical expertise, deep empathy, and a commitment to understanding a patient’s emotional journey.

Aug 14, 2023 | rdhmag.com | Karen Roter Davis |Kirsten Brancheau |Katrina M. Sanders |Olivia Bodunde

Editor's note: Originally published July 2017. Clinically updated August 14, 2023The first time I heard the word “abfraction” was in the dental practice where I currently work, and it was about 30 years ago. My boss, Dr. Tom McDougal, mentored me in the “art and science” of identifying these interesting lesions in which the cervical portion of the tooth literally disappears.