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Aug 13, 2024 | 
rdhmag.com | Olivia Bodunde
Many hygienists are excited about new research and products, and they want to update the standard of care in their dental offices. Unfortunately, some hygienists become frustrated when their dentist isn’t on board with the changes they’d like to make. Here I’ll share a roadmap for how to professionally and successfully advocate for change.
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Mar 28, 2024 | 
rdhmag.com | Olivia Bodunde |Anne Rice |Barbara K. Tritz
If your career can use a little boost, or even a big change, RDH Evolution is the place to start. This intimate conference that precedes RDH Under One Roof on July 15-17 brings dental hygienists together in an open-minded atmosphere. Ask questions. Speak your mind. Be vulnerable. RDH Evolution encourages interaction throughout the entire conference. Now in its fourth year, it's helped launch careers in new directions, and has enlivened the careers of those who were simply looking for a refresh.
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Nov 28, 2023 | 
rdhmag.com | Bethany Montoya |Olivia Bodunde |Anne Rice |Rafael Rondon
The dental hygiene profession plays a pivotal role in safeguarding oral health and preventing dental diseases. To maximize the value of our services, we need to focus on fundamental principles and implement effective strategies for assessments, diagnosis, and treatment. By placing emphasis on accurate evaluation of caries risk and periodontal assessments, dental hygienists can ensure precise diagnoses and treatment plans supported by relevant procedure codes.
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Nov 28, 2023 | 
rdhmag.com | Amelia Williamson DeStefano |Rafael Rondon |Bethany Montoya |Olivia Bodunde
The staffing shortage in dentistry that began in 2022 is still troubling practices around the United States. The factors that lead to the shortage, such as declining enrollment in dental hygiene programs, began building before the coronavirus pandemic. But the pandemic brought many big changes in the labor market and the dental industry that caused even more hygienists to leave the industry or change jobs. Many left due to childcare challenges or concerns about exposure to the virus.
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Nov 27, 2023 | 
rdhmag.com | Bethany Montoya |Olivia Bodunde |Anne Rice |Theresa McCarter
We’ve all run behind and seriously considered putting off periodontal charting for a patient until their next visit. And we all know the importance of charting periodontal pockets, bleeding points, mobility, and recession, but this can become time-consuming when we don’t have an assistant. I heard about a dental visit where periodontal charting saved someone’s life because the diligent hygienist did not skip it and noticed a significant change in the patient’s bleeding on probing (BOP).
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Nov 27, 2023 | 
rdhmag.com | Tom Viola |Bethany Montoya |Olivia Bodunde |Anne Rice
If you have heard me present continuing education seminars and webinars, you know that I always stress the importance of the dental hygienist’s role in obtaining a complete and accurate patient medical history. While patients may sometimes be the worst reporters of their own medical history, a dental hygienist can obtain information crucial for patient management and treatment planning by simply asking these three questions:What do you take? Why do you take it? Did you take it today?
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Nov 27, 2023 | 
rdhmag.com | Brooke Crouch |Bethany Montoya |Olivia Bodunde |Anne Rice
When it comes to public health programs, we often think of the ones that target school-aged children. However, the unmet dental needs of older adults in the United States are something we cannot ignore. This vulnerable population desperately needs our help and attention. In this article, I’ll present their needs and how we can address them.
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Nov 27, 2023 | 
rdhmag.com | Kathy Forbes |Connie Simmons |Bethany Montoya |Olivia Bodunde
What is the difference between the caries arrest code (D1354) and the caries prevention code (D1355)? Which products are best used for what? As dental hygienists, we are the experts at providing both preventive and therapeutic procedures, so these two procedure codes fall perfectly into our wheelhouse. We are responsible for the treatment and prevention of all oral diseases, including caries.
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Nov 27, 2023 | 
rdhmag.com | Amy Lemons |Bethany Montoya |Olivia Bodunde |Anne Rice
Dental clinicians know that using ultrasonic instrumentation saves time and reduces clinician muscle fatigue. But if you’re looking for a new ultrasonic scaler, temping, or working in multiple offices, it helps to know the difference between magnetostrictive and piezoelectric ultrasonic scalers. The question of which one is better is still up for debate, and the research is conflicting.
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Nov 27, 2023 | 
rdhmag.com | Bethany Montoya |Olivia Bodunde |Anne Rice
Who’s heard this from a patient? “I have an in-person meeting after this appointment, and I don’t want them to see that I’m numb in this upper area. Is there anything you can do?” No patient wants to reveal that they’ve just had dental work done. From topicals and numbing reversals to alternative injections, we have options for these patients. One alternative injection is the anterior middle superior alveolar (AMSA) injection.
