I like to joke with my patients by saying, “I don’t know if you know this, but your mouth is actually connected to your body”. Because dentistry and medicine don’t always cross paths, we can forget that what happens in the body can manifest signs and symptoms in the mouth. Conversely, inflammation in the mouth can exacerbate systemic disease. The dental hygiene profession has based its existence on prevention and education of disease. I feel, at times, we have lost...

Being a dental hygienist doesn’t typically get you a behind the scenes look at the world of television. Yet, I was lucky enough to get invited to Access Health as a dental correspondent. This show airs on the Lifetime Network and explores cutting-edge developments and innovations in medicine, nutrition, and fitness. During my segment with Access Health, I was honored to interview Dr. Jeb Jacobson from Renaissance Dental and the “grannies” who created Ice Chips Candy.  These two interviews provided a...