Search
My Cart: 0 item(s)

It appears that your cart is currently empty

  • Home
  • TePe Blog Posts

Knowledge Impacts the Quality of Cleaning

Finding an upper limit of what might be achievable by patients: oral cleanliness in dental professionals after self-performed manual oral hygiene. Deinzer R et al. What can we expect from our patients when it comes to self-performed oral hygiene?
Finding an upper limit of what might be achievable by patients: oral cleanliness in dental professionals after self-performed manual oral hygiene. Deinzer R et al. What can we expect from our patients when it comes to self-performed oral hygiene? To find out what can be considered an upper level, this study assessed the oral cleanliness of dental staff. 127 participants, university dentists, dental students and dental assistants, were included in the study. Prior to performing an oral hygiene procedure, a...

1 comments

Read more

Dental Implant Maintenance

As dental clinicians, how does one choose from among the many options available which dental implant maintenance techniques to use and what evidence-based research to believe? Likewise, which is the best protocol for implant therapy? Michelle Strange, RDH, MSDH, explains how she sorts through the enormous amounts of information. 

By B. Michelle Strange, RDH, MSDH  Originally published in Perio-Implant Advisory As dental clinicians, we have a responsibility to get through each day doing what's right for our patients and practicing the best standard of care we can. While that sounds ideal, we all know that sometimes it's a struggle. We learn these best practices in dentistry in a variety of ways—by reading articles, attending meetings, continuing education courses, and having conversations with colleagues—but how do we choose from the many options; WHO...

0 comments

Read more

5 Routine Things We Do in the Dental Profession That...

As dental professionals, most of the work we do as a matter of routine may be considered insane. For example, we work in a small dark area all day; we are constantly told that patients would rather be other places;  and we are members of one of the most feared professions.
As dental professionals, most of the work we do as a matter of routine may be considered insane. For example, we work in a small dark area all day; we are constantly told that patients would rather be other places; and we are members of one of the most feared professions. Nonetheless, Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Can this definition be applicable to dentistry? Let’s take a look at...

0 comments

Read more

You Have a Medical Disease of the Mouth

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.
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...

0 comments

Read more

Patient-Centered Care

I had a recent discussion with a dentist about building trusting relationships in your practice by ensuring we’re recommending the best for our patients. This means offering the best care, using the best materials, and recommending the best products that are tailored to treat a patient’s unique needs.
            I had a recent discussion with a dentist about building trusting relationships in your practice by ensuring we’re recommending the best for our patients. This means offering the best care, using the best materials, and recommending the best products that are tailored to treat a patient’s unique needs. I then happened to read an article referring to this same concept. Both my discussion and the article similarly concluded that individualized care elevates a patient’s...

0 comments

Read more

British Society of Periodontology Statement on Flossing

August, 2016: PRESS RELEASE: “Daily cleaning between your teeth using special interdental brushes is essential for treating and preventing gum disease."
PRESS RELEASE 2 August 2016 Following articles published today in various national newspapers, the British Society of Periodontology would like to make the following statement with regard to comments made by the Associated Press in the United States about the ineffectiveness of flossing. Evidence supports the use of small interdental brushes for cleaning between the teeth, where there is space to do so, in preference to flossing. The recommendation from the 11th European Workshop on the prevention of gum diseases (2015) to patients is...

0 comments

Read more

Success or Survival?

Dental implants have become a part of everyday dentistry within the U.S. placing upwards of 1 million implants a year. The ability to give patients a viable option for missing teeth is incredible. However, we as clinicians need to make sure that the procedure is going to yield a positive outcome with long-term success.
Dental implants have become a part of everyday dentistry within the U.S. placing upwards of 1 million implants a year.  The ability to give patients a viable option for missing teeth is incredible.  However, we as clinicians need to make sure that the procedure is going to yield a positive outcome with long-term success.  Unfortunately, many dental implants are merely surviving and not considered fully successful.  Oftentimes we read studies that will say something like, “these implants have a survival...

0 comments

Read more

Do we Know Why Patients Don’t Comply?

I was just reading an interesting article about compliance. Lack of compliance is one of the biggest enemies we fight in our profession. How do we get our patients to actually perform our recommendations? First, we need to understand why they don’t always comply.
            I was just reading an interesting article about compliance.  Lack of compliance is one of the biggest enemies we fight in our profession.  How do we get our patients to actually perform our recommendations?  First, we need to understand why they don’t always comply.                 The study outlined in the article, found that half of all patients fail to follow a clinician’s instructions.  This is mainly due to one or a combination of the following reasons:  Fear—Not...

0 comments

Read more

But I'm Too Tired to Clean my Teeth at Night!

As a dental hygienist, I hear this a lot. Brushing before bedtime is crucial because an accumulation of disease causing bacteria won’t be sitting on your teeth all night.
As a dental hygienist, I hear this a lot. Disturbing the bacteria that has accumulated throughout the day that is sitting along the gum line and between your teeth is very important. Brushing before bedtime is crucial because that accumulation of aggressive, disease causing bacteria won’t sit on your teeth and around your gums all night. When we sleep, it is the perfect time for the bacteria to assault our teeth and gums. We are not salivating as much and...

0 comments

Read more

Access Health: Our Teeth and Bones

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.
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...

0 comments

Read more

The Tongue Test

The tongue may be difficult to work around for a hygienist, but it can be a great asset to help patients improve their brushing skills.
Oh the tongue! The nemesis to all dental hygienists. I have spent most of my clinical career battling the most curious, and in my opinion, strongest muscle in the body. Patients are not even aware that their tongue is trying to push me away or trying to feel where my instrument is. The tongue may be difficult to work around but it can be a great asset to help patients improve their brushing skills.  I know that I am a...

1 comments

Read more

National Children’s Dental Health Month: Waging the ...

Kids love sugar and sugar is found in almost everything we consume. Help wage the war on sugar this National Children's Dental Health Month!
Kids love sweets, there is no doubt about that. Unfortunately, they're full of sugar which - in high quantities - can significantly alter a child's physical and emotional wellbeing. Sugar is found in almost everything we consume, from the obvious sweet foods like chocolate and cakes to processed foods and microwaveable dinners. February is National Children’s Dental Health Month and this year the dental community is waging its war on sugar. We are learning more and more about the harmful...

0 comments

Read more