Anne O. Rice, RDH, BS
Anne O. Rice, RDH, BS, has been a clinical dental hygienist for over 30 years and received her degree from Wichita State University. Her oral-systemic passion led her to found Oral Systemic Seminars in 2017, in which she now devotes her time, focus, and study primarily to dementia prevention and sleep hygiene.
She completed the Bale Doneen Preceptorship for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention for Healthcare Practitioners. In 2020 Anne became certified as a Longevity Specialist with the Alzheimer’s Research and Dementia Foundation, a Fellow with The American Academy of Oral Systemic Health, and in 2021 published her manuscript Alzheimer’s Disease and Oral-Systemic Health: Bidirectional Care Integration Improving Outcomes. The perspective article was part of a research topic: Integrating Oral and Systemic Health: Innovations in Transdisciplinary Science, Health Care and Policy. Anne is a consultant with Weill Cornell Medical Center’s Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic and is a consultant with Florida Atlantic College of Medicine under the direction of Dr. Richard Isaacson.
Resigning: How to Quit in a Small Dental Practice
We are in a new decade, in case you haven’t heard, which by the way, is debatable as some say the decade begins in 2021. That would be helpful to alleviate all this pressure, wouldn’t it? The voice of reinvention is loud – Be bold! Move on! All this forward-thinking can be the catalyst to begin a new future,...
How Dental Hygienists Can Help Patients with High Blood Pressure
Hypertension affects about half of the population worldwide, and poor oral health appears to worsen blood pressure and impedes hypertension treatment.1 High blood pressure (HBP) and sleep apnea coexist with many of our patients suffering.2,3
Following the standard of care, we take blood pressure on every patient, every visit, but what do we do with that information after we record...
Teatime for a Healthy Smile: The Oral Health Benefits of Green Tea
There must always be humor! Let’s get this par-tea started.
Some may think of pumpkin spice and football as we look forward to fall. Sweatshirts and a warm cup of joe or tea can bring up good memories. But the beauty of both coffee and tea is that you can have them iced, which may have helped us get through...
Glaucoma: Why Dentistry Should Not Overlook this Eye Condition
For as long as I can remember, my dad put drops in his eyes. When I got older, I felt comfortable asking him what they were for, and his answer was glaucoma. I had my vision checked this summer and asked for a test to see if I was headed down the same path, and I realized I had...
Mastic Gum: Oral Health Benefits Deserve Consideration by Dental Professionals
Do you recommend to your patients to chew gum? Not the sugary kind like Juicy Fruit, but say gum with xylitol. Xylitol gum is wonderful at preventing decay, and some practices even supply it in their offices.1,2
When doing the research, I found an animal study as far back as 1978 showing xylitol increasing bone density. Xylitol has also...
The Power of Water: Brain Fuel for the Dental Hygienist
How many of us would revolt if, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we were told that we could not have coffee? At times, I have felt I could not function without my java. Through the years, I have investigated coffee’s benefits to cognitive health, and some research shows that moderate coffee intake may promote a healthy brain.1
Additionally, research shows it...
5 Snack Ideas for a Busy Day in the Dental Practice
Imagine that it is about 3 pm, and you have just finished a tough SRP. You walk your patient to the front, and she seamlessly gets checked out. You then have a quick chat with your coworker about her upcoming nuptials. After returning to your operatory and breaking it down and setting up, you realize that you need a...
How Foliage Benefits Hygienists’ Health and Well-Being
I am very fortunate to live in an area where the climate seldom restricts me from outdoor activities. While the summer temperature in Houston can be sweltering and humid, I never have to face a freezing winter and imagine an icicle forming on my nose. My other great fortune in terms of locale is that I live next to...
A Sales Career: How Dental Hygienists Should Evaluate Possible Career Option
So many dental hygienists aspire to leave the operatory. The why doesn’t matter. It is just their time to transition out of clinical care. As it happens, the road isn’t necessarily quick and easy, and you do need to do a little planning.
I decided to interview my good friend Maria Smith who has done just that. She moved very...
Breaking Out of Jail and Other Unique Uses of Dental Floss
While I completely understand our developing knowledge about biofilm management, interproximal cleaning, and the enhancement of using water flossers, interdental brushes, and such, perhaps banning floss for particular populations is a bit premature. When prohibiting floss, be prepared because lawsuits may follow, specifically in correctional facilities. Some folks feel it's their civil right to be able to use the...
The Oral Health Connection to Chronic Kidney Disease
I took a selfie after my kidney removal surgery. Hashtag no filter. Okay, okay, no more dad jokes, I promise. Our kidneys are hard workers and should not be made fun of. The two bean-shaped organs located just below our ribcage are incredible. They not only filter toxins and waste from the blood, but they also assist in making...
Natal Teeth: Brushing Up on Newborns with Teeth
Leave it to a TikTok member to share with the masses (2.7 million views) that babies can be born with teeth. The photo of the baby shook up many folks, but I would assume that was the point. When a baby is born with teeth, they are called natal teeth. Other terms we may have learned in school were...
‘Tis the Season: Mistletoe Offers a Rich History as Medicine
Mistletoe has been hanging in archways around the Christmas season for centuries. When I was a child in my hometown in Oklahoma, we would look high up in trees to spot a bunch, try to knock it down, and drag it home like it was a trophy (The mistletoe is the official floral emblem for the state).
If you got...
The Health Benefits of Hibiscus Tea Dental Professionals Should Know
My niece has worked at a well-known coffee shop for a long time. I remember that I would pick up my son from school and stop by her store for a visit. It would be after 2:00 pm and I wanted to grab a drink, but I couldn’t drink caffeine that late in my day.
She recommended I try an...
Finding Acceptance In and Out of the Dental Operatory
I recently thoroughly enjoyed an in-person, two-day course in the dental world ‒ no other word to describe it, but marvelous. I called my husband after the first day and said I hadn't felt this jazzed in a long while. When I went to the course, I was coming back from one of the most difficult events of my...
The Vampire Hormone: What Dental Hygienists Need to Know
Don’t think this is another informative essay telling us women that our hormones will suck the life out of us. I’m speaking of melatonin. Melatonin has the nickname of vampire hormone because its production begins when it starts getting dark and shies away from the light.
Anyone who knows me observes that anything related to sleep always makes me all...
Is License Portability Coming with the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact?
The inbox gets hit with a ton of opportunities for continuing education, new research studies, and the who’s who of the dental industry. A last-minute email came in recently for an event that piqued my interest. It was a webinar of sorts, calling itself a review meeting concerning something called a compact. The way I read it, this could...
Let’s Not Sugarcoat It: Viewing Sweeteners from a Dental Perspective
The industrialized world loves its sugar, and no one disputes that. The usual suspects are cupcakes, candy, etc., but processed foods such as granola bars and canned goods have their fill of sugar. Sugar isn't big news for the dental community; it promotes inflammation, weight gain, accelerated aging, and pesky dental decay. There is also an association between high...
Sickle Cell Disease: How Dental Treatment of Patients is Influenced
The American Society of Hematology's publication, Blood Advances, covers hematology and related sciences, including lymphomas, leukemias, hemophilia, and a host of anemias. Unless you struggled with a hematology issue or were a researcher, the journal doesn't trend on Yahoo or Google.
I did find a study that somehow traveled into my inbox from the journal that piqued my interest. Patients...
How to Prepare for Violence Occurring in the Dental Office
A few things will make us become paralyzed with shock and horror during our lives. One is the senseless loss of human life due to the work of a deranged killer, and such events stupefy us even more when the victims are children. Another school shooting has occurred in Texas, and I believe it is affecting many of us...