Brooke Sergent, RDH, BS
Brooke Sergent, RDH, BS, obtained an Associate of Science degree from Southeast Community College in Whitesburg, KY, in 2002. While obtaining this degree, she took an elective course that allowed her to job shadow her mentor, a Registered Dental Hygienist at a local dental office. It was here her passion was confirmed for dental hygiene. In 2004, she graduated cum laude from Big Sandy Community and Technical College Dental Hygiene program in Prestonsburg, KY. Brooke was also the recipient of the 2004 Colgate S.T.A.R. award.
Immediately following graduation and obtaining licensure, Brooke began her clinical dental hygiene career. In 2005, she moved to East Tennessee and earned her Bachelor of Science from Tennessee Tech University based in Cookeville, TN. After years of clinical hygiene, Brooke felt the need to connect in other ways to those in her profession. She became a Colgate Oral Health Advisor and served on the Colgate Oral Health Advisor Board in Piscataway, NJ, in 2013. In 2014, she organized a Colgate Bright Smiles Bright Future Event for her local elementary school.
Brooke is approaching her 14th year of dental hygiene. She resides in Telford, TN, with her husband and twin sons.
An Overview of Dental Hygiene Guidelines for Treating Patients with Cardiovascular Disease
Heart disease is on the rise, and it is no secret that it's the leading cause of death in men and women across all racial aspects in the United States. Sadly, every 34 seconds, someone dies of cardiovascular disease.1 Due to the commonality of this disease, dental hygienists will frequently see patients afflicted with heart disease in our dental...
Artificial Tooth Enamel: New Synthetic Material Could Impact Dental Care
The human tooth is no stranger to abuse. The human dentition has been taking a beating for years from everyday use and not-so-dental-friendly habits such as opening bottles. With the human bite force exerting 162 pounds of pressure per square inch (PSI), our teeth undergo extreme conditions that we, the owners, put them through. Due to stress levels on...
Oil Pulling: Is It Worth the Effort?
Just when I think a popular dental trend has phased out, it gets rehashed, and I find it on a particular social media platform daily. Oil pulling has always been a trend that I find senseless and unnecessary. Yet, thousands of people continue to practice and promote this oral hygiene regimen.
Oil pulling dates back 3,000 to 5,000 years ago...
De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis: The Painful Part of Practicing Clinical Dental Hygiene
While browsing social media, I recently stumbled upon a post on a dental hygiene page of an individual complaining about pain within the lateral aspect of her thumb. This particular post drew my attention since I have pain in the same area. Curious about other hygienists’ advice and responses, I scoured the comment section to find that many gave...
Suicide in Dentistry: Revealing the Facts
Can we take a moment and address the pink elephant in the room? How often do you hear dentists have a high suicide rate? Maybe you have personally worked for a dentist that took lost their life to suicide. Maybe you or someone you know wants to go to dental school, but the mere fact that looms over the...
A Dental Hygienists’ Overview of Nano vs. Micro Hydroxyapatite
With the increased controversy of fluoride obscuring large amounts of patients’ opinions, it is imperative that dental hygiene professionals are educated on fluoride alternatives so they may guide their patients accordingly. While there are several options for those wishing to remain fluoride-free, I find the hydroxyapatite (HAP) studies compelling and superior to other alternatives.
Hydroxyapatite
First, let’s remind ourselves of the...
Oral Probiotics: The Missing Home Care Link to Controlling Oral Bacteria
The routine of proper oral hygiene is widely understood (while not always practiced) by the majority of society. For most, this practice begins with parents upon the eruption of their child's first tooth. Those who have visited a dental office for a routine exam and hygiene care will have been given oral hygiene directives. Those instructions will include the...
A Look at PAP+ as an Alternative to Hydrogen Peroxide-based Teeth Whitening
If you use social media, you are fully aware of the vanity that we pour into our looks. Some of us are so self-conscious that we use photo filters to smooth our skin and give our appearance an airbrushed look. Therefore, when a recent study performed by Mintel/Greenfield Online revealed that 67% of Americans had whitened their teeth, it...
OSHA’s Surprise Visits: Tips for Dental Offices to be Prepared
Prior to the pandemic, during a normal hectic workday at my office, the local component of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) dropped in for a surprise visit. I think it is safe to say that this is one of the most dreaded moments by dental professionals in a dental office. While many offices go their entire business...
Hygiene Treatment CDT Code Breakdown and Patient Explanations
Some dental hygienists have likely struggled with delegating the correct code for hygiene treatment. I know it certainly happened to me, especially when the D4346 code came into play in 2017. Dental hygienists might find it helpful to understand the differentiation of the existing codes and policies related to dental hygiene treatment types.
Further, explaining each type of hygiene treatment...
Suction Backflow: How Dental Hygienists Can Prevent Cross-contamination
Many of us drink through a straw. When you take a long, delicious slurp, have you ever noticed that, once you release your lips from the straw, that the remaining liquid trapped inside the cylinder tubing backflows into the cup in which it rests? I have witnessed the process multiple times and even watched my children play insipidly with...
Do Millennials Truly Have Worse Oral Health Than Their Parents?
It’s the 21st century, and one would think that ‒ with the advancement of technology and the surplus of knowledge and research in the dental industry ‒ oral health across the nation would be at its utmost best. However, recent studies prove this erroneous theory and leave dental professionals like me in collective disarray.
Any dental professional who has spent...
Dental Stain: Hygienists Can Ascertain Source, Help Increase Dental Patient Confidence
I think it’s safe to say that most dental hygienists loathe extrinsic dental stains. Personally, nothing exhausts me more than working relentlessly to remove tenacious stain. Despite the pleasing satisfaction of accomplishment once the mouth in our chair is stain-ridden, the task is one I can go my entire career without ever having to repeat.
On the contrary, intrinsic stain...
How Short Yoga Breaks Can Relieve Dental Professionals’ Aches and Pains
Years ago, when someone mentioned yoga to me, my mind conjured up an image of posed individuals meditating while practicing serious dragon breathing in a room full of incense and feng shui music. As a runner, I began reading articles and researching how yoga was beneficial for those who ran. A quick search on the web yielded educational results...
Dental Sealants: Saving Teeth since the 1960s
Tooth decay is no stranger to the dental professional. In fact, it isn’t a stranger to most! According to a study done by the CDC, 1 out of every five children aged 5-11 and 1 of 7 adolescents aged 12-19 have dental decay.1
However, children are not the only ones who suffer from dental decay. According to the CDC, 91%...
Open Letter to Dentists: How to Show Appreciation to Your Hygienist
October was National Dental Hygiene Month. Unfortunately, not every dental hygienist was recognized for their efforts or shown appreciation. As I scrolled through my social media accounts, I detected a consensus that more dental hygienists were not shown appreciation than those who were.
This broke my heart. As a fellow dental hygienist, I know just how deserving we are. Fellow...
Exploration of the Human Mouth: Bacterial Colonies Do Present Dangers
The human mouth is a sodden ecosystem housing billions of microorganisms − mostly bacteria − burrowing in our gingiva, living within plaque, and surviving on our tongues. Dental plaque and the surface of the tongue are among the densest microbial habitats on Earth.1 In fact, 100 billion organisms exist per gram of plaque.1 Scientists have unveiled over 700 different...
The Doorway We Use: Dental Exams Provide Valuable Medical Alerts Too
Did you know that the mouth is a window to overall health? Think about that for a second. The anatomical area treated with our expertise is also where many health conditions and diseases begin. By thoroughly examining and paying particular attention to our patients, we can be an intervention when needed. Dental professionals possess the ability to guide patients...
Geographic Tongue: Dental Hygienists Can Help Locate Lesions and Guide Treatment
My favorite subject in dental hygiene school was oral pathology, which remains true 18 years later in my dental professional career. I perform a complete oral evaluation on every patient during their routine appointment, and it seems I find one finding more than any other ‒ benign migratory glossitis, which many of us know as geographic tongue. In fact,...
Cleidocranial Dysplasia: Stranger Things Series Highlights an Oral Health Condition
My husband and I recently fell victim to binge-watching Stranger Things after the much-hyped season four finale. While I admit I became captivated by the show, I was also derailed by a completely different issue that the producers were quick to mention and incorporate into the storyline in the first season.
Naturally, this particular issue had me pulling out my...