Dabney Vaccaro, BS, RDH, HC
Dabney Vaccaro, BS, RDH, HC, is an instructor at O’Hehir University and has worked as a clinical hygienist for 19 years. As a life-long learner, Dabney is interested in all things organic and is currently taking classes to be a clinical herbalist. She hopes to be able to integrate her herbal knowledge with her dental hygiene profession. Outside of teaching, clinic, and studying, she works to make organic teas and self-care products through her side hustle, Wild Herbals, LLC, found at www.shopwildherbals.com.
Dehydration: Dental Hygienists are Positioned to Educate on Drinking More Water
“I don’t like water.” What is it with patients who say they don’t like water? How can that be when 60% of our body and 90% of our blood is made up of water?1
It’s like saying, “I don’t like oxygen.” Well, maybe not that extreme, but you get my point. Water is essential for every organ to function correctly....
How Dental Hygienists Can Help Guide Patients to Better Dietary Habits
Have any dental patients stated that they want to eat better, but “I just don’t know where to start,” and if so, what did you tell them? Do you, as a dental hygienist, even know where to start?
What does it take to form a new habit? After all, new beginnings aren’t anything new. As a matter of fact, many...
Tongue in Cheek: Should Dental Hygienists Help Diagnose Tongue Ties?
Jake had the longest tongue I’d ever seen, and his tongue could find a face at a moment’s notice. His tongue had a full range of motion, which is what every tongue should have. By the way, Jake was a Maltese/poodle canine.
Dogs are not the only mammals that should have a good range of motion when it comes to...
Added Sugar: Dental Hygienists Need to Break Up with Sugar Too
During a recent conversation, a dental patient's lack of understanding about sugar left my head spinning. The patient had rampant dental decay and was concerned about the amount of money it was going to cost for treatment. I asked him if he knew what caused the problem? After a short pause, he came up with this: Years since his last visit and...