Kristen King, RDH, BS
Kristen King, RDH, BS, graduated from the University of Oklahoma Dental Hygiene Program and has enjoyed practicing hygiene for 27 years in such places as Texas, Virginia, El Salvador, and Oklahoma. Kristen is a member of and has completed training through the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT), where she is accredited as a biological dental hygienist. Kristen is a member of the American Academy for Oral Systemic Health (AAOSH) and has graduated from the Bale/Doneen Preceptorship course on cardiovascular disease prevention for healthcare providers. She is the founder and CEO of Dental Reveal, a dental microscope education company that helps dental offices implement the phase contrast microscope for biofilm evaluations at every hygiene visit. Educating patients on how oral infections are linked to systemic disease and helping empower patients to heal their oral microbiome is a primary goal. Currently, she is living in Bangkok, Thailand, where she is butchering the Thai language with reckless abandon and having fun along the way. Any chance she can get, she loves to travel with her husband and two daughters, meet new people, and sample unique foods.
5 Benefits of Fee-for-Service vs. Dental Insurance From a Dental Hygienist’s Perspective
What are some top phrases that make hygienists want to pick up their full tray of instruments and fling it straight at the wall? Or, get up and walk right out the door and not come back?
"Will my insurance cover it?"
"How much does my insurance cover?"
"I only want what my insurance will cover."
What if you never had to hear...
Oral Impact on Arthritis: A Review for Dental Hygienists
In 400 B.C., Hippocrates suggested that pulling teeth could cure arthritis.1 Was he a total whack job, or was he on to something? He turned out to be universally recognized as the father of modern medicine, so chances are he was on to something.
Most Common Forms of Arthritis
The two most prevalent forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid...
Patient Referrals: Systemic Links Encourage Hygienists to Collaborate with Other Providers
Hygienists are always looking to improve the lives and health of dental patients, and we are master educators in all things oral health. We can tell if a patient has been slacking in their normal oral hygiene routine or perhaps hasn't been eating as well as they usually do. We can even tell if they breathe through their mouth...
A New Year, A New Microbiome: Helping Patients Regain Oral Health
Ahh, the holidays. We love them and look forward to them each year. They start as early as October when ghost, goblin, and pumpkin-decorated sweet treats are passed around to celebrate All Hallows' Eve. Some trick-or-treating plans are even made based on which neighborhoods pass out the best candy (Don't act like you don't do the same). Perhaps they...
Sugar in Your Blood May Be More Important Than Your Mouth
Yes, you read that title right. But what does that even mean? Generally speaking, people still think the way you get decay is by eating candy and not brushing your teeth enough. They are not completely wrong, but there is more to the story.
Diabetes: Sugar In Your Blood
According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), as of 2021, diabetes affected...
Dental Microscope Brings Macro Results: Building Value with Oral Pathogen Analysis
A few years ago, our dental office implemented a microscope for the hygiene room. Game changer! I had no idea what a profound impact the instrument would have on dental hygiene treatment.
There is much more awareness of the oral-systemic link these days. When discussing the oral-systemic link, we must discuss the oral microbiome. Biofilm is the collection of various...
Holistic Hygiene: Is It Dental Hygiene for Hippies?
What do you think of when you hear the word holistic? Hippies? Patchouli? Herbs? Crystals? Someone who doesn’t shave or wear deodorant? The Oxford dictionary defines holistic as treating the whole person rather than just the symptoms of a disease.
Hmm. Sounds a lot like oral-systemic health talk, doesn’t it? So far, so good. Not too strange yet?
Nutrition
In a holistic...