Lara James, RDH
Lara James, RDH, is a licensed dental hygienist of clinical hygiene, including corporate, dental management, and private practices. She graduated in 2004 from Portland Community College in Portland, Oregon. Lara has created DentalAisle.com, a dental blog, to educate consumers on dental products and dental issues. Lara also has written an online continuing education course on dentalcare.com. For more information, email her at lara@dentalaisle.com.
“Osteo” Conditions Overview and Oral Health Implications
With health conditions becoming more complex, the dental hygienist's review of health histories has become more confusing. Many conditions sound and seem the same but have slight variances that make the difference, such as within the "osteo" group of conditions. While "osteo" means relating to bones, these conditions affect not only the skeleton but may also affect oral health.
The...
An Overview of Amalgam Tattoos for the Dental Hygienist
Amalgam tattoos are isolated pigmentations commonly found on the oral mucosa, gingiva, palate, tongue, and buccal and alveolar mucosa. They develop from tiny metal particles found in amalgam restoration material that become embedded in the tissue. In most cases, these tattoos do not cause any health issues or hazards since the mercury from the restorative material is not in...
Mutual Respect: Avoid Referring to Dental Colleagues as ‘Just a …’
After graduating from the dental hygiene program, I temped for about a year since I had no previous dental experience. I also wanted to see what dental hygiene opportunities were out there. One office where I temped was interesting enough that I am here years later writing about it. The office was a father/daughter dental practice, and he was...
Scalene Muscles: Poor Working Posture Can Lead to Pain in Hygienists
The scalene muscles can either be a dental hygienist's friend or nemesis. When the muscles are healthy, they keep the neck positioned correctly, tilt the head side to side, and turn the head left or right. When they are an adversary, the scalene muscles can feel disabling to the upper extremities.
Scalene muscles are affected by the postures of working...
Cold, Flu, and Sinus Infections: Dental Care while Sick with Viruses
It's that time of year when patients and dental professionals are more vulnerable to getting sick from the seasonal flu or common cold. Many dental hygienists still go on with their day ─ even though they are not at their peak yet in recovery ─ and they do not feel bad enough to use a vacation day for being...
Unique Features of the Mouth that Help Forensic Investigators
The mouth is one of the most unique features of the body ‒ most valuable in the basic survival of speaking and eating. The mouth is also very valuable in providing identification. Fingerprints have distinct attributes, and so do the lip, tongue, teeth, and rugae. These prints can identify people in uncertain situations such as crimes, mass disasters, missing...
Strawberry Tongue: Systemic Health Influences This Oral Health Condition
Strawberry tongue, which is also called raspberry tongue, is described as a red tongue that is bumpy, swollen, and, in some cases, enlarged. The condition reflects a systemic issue rather than an oral disorder. When strawberry tongue is present, it means there is an underlying issue involved.
To determine the underlying cause, other symptoms will need to be considered.1 A...
Metabolic Syndrome: Multiple Health Conditions Influence Path of Dental Care
Metabolic syndrome represents multiple conditions that have risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The term is not for a solo disease but rather a group of medically high-risk conditions. When combined, the conditions cause serious health issues. According to the International Diabetes Federation, metabolic syndrome is defined as “a cluster of the most dangerous heart attack risk factors: diabetes and...
Thyroid Medications: Impact of Drugs from the Dental Professional’s Perspective
The thyroid secretes certain hormones that are active participants in different systems of the body. The thyroid affects many parts of the body, including metabolism, hormones, body temperature, and it keeps the brain, heart, muscles, and other organs healthy. When too many or too few hormones are produced from the thyroid, it's considered a thyroid disorder.1
Dental concerns about thyroid...
Galvanized Shock: Some Dental Patients Can Still Experience a Shocker
Galvanized shock, which is also referred to as oral galvanism, oral electricity, electrogalvanism, or galvanic currents (and even called "battery mouth") is a distinct, sharp, electrical zap of a sensation when two different metals touch a tooth. Anyone who has experienced this knows exactly what that feeling is.
Galvanism is defined as electricity produced by chemical action. Shock is the...
Dental Erosion: Is It Heartburn, Acid Reflux, or GERD?
Heartburn, acid reflux, and GERD are often used reciprocally as they are stages of each other. The initial signs of any digestive issue may be heartburn. As conditions progress in the digestive process, acid reflux will start to appear more frequently. If that doesn't resolve or settle down, a chronic condition known as GERD becomes a lifetime event.
Dentally, it's...
A Deep Dive into Core Muscles: The Foundation of Hygienist Ergonomics
The core, a group of midsection body muscles, is essential to strengthen and maintain for overall health. The back is one of the most compromised groups of muscles and ligaments in the dental profession ‒ even with good ergonomics. A static, unnatural position can initiate or accelerate an injury, whether short-term or long-term. Depending on the patient or self-induced...
Burning Mouth Syndrome: A Review for Dental Hygienists
Burning mouth syndrome is a benign condition affecting about 2% of the population.1 Women are about seven times more susceptible to this condition than men. Within women, pre/peri-menopausal women are at higher risk. Burning mouth syndrome is more common in adults over 60 years of age.2
Burning mouth syndrome can be chronic or periodic and last from days to weeks...
Ethical Dilemma: Trying to Encourage Patient to Seek a Second Opinion
Recently, I was in a situation where I thought I needed to be more of an advocate for the patient than agree with the dentist’s treatment plan. This situation tugged at my heart, and I didn’t know how to encourage a second opinion professionally.
The 69-year-old patient left the office thinking she needed five crowns. They were diagnosed a year...
A Look at Pontic to Natural Tooth Bridges
A pontic to natural tooth bridge is when an anterior tooth is extracted and then used as the replacement tooth. The compromised tooth may be affected by trauma, periodontal disease, root canal failure, root resorption, or other root problems to where it needs to be extracted. If the crown of the extracted tooth is healthy, it can then be...
Dental Career Longevity: Healthy Immune System for Healthy Job Performance
The immune system is essential as it is a complex network of cells and proteins that defend the body against infections. Other parts of this system are made up of white blood cells, antibodies, lymph nodes, and organs, and the system's primary purpose is to kill the pathogen without harming the host.
The dental field is considered a high-risk job...
Barodontalgia: How Pressure Changes can Cause “Tooth Squeeze” Pain
Barodontalgia, also known as “tooth squeeze,” is pain in the tooth region after a pressure change. The name reflects the condition – “baro” means pressure, and “odontalgia” means tooth pain. It is an acute toothache with high sensitivity when a sudden change in environmental pressure occurs.1
Another condition is dental barotrauma that happens when changes in barometric pressure generate damage...
Tunnel Syndromes: Dental Hygienists can Seek Treatment for Occupational Injuries
Tunnel syndromes are comparable in symptoms yet are very distinguishable in their characteristics. Many symptoms overlap with numbness and pain, but the locations are the key determinates. While all three of the nerves start in the neck, they travel down the arm and take different paths. Where the pain starts in the arm can determine which nerve is the...
Tooth Staining: Awareness of Oral Health Effects of Tetracycline and Minocycline
Tetracycline and minocycline are common antibiotics used medically for infections and inflammation. While useful for medical reasons, dental professionals know it more for internal staining of the teeth.
Tetracyclines lead to permanent tooth staining when ingested during pregnancy, nursing, or during the developmental period of secondary and primary teeth. This vulnerable time frame is from the fourth month in utero...
Jaw Pain: Evaluating the Severity of Injuries from Dental Treatment
Jaw sprain is a common event yet is commonly underreported or misdiagnosed. The jaw is one of the most used joints in the human body, and it makes sense for it to have wear and tear, overuse, injuries, and pain.
Dental patients who experience a jaw sprain have a challenging time keeping their mouths open and constantly need to rest...