Rebecca Marie Friend, BS, RDH
Rebecca Marie Friend, RDH, BS, attained her Associate of Applied Science degree in Dental Hygiene from Ferris State University, Big Rapids, Michigan, in 1987, where she also met and married her husband. She has been a practicing dental hygienist for over 30 years and has raised three sons while working as a full-time clinical dental hygienist. Rebecca currently practices in Battle Creek, Michigan. She resides in neighboring historic Marshall, Michigan. Rebecca is board certified in Nitrous Oxide and Local Anesthesia Administration and is certified in low-level laser therapy. Continuously striving to improve upon her skills and methods of forward-thinking in the dental world, she recently attained her Bachelor of Science degree in Oral Health Promotion through Action Research at O’Hehir University. She is actively involved in a mentorship with students at O’Hehir University. “I take pride in my abilities as a skilled periodontal therapist. I enjoy the patient-practitioner relationship that develops when trust and health are gained, taking mindful care of every individual that I connect with. The benefits of helping others achieve a healthy mouth and regain their confidence with a great smile and healthier self are very rewarding. Whole-body health begins with the mouth.” In her free time, Rebecca enjoys visiting the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan, where the sunsets are magical, the dunes are stunning, and the rocks are a collector’s delight. She loves to immerse herself in nature whenever she gets a chance and enjoys canoeing, kayaking, nature walks, flexibility training, yoga, and little “get-a-ways” with her husband. Family life has always been important to her, and now that her three grown sons have spread their wings, she has a little more time to spread hers.
Case Study: Xylitol’s Role in the 4Ds of Smoking Cessation
Xylitol has resurfaced in recent years as a natural sugar (derived from birch bark, corn cob, raspberries, and even strawberries) that inhibits bacterial repopulation in the oral cavity. We are seeing it added to toothpaste, fluoride varnishes, gum, and mints and promoted to aid improved oral health.
We have been made aware of its xerostomia benefits, as well as nasal...
Case Study: Dental Hygiene Patient’s “Extra” Thyroid Medication Raises Flag
An elderly female patient recently presented with hypothyroidism. Her health history documented that she was taking Synthroid. While verbally reviewing and updating her health history, she stated that she also took an OTC thyroid vitamin but did not know its name. She also disclosed that she is seeing an herbalist who is having her rub two essential oils (lemongrass...
Tonsil Stones: Unraveling the Mysteries Found in Dental Patients’ Crypts
Crypt. It sounds like something one would visualize in a horror story. For some, tonsil crypts can be a kind of horror story as they become infested with tonsil stones, causing unwanted malodor even after thorough brushing, tongue scraping, interdental cleaning, and rinsing. This can become a frustrating concern for many people.
Dental hygienists can provide a variety of recommendations...
The Link between Nitrous Oxide Uptake and Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Dentistry as a whole can often bring about anxiety and stress for many patients. This anxiety does not just occur when restorative work needs to be addressed, but for many, the idea of a “routine cleaning,” as well as any kind of periodontal maintenance treatment, can induce high anxiety and stress. Some people will avoid scheduling dental procedures until...
Dentures: How Hygienists Can Educate the Insistent Patient about Edentulism
Dentures. Sometimes we stumble across the patient who is insistent about full mouth extractions and upper and lower dentures. Dental professionals realize the importance of first doing the obvious, gathering all of the facts and data about the patient, which includes complete dental records and (most critical) good listening skills.
Why are these patients adamant about dentures? The reasons patients...
Sensitivity: Exploring the Root Cause of the Dental Patient’s Pain
Tooth sensitivity is one of the primary factors prompting patients to visit the dental office.
Tooth sensitivity is one of the primary factors prompting patients to avoid the dental office.
Both statements above are true.
Let’s take the first statement and extrapolate. A scheduled patient hasn’t been in the office for a while, is slightly overdue, or perhaps is a new patient....
Common Sense Infection Control Tips
Recently, I had the honor of listening to Dr. John A. Molinari, Ph.D. speak on “Health, Safety, Protection & Infection Control in the Dental Practice: Current Status 2019.” I was interested in attending his seminar to assure my office and I am up-to-date on the latest infection control recommendations. Needless to say, I was expecting a long, semi-boring, but...
Do Your Best: How Dental Hygienists Can Reclaim Their Purpose
The average dental hygienist has an allotted one-hour time slot for her or his patients. This time allotment often does not change whether the patient is in the operatory chair for a six-month prophy, periodontal maintenance, or periodontal therapy. Some dental hygienists actually have 40 to 45 minutes of allotted time per patient, making their workday impractical, inconvenient, and...
Are Patients Being Over-medicated and Are You Paying Attention?
We have all been educated to review our patients’ health histories prior to every dental appointment, but are we seeing the red flags some health histories wave? With today’s over-prescribed pain and anti-depressant medications, close attention needs to be paid to the patient sitting in our dental chair. We are in a prime position to be a positive influence...
Case Study: Patient Finally Heeds RDH’s Alert Over Lesion
Last spring, I treated a patient who I have seen routinely every six months for the past 11 years. Rob is a 75-year-old Caucasian male, heavy smoker, an upper denture wearer, has a history of skin cancer, very stubborn, and insurance-driven.
Yet, we enjoy each other’s visits.
We have been discussing tobacco cessation for 11 years now; I must confess that...
Kindling Kindness: How Hygienists Can Make a Good Dental Office Great
Kindness is an act or quality of being friendly, generous, or considerate. Kindness shows concern for others without expecting anything in return. Kindness can bring joy and hope. The attribute of kindness is an integral theme that runs throughout history and has the power to bring light into dark situations. With this in mind, consider daily acts of kindness...
The Wonders of Xylitol
Xylitol, the sweetener with a twist; this little 5-carbon molecule packs a punch of health benefits. Xylitol is a natural sweetener which has properties that have been shown to prevent tooth decay, increase salivary production, and reduce the development of bacteria in the mouth.1 Research shows that five exposures to xylitol a day can significantly inhibit bacterial growth in...
Differentiating Between Sulfa and Sulfite Allergies in the Dental Setting
Sulfa allergies and sulfite allergies are sometimes confused during conversations with dental patients. The names are very similar, and patients can be uncertain about which allergy they experience. This misperception has the potential to result in an overcautious approach when choosing the proper dental anesthetic for patients, as well as possibly an incorrect antibiotic regimen. Conversing with the patient...
Mental Nerve Block: A Welcomed Alternative in Mandibular Anesthesia
Effective anesthesia does not have to be a source of anxiety for patients or practitioners. Most of us dread the mandibular inferior alveolar nerve block (MIANB) and will try anything to avoid giving this injection. I am one of those practitioners who have explored other options to achieve pain-free anesthesia and pain-free periodontal treatment.
When I was learning to give...
Spondylolisthesis and Spondylosis: A Warning for Hygienists with Back Pain
Managing chronic pain can be a lifetime task. Unfortunately, how we manage the pain may have dire consequences. Regular exercise, walking, yoga, massage, and chiropractic care of some methods of pain control and prevention. All of these methods may help prevent and control pain symptoms, but what if we forget to ascertain the cause? Radiography is the Gold Standard...
If the Patient Won’t Change, Perhaps the Practitioner Should
We've all heard the aphorism, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink." For dental professionals, the aphorism could be, "You can teach a patient to floss (clean interdentally), but you can't make him or her do it." Or perhaps, "You can teach a patient how to brush, but that doesn't mean he or...
Ankyloglossia: Please Release Me!
Ankyloglossia, also known as tongue-tie, is a congenital anomaly that may severely restrict the tongue’s range of motion. It is caused by an abnormally thick, short lingual frenulum which tethers the bottom of the tongue’s tip to the floor of the mouth. Severe tongue-ties are usually discovered at birth as it interferes with normal breast-feeding.1
If not discovered at birth...
Situational Awareness: Keeping the Operatories Busy and Everyone Happy
Most dental professionals, whether they are at the front desk, assistants, or dental hygienists, are intuitively aware that: “When the doctor is happy, everybody is happy.” What makes the doctor the happiest? When his/her (and the hygienists’) chairs are not sitting idle.
Do you have a plan of action to help keep those chairs filled? Situational awareness helps.
Situational Awareness
Situational awareness...
Why Home Care Should Be Flexible about Recommended Oral Hygiene Regimens
How many times have your impeccable scaling skills and topnotch, by-the-book oral hygiene recommendations and demonstrations resulted in an exhausting six-month recare appointment? The fact that plaque and calculus reinfest some mouths in six to eleven weeks (and sometimes less) sets us up for failure if we over-focus on scaling and under-focus on the cause of the biofilm reinfestation.
Scaling...
Tardive Dyskinesia: Dental Hygienists Can Monitor for Effects of Antipsychotic Medications
Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a serious side effect from the long-term use of certain antipsychotic drugs used to treat mental illness. TD may present itself with uncontrolled, continuous jerking movements of the face, tongue, and jaw, as well as other body parts.1 These movements are uncontrolled by the patient and may appear as though they are gnashing their teeth...