Sahar Attari, MS.Ed., BSDH, RDH
A Hygienists’ Overview of Halitosis and Taste Alteration
“My breath smells bad.”
“My wife told me to see my dentist to address my bad breath.”
“I can’t taste food as well as before.”
“I can’t taste sweets as much as before.”
My patients have made these comments throughout my years as a dental hygienist. Halitosis and taste alteration remain major concerns for patients who are experiencing them, as well as for...
Oral Pathology: Distinguishing Cysts from Abscesses
Recently, I encountered two situations that inspired this article. I came across a periapical radiograph of a new patient who had a radiolucency, which presented as a well-defined lesion distal to an extracted mandibular second molar. The extraction was done about six months ago.
Another incident was when a new patient with a unilocular lesion at the apex of #29...
Elder Care: Dental Hygienists Can Help Seniors Bridge Oral, Systemic Health
In this era, more people are fortunate to know their great grandparents and even their great-great-grandparents ‒ an opportunity that most of our parents or grandparents did not have. The U.S. population of seniors is increasing significantly, and, according to the 2019 census, senior citizens ages 65 and over represent 16.21% of the U.S. population (9% globally).17
By 2030, it...