Spring Hatfield, RDH, BSPH
Spring Hayes Hatfield, RDH, BSPH, is a graduate of Florida State College at Jacksonville, and she holds licensure in Florida, Louisiana, and Alabama. Spring is on the Advisory Board and holds the position of Continuing Education Manager at Today’s RDH. Her passion is elevating the dental hygiene profession through science, education, and clinical excellence. In her free time, she loves traveling, reading, and spending time with her husband, children, and the animals at her useless animal farm. She can be reached via email at Spring@TodaysRDH.com
Cephalic Tetanus and Tetanus of Dental Origin: An Overview and Case Studies
I became acutely aware of the controversy regarding dental professionals inquiring about patients' vaccination status during the pandemic. Though some dental professionals thought that question should be off limits, I want to remind you that as a dental professional, you are also, and maybe even more importantly, a health care professional.
I am not implying that vaccination status should be...
QUIZ: Test Your Halitosis Knowledge
Are you in need of CE credits? If so, check out our peer-reviewed, self-study CE courses here.
Before you leave, check out the Today's RDH self-study CE courses. All courses are peer-reviewed and non-sponsored to focus solely on high-quality education. Click here now.
Addressing ADHA’s Support of LGBTQIA+ Oral Health Week
The American Institute of Dental Public Health (AIDPH) recently hosted its 3rd annual LGBTQIA+ Oral Health Week by sharing valuable educational resources on social media to help address disparities and oral health needs in this community. In addition to LGBTQIA+ Oral Health Week, the AIDPH has several other initiatives for underserved populations, including veterans, those residing in rural communities,...
Geographic Tongue: Is There a Systemic Link?
Geographic tongue is an inflammatory but harmless condition affecting the surface of the tongue. It’s characterized by patches missing papillae, which appear as smooth, red “islands,” often with slightly raised borders. Lesions are migratory and can appear for days to several weeks and then disappear and reappear in a different location.1
The etiology of geographic tongue remains largely unknown,...
Curiosity Killed the Plaque Ep. 27: Macrothrombocytopenia
In this episode of Curiosity Killed the Plaque, Spring Hatfield, RDH, BSPH, discusses macrothrombocytopenia, a group of rare disorders characterized by abnormally large platelets.
Give it a watch, and make sure to subscribe to the Today’s RDH Dental Hygiene podcast on your favorite podcasting app or by going to https://anchor.fm/todaysrdh.
Seasonality of Immune Response: Could Gingival Inflammation Have a Seasonal Component?
The immune response is very complex as it can vary between individuals and can be affected by environmental factors, among other things. This is an important concept for dental hygienists to understand, as one of the components in the development and progression of periodontal disease is the host response to the pathogenic bacterial assault.
Immune variation can occur on an...
QUIZ: Test Your Angular Cheilitis Knowledge
Are you in need of CE credits? If so, check out our peer-reviewed, self-study CE courses here.
Before you leave, check out the Today's RDH self-study CE courses. All courses are peer-reviewed and non-sponsored to focus solely on high-quality education. Click here now.
Hand Hygiene: How Effective Are Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers Against Non-Enveloped Viruses?
The very first thing I learned clinically in dental hygiene school was hand hygiene. Proper handwashing was the first, and admittedly the most stressful, clinical competency on which we were evaluated. I remember practicing until my skin was chapped to ensure my technique was perfect.
Though we all need to know the correct technique and properly wash our hands, the...
The Dangers of Consuming and Swishing Raw Milk for Dental Health
A few years ago, I wrote an article about dangerous misinformation and disinformation inspired by the book Cure Tooth Decay: Heal and Prevent Cavities with Nutrition. This book suggests some dangerous behaviors, and this misinformation has spread rapidly. Recently, one of the suggestions in the book has started to resurface, and it is quite a dangerous trend to consume...
Giving Perspective on the Recent Report on Water Fluoridation and Cognitive Impairment
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has named water fluoridation one of the top 10 great public health interventions of the 20th century.1 However, it has taken a serious hit recently.
The Department of Health and Human Services National Toxicology Program released a report, "Monograph on the State of Science Concerning Fluoride Exposure and Neurodevelopment and Cognition," on August...
Dental Patients Who Use Fentanyl: Addressing Clinician Exposure Concerns and Overdose Signs and Management
Recently, while I was perusing social media, I came across an excellent question posed in one of the dental hygiene groups. The question was something along the lines of "I have a patient who is an admitted fentanyl user. What are the dangers as far as possible inhalation or contact with fentanyl when providing care for this patient?"
This is...
Curiosity Killed the Plaque Ep. 26: Nano-Silver Fluoride
In this episode of Curiosity Killed the Plaque, Spring Hatfield, RDH, BSPH, discusses nano-silver fluoride.
Give it a watch, and make sure to subscribe to the Today’s RDH Dental Hygiene podcast on your favorite podcasting app or by going to https://anchor.fm/todaysrdh.
QUIZ: Test Your Oral Manifestations of Bacterial Infections Knowledge
Are you in need of CE credits? If so, check out our peer-reviewed, self-study CE courses here.
Before you leave, check out the Today's RDH self-study CE courses. All courses are peer-reviewed and non-sponsored to focus solely on high-quality education. Click here now.
Researchers Look at Prophylactic Antibiotics for the Prevention of Prosthetic Joint Infections
An estimated seven million Americans are living with a prosthetic joint replacement. More women have prosthetic joint replacements than men. Interestingly, the states with the highest number of people living with prosthetic joint replacements are Florida, California, and Texas, while the lowest prevalence is in Alaska and Hawaii.1
Even though prophylactic antibiotics prior to dental treatment for the prevention of...
Human Skull, Jaw, and Teeth Evolution: Looking Beyond Dietary Changes Alone
Dentistry has been abuzz with airway and tongue/lip ties, forward head posture, and the like. Some dental professionals believe this is all due to the change in our diets. Admittedly, this likely played a role in the shape of our jaws.
However, if you are of the belief that this is the sole reason our faces have changed, I would...
Curiosity Killed the Plaque Ep. 25: FDA’s Marketing Approval of E-Cigarettes
In this episode of Curiosity Killed the Plaque, Spring Hatfield, RDH, BSPH, discusses the FDA's recent approval of the marketing of four menthol-flavored e-cigarettes.
Give it a watch, and make sure to subscribe to the Today’s RDH Dental Hygiene podcast on your favorite podcasting app or by going to https://anchor.fm/todaysrdh.
Understanding and Managing Dental Patients With Central Sensitivity Syndrome
Central sensitivity syndrome (CSS) is a term that encompasses multiple disorders, including fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic headaches, temporomandibular disorder, trigeminal neuralgia, and pelvic pain syndromes. This group of disorders often share common symptoms, and chronic pain is the most prominent feature.1,2
Diseases associated with central sensitivity syndrome are often “invisible” diseases. Invisible diseases are often present in a way...
A Hygienists’ Review of Obtaining Medical Clearance Before Dental Treatment
During my clinical career in dental hygiene, I had the opportunity to work in five different dental practices across three states. Some were private practices, and some were DSOs. Though many protocols were similar or, in some cases, precisely the same, the one thing that was always different in every practice was the protocols for medical clearance.
Differing protocols from...
Researchers Investigate Patient Perception of Dental Diagnostic Errors and Strategies to Reduce Occurrences
Diagnostic errors are a serious concern in health care settings. Though many people may only think of diagnostic errors from a medical viewpoint, dentistry also has its fair share of diagnostic errors. It has been estimated that around 24% of patients who experienced a diagnostic error in dentistry experienced an adverse event that led to permanent harm.1
The National Academy...
Persistent Gingival Bleeding Despite Excellent Home Care? What Dental Hygienists Should Know About Macrothrombocytopenia
As dental hygienists, we encounter bleeding and inflamed gingiva daily. Most of the time, it is due to poor oral hygiene and a lack of disrupting that pesky biofilm. However, sometimes persistent bleeding gingiva can be a sign of something more serious. A plethora of systemic diseases can cause bleeding and inflammation of the gingival tissue, including macrothrombocytopenia, a...