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
The Dangers of “Curing” Tooth Decay Naturally
The idea of “naturally” curing tooth decay is a fast-growing fad. It has become such a craze that Facebook pages and groups encourage and support the idea. I've recently learned of one such group called "Cure Tooth Decay – Heal Tooth Cavities, Dental Caries, Tooth Abscess," which is well known for supporting this fad. It is a closed group...
Tubarial Salivary Glands: Scientists Discover New Salivary Glands in Human Throat
The year 2020 has brought us some wild and crazy things, including a novel virus that led to a global pandemic, a record-breaking number of hurricanes in the Atlantic, and, most recently, the discovery of previously unidentified salivary glands. The most astonishing to me is the discovery of the salivary glands; admittedly, I may be a little biased as...
Loupes: Dentistry Doesn’t Have to be a Pain in the Neck
Disclosure: This article is sponsored content from Designs for Vision as part of our sponsored partner program.
The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the dental profession is well established and can have detrimental effects on productivity and lead to early retirement. The cause is attributed to ergonomic hazards, such as strained posture and repetitive movements. Studies show MSDs occur in...
Amazing but True Dental Tales of Past US Presidents
It is an election year. When is a better time to explore the oral health of some of our previous commanders-in-chief? If you work in the dental profession, you have undoubtedly heard about George Washington’s not so wooden false teeth. (As a child, I was told he had wooden teeth. I now know that is untrue.)
Washington’s teeth were made...
Pathogen Classifications: Where Dentistry Has Gone Since The “Complex Theory”
In 1998, Dr. Sigmund Socransky developed the “complex theory” where periodontal pathogens are categorized based on their association with the severity of disease. In the complex theory, periodontal pathogens have been identified and classified by color to indicate which bacteria are associated with the onset and progression of periodontal disease. The classification includes the red complex, orange complex, green...
Colleagues Who Test COVID-19 Positive: Steps Dental Offices Should Take
Editor’s Note: Information about COVID-19 is changing on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. We have made every attempt to ensure this article is up-to-date at the time of original article publication (July 2, 2020), but with the rapid changes occurring, some information may have changed since publication. Please visit coronavirus.gov for the latest news and information on COVID-19.
Most dental professionals...
Ventilation: Safely Control Flow of Bioaerosols in Dental Operatories
Editor's Note: Information about COVID-19 is changing on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. We have made every attempt to ensure this article is up-to-date at the time of original article publication (June 28, 2020), but with the rapid changes occurring, some information may have changed since publication. Please visit coronavirus.gov for the latest news and information on COVID-19.
The worldwide spread...
CDC Releases New Guidance for Dental Care During COVID-19
Editor's Note: Information about COVID-19 is changing on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. We have made every attempt to ensure this article is up-to-date at the time of publication (May 26, 2020), but with the rapid changes occurring, some information may have changed since publication. Please visit https://www.coronavirus.gov/ for the latest news and information on COVID-19.
Article updated August 4, 2020...
Do Low Vitamin D Levels Have an Association with Oral Disease?
Hygienists are known for their preventive role in health care. We often pride ourselves on being one of the only health-care providers who prevent disease and do not just treat it. Many hygienists like the idea of being able to tweak diets and home care to help their patients remain healthy and disease-free.
One of the supplements often discussed by...
The Role of Macrophage Polarization in Periodontal Disease and Gingivitis
The discovery of macrophage polarization by Charles Dudley Mills changed the way immunologists viewed the immune system. Prior to this discovery, it was long thought that macrophages were like a garbage disposal, gobbling up pathogens and eliminating them, serving the T and B cells as if they were royalty while the macrophages were mere servants. These beliefs were based...
Coronavirus: The Current Science Behind SARS-CoV-2 and How it Impacts Dentistry
Editor’s Note: Information about COVID-19 is changing on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. We have made every attempt to ensure this article is up to date at the time of publication, but with the rapid changes occurring, some information may have changed since publication. Please visit https://www.coronavirus.gov/ for the latest news and information on COVID-19.
Unless you are living under a rock, you...
Radiology Update: Evolving Standards for Pregnancy, Shielding, and Frequency
The Archives of Clinical Skiagraphy was the first radiology scientific journal. First published in May 1896, just six months after the discovery of x-rays by Wilhelm Roentgen, Sydney Rowland wrote in the first editorial: “The object of this publication is to put on record in permanent form some of the most striking applications of the New Photography to the...
Mandibular Anterior Crowding: What is the Etiology?
When working clinically, a common question I receive is: “Will my wisdom teeth make my teeth crowded?” Many discussions in dental hygiene forums end with little consensus.
Many studies have investigated the possible link. But is it really that simple? Can one single entity be the cause of mandibular anterior crowding?
I have found that mandibular anterior crowding is one of...
Saddle Stools: The Importance of Quality and Individualized Fit
Disclosure: This article is sponsored content from The Brewer Company as part of our sponsored partner program.
The number one cause of early retirement in dentistry is musculoskeletal disorders, making the number one preventive measure to be proper ergonomics. Dental hygienists are preventive care specialists. We work hard to help our patients achieve optimal overall health. However, often I...
Epigenetics: How Medical Research Can Aid Dental Diagnosis
In the late 1940s, Dr. Conrad Waddington, an embryologist, coined the term epigenetics. At that time, most embryologists did not consider genes important for human development. They believed genes only played a minor role, such as with eye color and hair color.
Dr. Waddington proposed that genes were regulated by an epigenetic landscape, and this landscape was to “illustrate the...
Oxidative Stress: Will Future Solutions Launch Antioxidant Therapies for Dentistry?
Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS/free radicals) and antioxidants in the body. Prolonged oxidative stress is associated with a wide range of chronic illnesses, which includes, but is not limited to, cancer, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, chronic inflammation, stroke, and numerous neurodegenerative diseases.1
As with most bodily functions, there is...
Tooth Loss Impacts Cognitive Function: Bringing Mastication Symphony into Tune
In an article titled Dental Deafferentation and Brain Damage: A Review and Hypothesis, published in The Kaohsiung Journal of Medicine and written by Yi-Tai Jou, the author describes masticatory function as a symphony orchestra. When all members of the symphony are present and playing well, it is a beautiful harmony.
However, if one musician, for example, is missing, it can...
What Hygienists Need to Consider when Treating Patients with Malocclusion
Malocclusion is defined as “irregular contact of opposing teeth in the upper and lower jaws.”1 Most people with minimal knowledge of dentistry view it as an esthetic problem and not an oral health problem. Not only are there oral health implications, but general health can be affected too. It is estimated that about 65% of the U.S. population has...
Noma (Cancrum Oris): A Case of a Third World Disease in a First World Country
People who live in developed countries often lack knowledge of some of the serious dental and health issues that persistently trouble residents in developing countries. On an infrequent basis, a horrible disease will surface in a developed country where medical care, nutrition, and sanitation are too often taken for granted.
One of those diseases is noma.
Noma, also known as cancrum...
Research in Nutrition Helps Sharpen Focus on Oral-systemic Links for Dental Treatment
Since periodontal disease is a chronic complex disease affecting 47% of the adult population in the United States,1 we know that treatment of the periodontium with an eye on oral-systemic links is an important focus. Proper nutrition should not be neglected as it plays an intricate role in the control of periodontal disease.
The good news is that a huge...