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
Dear CVS: I Have Concerns About Your Do-It-Yourself Orthodontics Partnership
Dear CVS,
As a dental professional, I am writing with serious concerns associated with your recent partnership with a do-it-yourself orthodontic company. Upon looking into this company, I discovered they are quick to threaten or pursue litigation against anyone that questions their ethics, safety of patients, or quality of work they provide. For this reason, in an attempt to avoid...
Understanding and Managing Xerostomia
Xerostomia or dry mouth is one of the most undermanaged oral health conditions in medicine and dentistry. This could be due to the lack of diagnosis and the lack of understanding about the oral implications associated with xerostomia. In addition to oral implications, many patients experience a decrease in quality of life that can potentially lead to depression. The...
Measles: How Dentistry Can help Slow Outbreak through Diagnosis
We may see a record-breaking number of measles cases in the United States for the first time this year, the highest since the elimination of measles in the year 2000. From January 1 through April 19, there have been 626 individual cases of measles confirmed in 22 states.
I would like to emphasize these are confirmed cases; there could be...
Oral Cancer Awareness and Adjunctive Screening Devices
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. According to the CDC, 598,038 people died from some form of cancer in 2016. Of those deaths, approximately 10,000 were from oral cancer. That number may seem minor in comparison, however, consider this - 10,000 deaths a year is approximately one death per hour, every 24 hours.
The...
Does Xylitol Outshine Fluoride in the Fight against Tooth Decay?
For years fluoride has been dentistry’s gold standard in the fight against tooth decay. In 1945, water fluoridation was implemented. A 60% reduction in tooth decay was reported over a 12-year span after water fluoridation. In 1950, the first fluoride toothpastes were marketed.1,2 The discovery of fluoride has no doubt been a huge benefit in reducing tooth decay. Even...
“Root Cause” Netflix Documentary: Let’s Review the Science
If you haven’t heard, let me be the first to introduce you to a documentary on Netflix called “Root Cause.” The documentary follows an individual’s experience with root canal treatment, and the alleged systemic issues he claims is directly associated with root canal treatment. I decided to watch the documentary for the sole purpose of preparing myself for the...
Sealants: Not Just For Kids Anymore
As a dental hygienist, I consider myself a preventive oral healthcare specialist. Dental hygienists are one of the few healthcare providers with the primary goal of preventing disease - not just treating it. We have an entire arsenal of preventive procedures we can offer our patients which ultimately leads to reduced cost and discomfort by reducing restorative treatment needs....
Dental Response to “Sucking Baby’s Pacifier Clean May Prevent Allergies”
To Whom It May Concern,
Your recent article published on your website on November 19, 2018, titled “Sucking Baby’s Pacifier Clean May Prevent Allergies,” has me concerned for babies health. Let me begin by introducing myself; I’m a Registered Dental Hygienist. Dental hygienists are also considered preventive health care specialist; we are one of the professions in the health care...
Topical vs. Systemic Fluoride: What Patients Need to Know
A study published online in Environmental Health Perspective on July 20, 2012, written by Anna Choi, a research scientist in the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard, claimed, “Children in high-fluoride areas had significantly lower IQ scores than those who lived in low fluoride areas.”1 This publication fueled the fire for the anti-fluoride movement.
In March of 2013, another article...
Dear Dr. Oz: A Letter from a Licensed Dental Professional
Dear Dr. Oz,
I would like to begin by saying, your show has been very informative over the years, and I appreciate what you are trying to do for patients and healthcare providers. However, I am disappointed in your recent show titled, “Undercover Investigation: Dental Scams: Are You Being Overdiagnosed and Overcharged?”
Before I get into the issues I have with...
Is Saliva the Future of Diagnostics?
During dental treatment, saliva is generally not our friend. We fight with it to keep patients from feeling like they are drowning, it is always interfering with sealant placement and other restorative procedures, but what if that saliva we loathe could help our patients with early disease diagnosis? The ability to utilize saliva to monitor the health and disease...
Could Periodontal Disease have an Autoimmune Component?
Periodontal disease causes chronic inflammation, tissue destruction, and cannot be cured only maintained. Periodontal disease has some genetic qualities, and if left untreated can wreak havoc on other organs. It has been associated with heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. All the traits I used to describe periodontal disease could be used to describe several other diseases, all of...
The Medical History Mystery: Getting Patients to Understand the Importance of Medical History
I’m sure I’m not the only hygienist that has pondered why patients are so reluctant to provide complete disclosure of their medical history before dental treatment. More times than I would like to admit I’ve asked a patient “Have you had any changes in your medical history?” To which they would promptly reply “No.” Only then, to disclose a...
The Importance of Screening Pediatric Patients for Sleep Related Breathing Disorders
“Scientists have discovered a revolutionary new treatment that makes you live longer. It enhances your memory, makes you more attractive. It keeps you slim and lowers food cravings. It protects you from cancer and dementia. It wards off colds and flu. It lowers your risk of heart attacks and stroke, not to mention diabetes. You’ll even feel happier, less...
Networking to Achieve Overall Health for Patients
Recently, at my annual well visit with my primary care physician, after the usual weight and blood pressure check, I was asked when I last had my eyes checked, when I last saw a dermatologist, when I last had a mammogram and so on. The one thing that was missing from these interview questions was when was my last...