Today's RDH
Today's RDH is for curious and passionate dental hygienists. We deliver the latest dental hygiene news, research, and entertainment on your phone, tablet, and computer.
Social Responsibility of Dental Professionals: LGBTQ+ Health & Substance Abuse
As healthcare providers, we take on many roles defined by our social responsibilities to our patients and our communities. The ethical treatment of our dental patients is usually included in the classes we take in order to get our degree. We know that we are to treat everyone with the same respect and at least tolerate each other's differences...
The Possible Connection Between Bipolar Disorder and Periodontitis
On the surface, it may seem that psychological conditions and dental issues, such as periodontitis, haven't much to do with each other, but researchers in Taiwan beg to differ. Thanks to the Taiwan National Health Insurance (NHI), 99% of the Taiwanese population is routinely checked by a dentist, and any problems identified are appropriately addressed. The NHI program does...
Oral Symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis
It is, of course, common knowledge to all of us in the dental profession that systemic diseases can be exacerbated or even caused by negligent dental hygiene and related oral health diseases. But, did you know that, as a dental professional, you may notice various side effects of certain diseases that the patient doesn't realize that they have?
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Dr....
Study: Periodontitis in Older Iranian Adults Due to Insufficient Hygiene Education
Periodontitis is a damaging and even dangerous oral disease created by virulent bacteria infecting the gingival tissue and weakening the periodontium which can damage the supporting structures of teeth. Periodontitis can cause an increased chance for tooth infections, loss of teeth, and affect other systems of the body. As in many countries, periodontitis is prevalent in Iranian adults over...
Test Your Instrument Sharpening Knowledge
Disclosure: This quiz is sponsored content from PDT Dental as part of our sponsored partner program.Test your instrument sharpening knowledge and then enter to win a First Line™ Universal Kit, including six instruments in a FlipTop™ cassette, from PDT Dental! PDT Dental is pleased to introduce their First Line™ Kits designed to be used with your current instruments any time there...
Using Pre-cooling Procedures during Injections Will Decrease Pain Levels in Children
A recent study entitled Effect Of Precooling On Pain During Local Anesthesia Administration In Children: A Systematic Review addresses the use of lidocaine in children before injections of anesthesia to lessen both anxiety or pain and suggests an alternative and more natural method, if applicable, to anesthtize the tissue of children at injection sites.
What effect does pre-cooling have on the pain...
Study Shows Natural Tooth Whiteners as Effective as Peroxide Whiteners
Tooth whitening is growing ever more popular, not to mention lucrative, in the dental industry. According to statistics, 38.29 million Americans used tooth whiteners in 2019, and that number is predicted to increase by 2023. Whether whitening occurs in-office or out-of-office, applied whitening gels contain varying concentrations of carbamide or hydrogen peroxide as active agents (concentrations commonly used for in-office whitening...
Necessary and Effective Dental Care May Reduce Pneumonia In Elderly Residents
Oral hygiene is an extremely serious issue in nursing homes and retirement communities all over the United States, and poor oral hygiene can cause diseases that are considered deadly for the elderly. There is little to no specified dental care in most of the facilities, and the residents often suffer from pain and infection. These residents may stop eating,...
Test Your Loupes & Magnification Knowledge
Disclosure: This quiz is sponsored content from Designs for Vision as part of our sponsored partner program.Designs for Vision provides Hygienists with the Magnificaion essential to provide the best in patient care and the Ergonomic design to reduce neck and lower back pain.True 2.5X Magnification: Though some companies claim that magnification is not important, it is the most important feature...
Research Looks into Diet and Decreasing of Plaque and Bacteria
Educating patients on correct and effective oral hygiene practices is one of the main proponents of a career in the dental profession. If done correctly, it is also essential to discuss a patient's diet at the same time. This can be a tricky conversation for some and the subject may be sensitive to some patients. But, the fact remains...
Research Compares Herbal Mouth Rinses vs. Chlorhexidine
Many people turn to herbal remedies when they feel that the remedy would be a healthier choice than the alternative. Many other people create and use herbal remedies at home when they cannot afford, or don't have access, to the needed manufactured goods. The big question that skeptics always ask is how well these natural supplements work compared to...
Dental Practitioners Address Serious COVID-19 Issues in Northern Italy
Has anyone asked you how the COVID-19 epidemic has affected you, our dental professionals? We hear about the effects that the disease has on doctors and emergency personnel, who are no doubt heroes, but those of us who spend our days literally in the mouth of danger are tremendously affected as well. Italy has an excruciating number of infected...
Preventing Dental Caries in Children of Mexico With No Access to Dental Care
Dental caries is a prominent childhood ailment and public health concern that can be prevented with comprehensive oral hygiene and routine check-ups and preventive care. The disease is worse where there are unmet dental needs, such as a lack of education on dental hygiene and low availability of dental professionals within a general area.
Ecological Study On Needs and Cost...
Hand Hygiene Knowledge of Generation Z Dental Students in Germany
Knowledge About Hand Hygiene In The Generation Z: A Questionnaire-Based Survey Among Dental Students, Trainee Nurses And Medical Technical Assistants In Training, created by Claas Baier, MD, Urs-Vito Albrecht, MD, et al., addresses the question that we all want to know right now. As Generation Z enters the dental and medical workforce, what are their knowledge and practices when...
Research: 26 Different Manual Toothbrushes Tested for Efficacy
Properties Of Manual Toothbrush That Influence On Plaque Removal Of Interproximal Surface In Vitro researched and written by Ryoko Otsuka, Yoshiaki Nomura, et al., investigates twenty-six types of manual toothbrushes to determine what attributes are best to clean between the teeth, or interproximal, to discover what values should all manual toothbrushes have to increase their effectiveness between the teeth.
Dental Caries and Biofilm
Dental...
Oral hygiene Habits and Knowledge of Eating Disorder Patients
We all know that clinical eating disorders have direct and devastating effects on our dental hygiene and long-term dental health. Dentists and hygienists can sometimes tell, or at least suspect, when one of their patients has an eating disorder based on the state of their teeth. Many questions begged to be asked, but our researchers have a specific one...
Kara Vavrosky, RDHEP Selected as One of Top Women in Media
Kara Vavrosky, RDHEP, who is the Co-founder and Chief Content Officer for Today’s RDH, was selected for the 2020 Class of Top Women in Media.
Today’s RDH is a dental website featuring content written primarily by American dental hygienists. Vavrosky is also the administrator for the popular Facebook group, Dental Hygiene with Kara RDH.
The Vancouver, Wash., dental hygienist is one...
Using Computer-Based Technology to Increase Children’s Knowledge of Dental Hygiene
Finland takes oral hygiene and the general health of their children very seriously. In 1970, the World Health Organization set the goal of lowering the number of caries in the mouth of Finnish children aged twelve and under. They intended to lower the current DMFT-Index of seven caries to only three per child. Finland's children had met and surpassed...
Dental Outreach Necessary in Caries Prevention: A Study of Sealants in New Caledonia
In 2016, a sample of 459 six-year-old school children was given dental sealants in New Caledonia, a French territory and island in the South Pacific. Implementation And Impact Of A Dental Preventive Intervention Conducted Within A Health Promotion Program On Health Inequalities: A Retrospective Study by H. Pichot, B. Periera, et al. studies the revisitation of the children a year later...
Using the Big Bang to Improve Dental Care in Australian Indigenous Children
Sanjeewa Kularatna and Ratilal Lalloo, along with a large number of respected colleagues, studied dental hygiene in a certain indigenous tribe in Australia, culminating in their study: Demonstration Of High-Value Care To Improve Oral Health Of Remote Indigenous Community In Australia.
The colleagues studied the children in a remote community in Far North Queensland, Australia, to find out how oral health...