The field of Dental hygiene, like any other field of medicine and healthcare, is constantly growing and evolving. I am a firm believer that we, as healthcare providers, need to stay committed to continuing education and staying up to date with the latest trends and best practices in the field. This will enable me to meet my goals of being an experienced and professional hygienist who can provide the best possible care to my patients. In fact, I wrote an entire essay to illustrate and drive my point home.

To achieve this, I have actively participated in and written several research papers on various dental hygiene topics. These topics range from potentially life-saving tobacco cessation to various conditions and treatment modalities that we will face as hygienists and an increasingly critical component of our daily lives—access to care. 

A sampling of some of the various papers and presentations I have written are available below.

 

Tobacco Cessation

This article provides a comprehensive overview of tobacco and its potential effects on oral health. Smoking cessation techniques are useful for many patients who have difficulty quitting. As an oral health care provider, it is our job to educate and inform the patient that the risk of oral cancer has increased recently due to the increased advertising of various types of smoking aids and products. Many patients feel that using a water pipe/ hookah negates all those ill effects, which my research paper shows is not true. 

This article provides valuable information to help me educate my patients on how to quit smoking and lead a healthier lifestyle.

Tobacco Cessation and Water Pipes

 

SDF – Randomised Clinical Trial

This article analyzes the effectiveness of silver diamine fluoride in arresting enamel caries.  The authors conducted a randomized clinical trial comparing the efficacy of 38 % Silver Diamond Fluoride (SDF) and 5 % Sodium Fluoride (NaF) in preventing early childhood caries, popularly known as ECC. Silver diamine fluoride effectively stops dentinal carious lesions without pulpal effect.  The most significant disadvantage of SDF is that it is not aesthetically pleasing as it stains the carious lesions black.

 

This study showed that both SDF and NaF were equally effective in halting enamel caries. It also showed that other variables, including tooth- and child-related factors, influence enamel caries’ progression. This finding highlights the significance of encouraging parents and other caregivers to brush their children’s teeth with fluoride toothpaste and topical fluorides applied by professionals. Because of the multifactorial nature of ECC, fluoride therapy is not the only intervention. It should be used with great oral cleanliness, restricting kids’ sugar consumption and enhancing follow-up visits with caries risk appraisal. This is where we, as hygienists, can use evidence-based practices to advise our patients and their parents about the importance of regular visits, fluoride application, and nutrition.  

This article is a great way to understand research and to provide helpful information to prove the effectiveness of specific products or procedures. 

Clinical Trial of SDF effects on Enamel Caries

 

Trigeminal Neuralgia and Bell’s Palsy

This article discusses the differences between two similar but very different conditions that we, as hygienists,, should be well versed in – Trigeminal Neuralgia and Bell’s palsy. Trigeminal neuralgia affects the Trigeminal nerve ( Cranial nerve V). It is often described as severe shock-like pain that causes sudden, short-lasting, stabbing, and repetitive pain in one or more branches of the affected nerve. Bell’s palsy affects the Facial nerve (Cranial nerve VII). It presents with an acute facial paralysis that causes sudden weakness on one side of the face, resulting in muscle wasting and damage. As health professionals, we will see these two conditions clinically in our patient population. Knowing the signs and symptoms and the inherent differences between these two conditions, will help in providing them with the best care possible in the most gentle and caring way possible.  

Trigeminal Neuralgia , Bells Palsy

 

Aneurysmal Bone Cyst

This paper on Aneurysmal Bone cyst, cutely abbreviated as “ABC,” discusses the condition, its signs and symptoms, management, and treatment. Knowing this will help me as a hygienist as I encounter this condition in the general public that I plan to treat. 

Aneurysmal Bone Cyst

 

Down Syndrome

This presentation on Down syndrome helps us better understand the condition. Within our scope of practice, we hygienists should be ready to treat all patients with the same level of care and understanding. Making a difference in the oral health of a person with Down syndrome may go slowly at first, but determination can bring positive results—and invaluable rewards.

Down Syndrome

 

Access to Oral Health Care

This article deals with the importance of access to care. Based initially on the eye-opening PBS Documentary “ Dollars and Dentists,” along with further research into this topic, I was shocked to learn that conditions in some parts of the US are similar to what would be expected in a Third World country.  Access to good quality care is fast becoming a complex and critical problem, affecting not just a couple of people but the vast majority of our population. Focusing on prevention rather than traditional treatment will help at least lessen the stress on the system.  This will also reduce the expenses and monies involved in oral health care, providing many families relief as they struggle to decide what is more important to spend their dollars on. 

As hygienists, we are well-equipped to provide our patients with excellent preventative services, from education and oral care instructions to nutrition.

Access to Oral Health Care

 

100 Years of Dental Hygiene

This paper was written uniquely to mark the 100 Years of Dental Hygiene. The main thrust was to answer the question – “ What have been the advances made in the dental hygiene field over the past 100 years? What role do we have to play in advancing the profession forward?” 

While looking back at what advancements have been made is necessary, we as future hygienists should keep our sights on what the future holds for us and our profession.  Breakthrough discoveries and the latest technological advancements are vital to pushing our profession beyond our current scope. This will enable us to provide our patients with the latest and most outstanding care they can get – something I wonder if Irene Newman thought of when she became the first dental hygienist! 

100 Years of Dental Hygiene