Case 1

35 year old Asian Male with no medical conditions presents himself. Pt have not been to the dentist in approximately 5 years. His main complaint was that he receives pain in the UL quadrant. EO/IO examinations was done and revealed no significant findings. A decision was made to move forward with 4BW’s and a panoramic radiograph could reveal more information to us. Once the panoramic came back, it was revealed that the patient had a Nasal Polyp in the area of his discomfort. The doctor and I explained and discussed the findings with the pt and a referral was made for his to see ENT to have it further evaluated.

Hygienist job is not only to clean teeth but to help identify problems. As shown here, we’re able to help this pt identify the issue at hand so he can be referred out to have that taken care of before it progresses further.

Case 2

56 year old Asian Male with a history of smoking and a partial upper denture. Pt have not been to the dentist in 6 years. He presents himself with denture stomatitis and gross caries on all molars. Pt reports sleeping with the partials on. Advised pt to remove the partial denture before sleeping. Referral was given to have the caries evaluated. Education is a big part of our duties. In this case, I was able to bring his attention to the denture stomatitis and gross caries/decay. Upon follow up, pt claimed to have stop wearing dentures over night. Even though it’s a small step, I’ve made an impact on him even as small as this.