Endodontic Diagnosis for the Dental Hygienist
By Eugene A. Pantera, JR, DDS, MS, Carole T. Pantera, DDS, MS Dental hygienists play an important part in the identification and treatment of oral disease, including…
Caring for Patients With Diabetes
By Kelly K. Shutoff, RDH, BSDH, MEd, Linda D. Boyd, RDH, RD, EdD Diabetes is a chronic disease with increasing incidence and prevalence in the United States.1,2 According…
Maintaining the Oral Health of Patients With Sjögren’s Syndrome
By Ava J. Wu, DDS Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that affects the salivary and lacrimal glands, resulting in the classic presentation…
Caring for Patients Who Consume Cannabis
By Karen M. Portillo, RDH, MSDH, Tammy R. Sanderson, RDH, MSDH, JoAnn R. Gurenlian, RDH, MS, PhD, AFAAOM Although the medical and recreational use of cannabis is illegal…
Extreme Body Modifications
By Anna Matthews, RDH, MS, Gwen Cohen Brown, DDS, FAAOMP, Sandra Stramoski, RDH, MSDH Body modifications, such as tattoos, piercings, and branding/scarification, have been used by humans for…
Improve Patient Communication
By Christina Calleros, RDH, MS, Diana B. Aboytes, RDH, MS For patients who only understand a portion of the information provided by health care professionals, it is…
The Ethics of Off-Label Drug Use
By Kristen M. Stephens, RDH, MS, JoAnn R. Gurenlian, RDH, MS, PhD, AFAAOM Although medical advances have made it possible for individuals to live longer, advanced age…
A Regulatory Look At Nitrous Oxide Delivery
By Diana B. Aboytes, RDH, MS Fear and anxiety remain prevalent among dental patients. These feelings are not only associated with specific dental procedures, but studies…
The Role of Gloves in Breaking the Chain of Infection
By Nancy Goodwin, CDA, RDH, MEd More than 30 years have passed since oral health professionals switched from wearing virtually no personal protective equipment (PPE) to…