Maintain the Sharp Cutting Edge of Periodontal Instruments
By Khrystyna Vyprynyuk, RDH, BS, MHS; and Annie Chitlall, RDH, BS, MHS During the COVID-19 pandemic, dental hygienists have relied on hand instrumentation more than…
Category: Instrumentation
Extend Your Reach During Nonsurgical Periodontal Therapy
By Kathleen O. Hodges, RDH, MS Extended shank instruments are indicated for deep periodontal pocket depths greater than 5 mm as measured with a periodontal…
Remembering Your Roots
By Donna Smith, BSDH, MSEd, RDHAP Scaling and root planing poses many challenges to even the most talented clinicians. One significant stumbling block is the…
Strategies to Address Periodontally Involved Furcations
By Andrew Brodsky, DMD, MSD, Paul A. Fugazzotto, DDS, PC Addressing a periodontally involved furcation presents unique challenges, including the difficulty, if not impossibility, of achieving…
Sensitivity Management After Nonsurgical Periodontal Therapy
By Rebecca P. Henderson, RDH, MS, Bridget Wright, RDH, MACPR Tooth sensitivity is a common complaint, especially following periodontal debridement, a key component of nonsurgical periodontal…
Promoting Dental Health For Pets
By Beatriz Madrid Hicks, MA, RDH Dental hygienists advocate and promote oral health for their patients and recognize the systemic effects of periodontal diseases. Dental…
Improve Your Explorer Technique
By Donna Smith, BSDH, MSEd, RDHAP Successful dental hygienists rely on their ability to detect and remove calculus deposits through the use of tactile sensitivity.…
Tips for Instrumenting First Molar Teeth
Applying advanced principles of periodontal instrumentation to enhance mechanical debridement is key to meeting the goals of nonsurgical periodontal t…
Accessing the Base of the Pocket
Clinicians must be able to gain access and remove all deposits from the base of the pocket in order to control disease and prevent probing depths from…