Dimensions Articles

By Richard D. Trushkowsky, DDS, FAGD, FICD, FACD, FADM Dentin hypersensitivity is one of the most common painful conditions affecting oral comfort and function.1 The Canadian consensus document has defined it as “pain derived from exposed dentin in response to chemical, thermal, tactile or osmotic stimuli which cannot be explained as arising from any other dental defect or disease.2 It...

By Eswar Kandaswamy, BDS and Purnima S. Kumar, DDS, PhD Part 1 of a two-part series. Part two will focus on managing additional oral complications in this patient population and will appear in a future issue. While cancer has typically been associated with significant mortality, therapeutic advances have in­creased the number of cancer survivors. However, the disease and...

By Jennifer Harmon, RDH, MS and Jennifer L. Brame, RDH, MS One of the greatest challenges for achieving and maintaining a healthy periodontium is biofilm management. Plaque biofilm is the primary etiology for gingival diseases; therefore, disruption and removal slow down progression of the inflammatory process. Most subgingival biofilm within pockets cannot be reached by conventional toothbrushes, floss,...

By Theodoros Katsaros, DDS, MSD As with any type of oral health care, the progression toward a correct diagnosis when providing periodontal therapy involves data collection and analysis from the clinical and radiographic examination, as well as the patient interview. A well-organized and complete periodontal disease classification system that is based on the most recent scientific knowledge is...

By Kathleen O. Hodges, RDH, MS First molar teeth present a challenge for clinicians’ professional care and patients’ self-care. Not only do first molars demonstrate complex anatomy, they are at increased risk for increased probing depths, clinical attachment loss, and bone loss when compared with single-rooted and more anterior teeth. * References can be found in the original...

By Meghan A. McGuinness, RDH, BS, MA, EdD The process of remineralization remains crucial to preventing caries and arresting incipient lesions.1 As prevention specialists, dental hygienists are well-positioned to make clinical recommendations regarding diet, oral self-care, and product selection. Clinicians should use a caries management by risk assessment (CAMBRA) approach to determine best practices for treatment and at-home recommendations...

By JoNell Bly, RDH, BS Ergonomics is the scientific discipline that is concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and their professions.1 The desired outcome of ergonomic science is to fit the work to the worker in a manner that can help individuals achieve job performance objectives while maintaining their health and well-being. As dental hygienists strive to...

By Kathryn Bell, RDH, EPDH, MS Pain control is an important aspect of patient care. Most restorative procedures and nonsurgical periodontal therapy require pain management in some form. Many patients experience anxiety related to dental visits for reasons such as prior painful experiences or negative interactions with dental personnel.1 For these patients, providing pain control can be challenging. For...

By Kristin Baumann, RDH, BS, MPH, Michelle Boyce, RDH, BSDH, DHSc, Donna Catapano-Martinez, CDA, RDH, DHSc Respiratory infections—both chronic and acute—contributed to 6 million deaths in 2016, and they are highly communicable.1–3 Many respiratory infections have been linked to the microbial inhabitants of the oral cavity.4–10 Dental procedures that use low- and high-speed handpieces, laser or electrosurgery units, ultrasonic scalers,...

By Durinda Mattana, RDH, BSDH, MS What is the current research on the efficacy of chlorhexidine varnish for root caries compared with fluoride varnish? * References can be found in the original article via the link below. Read Article