Hygiene Tribune U.S. Edition

f HT page 1C HYGIENE TRIBUNE | OctOber 2011 Clinical 3C magnetostrictive, piezo-electric or even a sonic scaler, it will be one of the most important pur- chases you make. Invest in your- self. You are worth it. Your hands are worth it. Make time for regular mas- sages with a licensed massage therapist (LMT) who has in-depth knowledge of hands. My LMT knows what I do for a living, and that I have had multiple surgeries on my right hand. She carefully works on my arms, hands and shoulders, keeping the muscles in good shape, and the interstitial spaces between the bones open. Even if you have to sched- ule a regular manicure to get a good hand massage, take the time. Learn what those simple to mention struggling with stub- born lips, cheeks and tongues. Over the years, the force of con- stant pinching wears down the cartilage that is meant to protect the ends of the bones and help them move freely against each other. When that cartilage is worn away, the grinding of bone on bone gets painful, very painful. Consider the mathematical problem of transference of pounds of pressure from the fingertips to the base of the joint where it meets the wrist. One pound of pressure at the fingertips increas- es anywhere from 10 to 16 times by the time it gets to the CMC joint. My surgeon has a gage to measure how much pressure one can exert with a pinch force. I can apply 12 pounds at my fingertips. So let’s see, that’s 120 pounds, at the very least, by the time it gets to the CMC joint. That’s a lot of pressure, and dental hygienists exert this force all day long and over a period of many years. CMC arthritis symptoms Most likely, the first symptom that is noticed is soreness and sometimes swelling in the pad of muscle at the base of the thumb. Another is difficulty putting your hand flat on the floor, especial- ly trying to support your weight while doing pilates, yoga or push- ups. Weakness in your grip is anoth- er symptom. I experienced sharp pains that radiated up my arm when I would turn the steering wheel of my car. Fatigue occurs after doing things that never bothered you before. When you are fatigued, you start compensating by posi- tioning your arm and shoulder in weird ways. The problem is then compounded. However, don’t self diagnose if you feel discomfort. Go see a hand specialist. He or she will take an X-ray in order to make a final diagnosis of CMC arthritis. Work smarter to work longer After 40 years as a dental hygien- ist, two things come to mind. First, never use dull instruments. The duller they are, the harder you have to grip in order to remove any deposits on your patient’s teeth. The harder you grip, the more potential damage you do to your most important assets: those two money makers that are attached to the ends of your arms. Look at them. They are the only two hands you will ever be given. I like to keep two or three sets of sharp instruments in an easily accessible place to switch out at a moment’s notice. Some hygien- ists keep a sharpening stone with each setup and sharpen as need- ed during the appointment. Second, use powered scalers as often as you can. If you have to purchase your own, whether it be stretches and massage techniques are so you can teach someone else to do it for you every day. We know the importance of back care exercises, so why not give our hands the same consid- eration? Try this simple exercise. Place your hand, palm down on the seat of your chair and slightly spread your fingers. Now sit on your hand, slowly straighten your elbow, and hold it there for sever- al seconds. Do this at each break you have. That little trick counter- acts the position your hands have been in all day. The practice of dental hygiene is hard on us physically. We all need to be pro-active in our physi- cal care, just as we advise our patients in the preventive care for AD About the author C o l e n e W. House has been a clinical den- tal hygienist for 40 years and has a passion for r e s e a r c h - ing CMC a r t h r i t i s . House may be reached at colenehouse1257@ charter.net. their teeth. Be smart. Practice smart. Take care of those amazing opposable thumbs. HT