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Dental Tribune U.S. Edition

Hygiene Tribune U.S. Edition | August 2013D2 HYGIENE TRIBUNE Tell us what you think! Do you have general comments or criticism you would like to share? Is there a particular topic you would like to see articles about in Hygiene Tribune? Let us know by emailing feedback@dental-tribune.com. We look forward to hearing from you! If you would like to make any change to your subscription (name, address or to opt out) please send us an e-mail at database@dental-tribune.com and be sure to include which publication you are referring to. Also, please note that subscription changes can take up to 6 weeks to process. Publisher & Chairman Torsten Oemus t.oemus@dental-tribune.com President & Chief exeCutive OffiCer Eric Seid e.seid@dental-tribune.com GrOuP editOr Kristine Colker k.colker@dental-tribune.com editOr in Chief dental tribune Dr. David L. Hoexter feedback@dental-tribune.com editOr in Chief hyGiene tribune Patricia Walsh, RDH feedback@dental-tribune.com manaGinG editOr Robert Selleck r.selleck@dental-tribune.com manaGinG editOr Fred Michmershuizen f.michmershuizen@dental-tribune.com manaGinG editOr Sierra Rendon s.rendon@dental-tribune.com PrOduCt/aCCOunt manaGer Jan Agostaro j.agostaro@dental-tribune.com marketinG direCtOr Anna Kataoka-Wlodarczyk a.wlodarczyk@dental-tribune.com eduCatiOn direCtOr Christiane Ferret c.ferret@dtstudyclub.com aCCOuntinG COOrdinatOr Nirmala Singh n.singh@dental-tribune.com Tribune America, LLC 116 West 23rd Street, Suite 500 New York, NY 10011 Phone (212) 244-7181 Published by Tribune America © 2013 Tribune America, LLC All rights reserved. Tribune America strives to maintain the utmost ac- curacy in its news and clinical reports. If you find a factual error or content that requires clarification, please contact Managing Editor Robert Selleck at r.selleck@dental-tribune.com. Tribune America cannot assume responsibility for the validity of product claims or for typographical errors. The publisher also does not assume respon- sibility for product names or statements made by advertisers. Opinions expressed by authors are their own and may not reflect those of Tribune America. editOrial bOard Dr. Joel Berg Dr. L. Stephen Buchanan Dr. Arnaldo Castellucci Dr. Gorden Christensen Dr. Rella Christensen Dr. William Dickerson Hugh Doherty Dr. James Doundoulakis Dr. David Garber Dr. Fay Goldstep Dr. Howard Glazer Dr. Harold Heymann Dr. Karl Leinfelder Dr. Roger Levin Dr. Carl E. Misch Dr. Dan Nathanson Dr. Chester Redhead Dr. Irwin Smigel Dr. Jon Suzuki Dr. Dennis Tartakow Dr. Dan Ward Tell us what you think! Do you have general comments or criticism you would like to share? Is there a particular topic you would like to see articles about in Hygiene Tribune? Let us know by emailing feedback@dental-tribune.com. We look forward to hearing from you! If you would like to make any change to your subscription (name, address or to opt out) please send us an email at database@dental- tribune.com and be sure to include which publication you are referring to. Also, please note that subscription changes can take up to six weeks to process. MEETINGS Ad identification is www.0rad.org. A clini- cian can be guided along by answering simple questions about the abnormality. You’ll be asked to enter age, gender, bor- ders, loculation and location. The web- site will give you a list of the most prob- able or typical lesions that match your entries. I hope I never see evidence of metatastic breast cancer show up on one of my pans, but it’s entirely possible. The radiographic improvements that have transpired increase our responsibilities as clinicians. Technology has furthered our role as holistic health care providers. I have an old-school physician who was never much for vitamins other than Cal- cium and D when I turned 50. Now and then I’ve read something on a dental blog about an exciting new oil or a vitamin combo that has left me scratching my head. If so-and-so is this excited about it, then it must be great. One year I sat intrigued by a hygienist pushing “gin- gival” vitamin powder rubs — after her lecture on lasers. The more high-tech the subject, the more credible the educator? When I wrote to a top nutritionist — a professor emeritus at a prestigious den- tal school — his response was chilling. Not only was it a profound, “No. It doesn’t do anything,” but he followed it up with a scoulding: “Patty, you’re a smart girl, stop reading the blogs. Read PubMed.” His mantra seemed to be if they are selling their book after the lecture, take what they say with a grain of salt. His words were resounding in my head when I went on a hunt for an antioxidant gel at the ADHA convention booths. A well-respected periodontist I know had been using it to fight inflammation in patients who did not seem to respond to traditional treatment. If it’s good enough for him, it’s good enough for me. The hygiene blogs were all buzzing about it as well. The company did not have a booth at the convention, and I was dis- appointed. I was ready to put their reps’ feet to the fire and ask about clinical trials. As they said in Dragnet: “Just the facts ma’am, just the facts.” Perhaps the product will turn up in another year, at another big meeting. My first hygiene textbook, “The Clini- cal Practice of the Dental Hygienist” (AKA, The Book of Esther) may be “old testament,” but it is the foundation of a vibrant and growing profession. Re- cently, California approved self regula- tion for hygienists, who will now dictate their own education and licenser re- quirements and control the profession's ethical standards. Californians have al- ways been trendsetters. If it is a left-of- center fashion statement, it probably got its start in California. (The jury is still out on wearing Uggs boots with short ◊ REFLECTIONS, page D1