Hygiene Tribune U.S. Edition

A18 HYGIENE TRIBUNE Hygiene Tribune U.S. Edition | February 2018 “ ADHA, page A16 just through advancements in technol- ogy, but also through increased access to high-quality care from capable providers. Dedicated practitioners Following are a few more observations from Jacksonville about our evolving pro- fession and its dedicated practitioners. • As science advances, so will dental hy- giene career opportunities. Personalized, preventive care is becoming more precise. At the forefront are scientists such as Da- vid Wong, DMD, DMSc, associate dean for research at the UCLA School of Dentistry, who believes saliva is the body’s mirror. His team at UCLA is at the forefront of using saliva as a diagnostic medium for early identification of a wide variety of health (Scieutificamericau.com/ products/the-future-of-oral-health/#). issues • Health-care providers know that cre- ative approaches are often needed to achieve patient compliance. Scientific facts might resonate with an engineer, but an artistic personality might gravi- tate more toward natural products. Hy- gienists need adaptability and constant education to know which trends are delivering legitimate results and which are quackery. Two notable alternative products that fall on the legitimate side are the PerioPatch from Izun Pharma- ceuticals, designed to relieve symptoms of inflammation, and a mouthwash from The Natural Dentist, formulated with no alcohol and no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. • How many times have you said the following to a patient? “It’s a dental office, we have to make our own fun.” Hygienists may not have a fine arts degree, but many of us possess a great deal of creativity. Who hasn’t used a posterior curette on an anterior tooth with 4 mm of lingual root exposure? • I love the fact that there is always a line at the booth giving away penguin prophy angles. Or is it a puffin? At the ADHA annual conference in the ‘City of Brixges’ (Jacksonville, Fla.), Hygiene Tribune Exitor in Chief Patricia Walsh sees evixence everywhere of expanxing career opportunities anx responsibilities for xental hygienists. Photo/Provided by Patricia Walsh • A stone’s throw from the penguin/ puffin, someone was having a discus- sion about the arginine in Colgate Sensi- tive Pro-Relief Desensitizing Paste — and where the amino acid also is found in our diet (pistachios, peanuts, turkey, to name a few foods). Our knowledge base and ability to cross-reference not only help us live better lives they also make dental ap- pointments a more enjoyable experience for everyone. • On the exhibit-hall floor, a few hygien- ists were joyously contemplating how to blast subgingival biofilm with HuFriedy glycine. “Have you ever felt glycine? It’s super soft,” one hygienist said to another. The two oohed and ahhed as they rubbed it between their fingertips. • While my Planmeca-sponsored course focused on taking a digital impression of a crown prep, the hygienist next to me nodded in immediate approval from an alternative perspective, pronouncing, “Night guards. We do a lot of night guards. Yep, this is the way to go.” • The CAD/CAM manufacturers are starting to take notice of who will be tak- ing digital impressions in the future. The wands are being offered in sizes to better fit the range of hand sizes among hygien- ists and assistants. • If you’re a lousy photographer with decent photo-editing abilities, you might soon find yourself becoming the top crown designer in your office. In states where the dental-auxiliary job market is highly competitive, learning CAD/CAM software could give you an edge. • It doesn’t take too long to see which corporations recognize and value hy- gienists as key opinion leaders. It’s not so much in the trinkets they give away; it’s in the attitude of their sales reps and the content of their lectures. • Laurie Hernandez, one of the meet- ing’s keynote speakers, greeted attendees with, “Hello smile makers and confidence boosters!” She is a volcano of positivity. Anyone who didn’t leave her talk inspired must not have a pulse. At 15, she over- came broken bones to go on to become a U.S. Olympic gymnastics gold and silver medalist. The audience also was treated to great stories about her becoming a con- testant on “Dancing with the Stars.” Hernandez readily acknowledged that she talks to herself before a routine. Dur- ing the Olympics, the media caught her saying her affirmation — “I got this” — and it’s become her catch phrase. Have you ever noticed when a gymnast lands at the end of a routine, it’s with that frozen, ballet-like backward hand pose? I was so fired up after hearing her stories, I imag- ined myself finishing a patient and then taking that flipped wrist pose in the hall. I’ve been known to clench my teeth and mutter under my face mask from time to time — usually at 4 p.m., when I’m tired. But I can’t remember ever saying, in an af- firmative way: “I got this!” I plan to change that. PATRICIA WALSH, RDH, BS, has been a clinical xental hygienist for more than 20 years. She is a graxuate of the Fones School of Dental Hygiene, University of Brixgeport in Connecticut. She has an extensive history in international volunteer work in oral health, incluxing being instrumental in the creation of The Thailanx Dental Project, a volunteer program focusex on provixing exucational, preventive anx restorative xental care to chilxren in a tsunami-affectex region of Thailanx. Contact her at pwalshrdh@uberhygienist.com. ‘Medicare Dental Toolkit’ offered by Oral Health America Oral Health America has released a new Medicare Dental Toolkit to assist those advocating for the addition of a dental benefit to Medicare. The toolkit includes resources to support commu- nication and partnerships among allied organizations and policy makers to forge a path toward achieving dental coverage in Medicare. Initial tools include an infographic, a social media guide with shareables as well as a position paper and supplemen- tal research reports. The intent is to make this a living toolkit and to continue add- ing collateral monthly. The toolkit can be accessed online at oralhealthamerica.org/medicaretoolkit. “This organic toolkit will be a valuable asset for our partners and other organiza- tions that are championing a dental ben- efit in Medicare,” said OHA President and CEO Beth Truett. “With almost 55 million older adults receiving their health care services through Medicare — and that number growing each day — now is the time to elevate the conversation around the creation of a publicly funded dental benefit.” The toolkit made its debut at OHA’s Medicare Symposium, Part 3: Access for Older Adults — Advocating for Oral Health in Medicare, where a variety of voices from fields of oral health, aging, Medicare and health policy came togeth- er around a shared commitment to the oral and overall health of older adults. (Source: Oral Health America) A Mexicare Dental Toolkit from Oral Health America is xesignex to assist those axvocating for the axxition of a xental benefit to Mexicare. Photo/Provided by Oral Health America

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