How often does a patient's medical history need to undergo a comprehensive update?

I have been practicing dental hygiene for 11 years and am right-hand dominant. I try routinely to sit properly, adjust my body throughout the day, and use magnification, yet I suffer from right shoulder stiffness and sometimes pain by the…

Can dental hygienists recommend vitamin supplements to patients? Are there limits within dental hygienists' scope of practice on providing nutritional counseling?

I have more than 30 years of experience as a clinical dental hygienist in Massachusetts. I thought that diagnosis and treatment planning were outside of dental hygienists' scope of practice and that these duties were the purview of dentists…

I am starting a position in a practice that serves a large number of patients who are medically compromised due to infectious diseases. I know wounds and needle sticks that occur during dental procedures are a common avenue of pathogenic…

What is the best method for applying topical fluoride?

I often suggest to patients who experience mild sensitivity caused by at-home whitening treatment to reduce any excess solution in the tray by using a Q-tip to apply it directly to the teeth. For very sensitive patients, I also recommend…

When providing selective scaling and root planing, what type of anesthetic injections would you recommend for a patient who has 5 mm to 7 mm pockets on the distal of #7 and the mesial of #4?

I have been experiencing sharp, aching pain in my right wrist and arm at seemingly random intervals. The dentist suggested taking ibuprofen, but it doesn't seem to help. How can I prevent this pain from recurring?

Several of my patients who take bisphosphonates to treat their osteoporosis have been questioning their safety. One has asked whether calcium or vitamin D supplements provide the same benefits. How do I best advise them?