While treating a periodontal maintenance patient, a substitute dental hygienist suggested that locally delivered antibiotics (LDA) should not be placed without first performing scaling and root planing. This patient had undergone scaling…

One of my patients asked me about using activated charcoal to whiten teeth. While I had not heard of this before, upon a Google search, it seems to be a popular approach to at-home bleaching. How should I advise my patients on this trend?

Black hairy tongue is a condition of the dorsal tongue, on which there is an overgrowth or elongation of the filiform papillae.

Heart disease is the leading killer of both men and women, so assessment of current cardiac status and risk factors for heart disease are essential during the health history review.

Our instruments are sharpened once per month at best. What is the average lifespan of hand instruments that are used and sterilized at least twice per day?

I want to give a child the best chance of reversing the lesions with fluoride but I am concerned about exposing her to too much fluoride. What is the correct protocol?

Are there laws governing how many patients a dental hygienist can treat per day and whether he or she should be provided with a daily patient schedule?

The Ask the Expert column features answers to your most pressing clinical questions.

The Ask the Expert column features answers to your most pressing clinical questions.

How often do medical histories need updating?