Dental hygienists need to be familiar with vaccination recommendations in order to protect themselves from exposure to infectious diseases and educate patients about the importance of immunizations.

Dry mouth/xerostomia are common conditions that need a multifaceted approach to mitigate symptoms.

Improving communication between providers, increasing use of alternative pain control mechanisms, and creating evidence-based prescribing guidelines will reduce the unintended distribution of prescription opioids.

Oral health professionals have unique skills that can be invaluable to emergency preparedness teams.

Dental hygienists are well positioned to recognize the symptoms of elder abuse.

With applications ranging from soft tissue surgery to sealant and caries preparations, dental lasers represent a viable treatment modality for this patient population.

A collaborative treatment plan is necessary for patients undergoing radiotherapy for head and neck cancer, as they are susceptible to side effects that manifest in various tissues of the oral cavity.

Oral health professionals who are well versed in the new guidelines will be best prepared to handle the implications on patient care.

These antioxidants provide anti-inflammatory, anticariogenic, and anticarcinogenic effects.

Identifying and addressing oral complications are essential to successful management of this chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease.