The As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) radiation safety principle is important for oral health professionals to adopt—and is even more essential when treating pediatric patients because radiation exposure poses a significant risk to…

The dental profession relies heavily on disinfectants to manage clinical contact surfaces that may become contaminated with bodily fluids during dental treatment.

Synthetic cannabinoids are classified as new psychoactive substances, which are recently introduced mind-altering chemicals designed to imitate common illegal drugs.

In 2012, more than 255 million prescriptions were written, which is enough to give every American adult his or her own bottle of opioids.

Patient care involves treating a broad spectrum of individuals described in many ways, such as diverse patient family, demographically diverse, or representative of the culture or cultures living in a specific community. Diversity can be…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex, lifelong developmental disability that impairs communication, as well as social, behavioral, and intellectual functioning. As a catchall term, ASD includes autistic disorder, pervasive…

Biofilms are composed of bacteria adhering to each other or to living or nonliving surfaces. If not removed regularly, a complex and mature biofilm develops, with up to 100 bacterial species at a single site. Supra- and subgingival oral…

For patients who only understand a portion of the information provided by health care professionals, it is nearly impossible to take medications properly, access appropriate services, and obtain accurate diagnoses. Language barriers and…

We are charged with addressing and managing anxiety during dental treatment, and the use of nitrous oxide is highly effective in treating this type of dental fear. Dental hygienists are allowed to administer N2O-O2 in some states, but not…

We practice in a variety of settings—private practice, public health, academia, and research, to name a few. As essential members of the oral health care team, we may provide treatment to people of various cultural backgrounds and belief…