Trisomy 21, or Down syndrome, is the most common chromosomal disorder, affecting approximately one in 700 live births. It is characterized by an extra copy of chromosome 21, usually due to nondisjunction of the chromosome, resulting in…

Oral health professionals are exposed to infectious agents that can be transmitted to and from clinicians and patients. Fortunately, there are myriad strategies to maintain a safe environment—from effective surface disinfection to donning…

The quality of a mother’s prenatal oral health has been shown to not only affect fetal growth and development, but also her child’s health through infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. This mother-infant relationship is complex…

Dental topical anesthetics are among the most common drugs used in patient care, but their risks and adverse reactions are not always well known; in addition, many practitioners are not well versed in United States Food and Drug…

According to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, 3 million people in the United States have implants. This number is expected to grow by 500,000 each year. As the number of patients with implants continues to rise, so does the risk…

With nearly 3,000 women reaching menopausal age each day in the United States and living 25 years to 30 years beyond its onset, dental hygienists are poised to provide comprehensive care to women before, during, and after menopause.…

In 2015, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) lowered the previously recommended range of optimally fluoridated water from 0.7 ppm to 1.2 ppm to simply 0.7 ppm. The DHHS also reaffirmed the safety and efficacy of…

Childhood obesity is one of the most significant public health challenges of the 21st century, both in the United States and globally. Childhood obesity is a multifactorial disease with risk factors related to genetics, development, and the…

Medical emergencies in dental settings occur for a variety of reasons. A survey revealed that among 2,704 dentists polled over 10 years, more than 13,000 medical emergencies took place. The chief reason is an increase in the number of older…

The use of animal-assisted interventions in health-care settings is an evidence-based practice. There are two types of animal-assisted interventions used in health-care settings: animal-assisted therapy (AAT) and animal-assisted activities…