A Tale of Two Hygienists Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Fast Facts: Perio Edition "Aggressive Perio" May 03, 2021

Show notes

On this week's episode of Fast Facts - Perio Edition your host, Katrina Sanders, RDH talks to us about Periodontal diagnostics systems that have been used, and the current system in place highlighting the 1999 classification of "aggressive perio".

Quotes:

"I think we can all agree that in 1999 things were a bit different, remember, everybody was wearing Tamagotchi's and wearing jelly shoes and slap bracelets and scrunchies. Now we know better."

" It was believed that this patient had high quantities of a bacteria called Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. And so because of that, we basically said, you've got aggressive perio."

"The AAP published in 2018 that as of right now, there's no evidence of specific pathophysiology, which is just a fancy term for we can't really say patients that have this aggressive rapid rate onset of disease is a patient who has high quantities of a specific type of bacteria. "

Resources:

DentistRX: https://www.dentistrx.com

More Fast Facts: https://www.ataleoftwohygienists.com/fast-facts/

Katrina Sanders Website: https://www.katrinasanders.com

Katrina Sanders Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedentalwinegenist/

Sources:

Tonetti, M. S., Greenwell, H., & Kornman, K. S. (2018). Staging and grading of periodontitis: Framework and proposal of a new classification and case definition.Journal of periodontology,89, S159-S172.

TIPisode Don't Worry About Splatter Apr 30, 2021

Show notes

On this weeks TIPisode, brought to you by Young Dental we are joined by Whitney Howerton, MDH, RDH to disuss the biofilm and stain removal process, highlighting the Young Splatter Guard Prophy Angles! Episode Highlights

Hygiene Process of Care
Polishing
Young Dental - Splatter Guard Prophy Angle
Word of the day - Innovation

Quotes "We may not think about each step of the dental hygiene process of care, but we are completing it for every single patient." "Only 80% of patients have returned to practice." "Did you ever think you would need to decide whether or not to polish your patient?" "Many patients feel the polishing part of the appointment is the cleaning part." "Did you know the average turnover rate of patients is 20%?" "With the Young Splatter Guard Prophy Angle you don't have to worry about the splatter." "9/10 dental processionals reported a significant reduction or complete elimination of splatter." "I do not miss the frustration of the patients with facial hair that seems to be a magnet for prophy paste." Links Young SPLATTER GUARD® https://info.youngdental.com/splatterguard

277 Hygiene Edge Takeover: Increasing Cultural Competency Apr 28, 2021

Show notes

Please Leave a Review!

THIS EPISODE COUNTS FOR CE! - but read the disclaimers it might not count for your state.

Go here to take the test and get your free CE Credit!

Jessica Atkinson, MEd, BSDH, RDH, and Melia Lewis, MEd, BSDH, RDH of 'Hygiene Edge' co-host the podcast this week, and welcome Dr. Lisa Welch to discuss what steps Dental Hygiene Educators can take to increase cultural competency. Very much an expert in this field, Dr. Welch holds an Associates in Dental Hygiene from DSU Dixie state university, a BS Hons Applied Biology: Biochemistry from Lancashire Polytechnic UK, her Masters' in Dental Hygiene from Idaho State University, and her Doctorate in Education for Health Professions from A. T. Still University of Health Sciences. Dr. Welch brings her vast amount of expertise to the conversation today, delving into the minority health disparities which exist today, and looking at ways to bring about change in this area.

Our hosts begin by sharing some startling statistics from the CDC and Dr. Welch's own research regarding these disparities, uncover her reasons for pursuing this research, and reviewing her Cultural Competency Assessment and its findings. Together with Dr. Welch, they go on to share ideas about bridging the gap between awareness and implementation of cultural competency through some valuable resources, core curriculum changes, clinic experiences, cultural assessments and behaviors, and, above all, making connections. Concluding with a summary of steps that can be implemented immediately, today's episode presents the perfect combination of a statistical, theoretical, and thoroughly practical analysis of this critical public health issue, providing listeners with both a foundation of understanding and a call to action.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

Interview starts: 2:45

Some CDC statistics regarding health disparities among minority populations
Why Dr. Welch chose cultural competency for her doctorate degree
Her research and statistics
The Cultural Competency Assessment and its results
Ideas on how to bridge the gap between awareness and implementation
The Think Cultural Health website
Building cultural competency into core curriculum
Enhancing cultural competency through clinic experiences
Examples of implementing cultural concept behaviors
Melia's example of a cultural competence concern
Cultural barriers
High and low context culture
Cultural assessments
Building connections through culturally competent behaviors
A summary of practical steps to begin taking immediately

QUOTES:

"You have to start by teaching the educators."

"We just have to try and do the best we can and learn as much as we can about other people's backgrounds so we can associate and be empathetic and understand their challenges more."

"We're not getting to the people who need us the most."

"One of the ways that cultural competency is increasing is with experience."

"As an educator, if you're not even aware for yourself you can't provide those experiences to your students."

"If I never had these culture experiences before, the whole appointment could have just gone haywire."

"One of the biggest areas we're going to face in the U. S. is a language barrier."

"It's very important to understand that not everybody thinks and feels the same way as you do."

"You can't speak every language, you can't know every nuance about every culture, but you need to be sensitive that there are differences and at least be aware and make an effort and know where the resources are. And that's the cultural behavior aspect."

"Whatever language, if you just know a little bit it makes the biggest difference. If you can say 'Thank you' or 'I was happy to be with you', things like that make a huge difference."

"I can't give you literature to say this has been done and it works because it's not out there."

"Everyone in the world just needs to have a little bit more culture competency to our neighbors and our communities and our friends."

LINKS:

A Tale of Two Hygienists homepage - https://ataleoftwohygienists.com/

AToTH on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/aTaleOfTwoHygienists/

AToTH on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ataleoftwohygienists

AToTH on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/atoth/?originalSubdomain=ca

PDT Homepage

Investigation of the Cultural Competence of Dental Hygienists Practicing in a Region of Low Diversity

Think Cultural Health Homepage

Fast Facts: Perio Edition "Periodontal Diagnostics" Apr 26, 2021

Show notes

On this week's episode of Fast Facts - Perio Edition your host, Katrina Sanders, RDH talks to us about Periodontal diagnostics systems that have been used, and the current system in place!

Quotes:

"I think we can all acknowledge that throughout time the AAP has been making a lot of these changes and you guys, some of them have been for the better and some of them have just made things more confusing!"

"What we did need to acknowledge, though, is that in 1999 what we did was we began to advise that perio isn't just one dimensional, it's not just slight, moderate or severe."

Resources:

DentistRX: https://www.dentistrx.com

More Fast Facts: https://www.ataleoftwohygienists.com/fast-facts/

Katrina Sanders Website: https://www.katrinasanders.com

Katrina Sanders Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedentalwinegenist/

TIPisode Elevating CARE: Education Is What Unites Us Apr 23, 2021

Show notes

This week on A Tale of Two Hygienists TIPisode we are joined by Steve Pardue to talk about continuing education opportunities through Elevate Oral Care, highlighting the work they have done with CAMBRA! Episode Highlights

Elevating Care (www.elevateoralcare.com/elevatingcare)
New Content
CAMBRA

Quotes "The time has never been better to take advantage of these free CE courses." "As hygienists the time you spend with a patient is a valuable asset in determining periodontal involvement and caries risk levels." "The pandemic has given us a shift in our lives, and that just might allow us to branch out into new areas of dentistry and dental hygiene." Links www.elevateoralcare.com/elevatingcare Staff Meetings: http://www.elevateoralcare.com/Staff-Meetings Elevate Oral Care Website: http://www.elevateoralcare.com Elevate Oral Care Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elevateoralcare Elevate Oral Care Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevate_oral_care/ More TIPisodes: https://www.ataleoftwohygienists.com/tipisodes/ AToTH Website: https://www.ataleoftwohygienists.com

276 Getting High On Cannabis Knowledge With Tom Viola, RPh, CCP Apr 21, 2021

Show notes

Please Leave a Review!

THIS EPISODE COUNTS FOR CE! - but read the disclaimers it might not count for your state.

Go here to take the test and get your free CE Credit!

This week, Andrew and Michelle welcome back one of their regular and much loved guests, Tom Viola, R.Ph., C.C.P., aka 'Mr. Pharmacology'. As many of you will already know, Tom has over 30 years' experience as a pharmacist, educator, speaker and author, who specializes in providing overviews and insights into the most prevalent oral and systemic diseases and the most frequently prescribed drugs used in their treatment. With April being National Cannabis Awareness Month, Tom joins our hosts for an in depth discussion regarding cannabis and the world of dentistry.

They begin their discussion by sharing their differing perspectives on post-pandemic life, announcing Michelle's explosive life changing decision, and introducing a fascinating new project in which Tom is involved. From there, they take a deep dive into what cannabis is, where its active ingredients are found, the reasons for the lack of research and understanding about it, and, above all, the need for further exploration regarding its potential. Tom also explains the many aspects of dentistry which cannabis can and will impact, the importance of determining patient substance abuse concerns, and he finishes by offering his valuable advice regarding access to cannabis and exposure to vaping aerosol particles. Knowledgeable, articulate, and always entertaining, Tom has a lot to teach everyone on the role and impact of cannabis use in the dentistry world, and he shares so much of that with listeners here today.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

Interview starts: 15:50

Differing perspectives on post-pandemic life
Michelle's big life change
Getting to know Tom
'Medical History Mysteries'
The need for more cannabis exploration
The legal quagmire surrounding cannabis in the US and the resulting lack of research and 'big pharma' involvement with it
What cannabis is and why it's a controlled substance
The active ingredients in cannabis and extracting them
Vaping, oral oils and their effects
What cannabis does to you and the many aspects of dentistry it impacts
Comparing cannabis and tobacco smoking
Helping cannabis using patients protect themselves
Determining patient substance abuse concerns
Tom's advice regarding access to cannabis and exposure to vaping aerosol particles

QUOTES:

"If I never have to go into a grocery store again – done."

"Cannabis needs more exploration…it holds so much potential."

"Our patients are more expert on cannabis than we are."

"The flowers are where everything's at."

"It's that pseudo-science that's promoting cannabis and killing it at the same time."

"It's a bunch of sexually frustrated female plants who are trying desperately to find pollen."

"The majority of this industry is trading in the extracts."

"That's a systemic dilemma, if you will."

"I know a lot of people who do an edible before bedtime. That's their routine."

"I think Tom just needs a better dealer, is what it sounds like."

"A lot of people do pre-treat for their dental anxiety with cannabis."

"We don't know a lot about cannabis and its effects."

"A lot of people use cannabis to replace opioids."

"Trust me, children have greater access to cannabis than they ever did."

'At the end of the day, vaping's not vapor. It's aerosol."

LINKS:

A Tale of Two Hygienists homepage - https://ataleoftwohygienists.com/

AToTH on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/aTaleOfTwoHygienists/

AToTH on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ataleoftwohygienists

AToTH on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/atoth/?originalSubdomain=ca

PDT homepage

Medical History Mysteries

Tom's homepage

Tom's ATOTH Episodes

"Bomb.wav" by jobro: https://freesound.org/people/jobro/sounds/76151/

Fast Facts: Perio Edition "Hypertension and Periodontitis: A Causal Link" Apr 19, 2021

Show notes

On this week's episode of Fast Facts - Perio Edition your host, Katrina Sanders, RDH talks to us about an article in Hypertension, a journal issued by the American Heart Association in March of 2021 that discusses a causal link between periodontitis and hypertension.

Quotes:

"The study itself found that patients with severe perio, stage three and stage four gum disease were 2x more likely to have an elevated systolic blood pressure and 50% more likely to also have elevated diastolic blood pressures."

"This elevated blood pressure, although usually asymptomatic, was occurring in individuals that were otherwise unaware that they were at an increased risk of cardiovascular complications."

Resources:

DentistRX: https://www.dentistrx.com

More Fast Facts: https://www.ataleoftwohygienists.com/fast-facts/

Katrina Sanders Website: https://www.katrinasanders.com

Katrina Sanders Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedentalwinegenist/

Sources

Munoz, et al. Association Between Periodontitis and Blood Pressure Highlighted in Systemically Healthy Individuals. Hypertension. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1161/HPYERTENSIONAHA.120.16790

https://www.drbicuspid.com/index.aspx?sec=prtf&sub=def&pag=dis&itemId=328315&printpage=true&fsec=sup&fsub=hyg

Whitening Science: Removing The Smoke And Mirrors With Paul Sagel - **Bonus** Apr 18, 2021

Show notes

On this A Tale of Two Hygienists bonus episode powered by Crest Oral-B we are joined by Paul Sagel. Paul is a top innovator at Procter & Gamble, inventor of Crest Whitestrips, Crest HD and a new innovation, Crest Whitening Emulsions. Paul joins us to talk about all things whitening. Spoiler alert, both Michelle and Andrew learned things about the whitening process they didn't know and this episode broke down and explained some whitening myths!

Episode Highlights:

Paul's background
Development
What makes whitening "tick"
Product design and stability
Sensitivity
Whitening actives
Contact time and concentration
Crest Whitening Emulsions
LED light
Patient conversations
Whitening your teeth improves your oral health

Quotes:

"I look at people's teeth and think that is so easy to fix."

"There is an interesting thing with the symmetry of your face, particularly if your eyes and teeth are drastically different colors."

"You really don't need a very thick layer of peroxide on the tooth's surface to whiten."

"I put some of the composition on the plastic food wrap and I said this is it!"

"When we started doing this there was virtually no research out there to show that bleaching was safe."

"As we take up concentrations we make the layers thinner and thinner to make sure the soft tissue tolerability is acceptable."

"Dehydration of the teeth amplifies tooth sensitivity."

"These chlorine based bleaches are pretty strong, they do have the ability at sufficient concentrations to cause some structural problems."

"There are a lot of smoke and mirrors in the whitening industry."

"The only thing that will generate the intensity required is LEDs and you need to have the right current going through them, and they need to be eye safe."

"Products that lack efficacy really hurt the category."

"Whitening is one of the best things you can do for your smile and your confidence."

"Emulsions hit the mountain peaks, and the valleys."

Resources and Links:

Crest Oral-B Pro shop

Crest Oral-B Emulsions

Crest Oral-B Whitening

TIPisode Multi-Benefit Products with Sherri Lukes, RDH, MS, FAADH Apr 16, 2021

Show notes

This week on A Tale of Two Hygienists TIPisode we are joined by Sherri Lukes, RDH, MS, FAADH who has been a dental hygienist for 40 years! Sherri talks to us today about products from GC America that have multiple benefits for your patients. Episode Highlights

MI Paste Line
CPP/ACP
Multi-Benefit Products
Topical Application
Sealants

Quotes "CPP binds to oral surfaces such as teeth, dentin, oral mucosa, biofilm." "Calcium and phosphate ions we know are the building blocks of healthy teeth." "MI Paste One eliminates a step, it is a toothpaste so it is all one step." "Patients want easy, the one step product is a plus for many patients." "The MI Paste family is the only natural treatment of their kind that results in decreased white spots." "What works for one may not work for another patient." "We in dentistry are more than picker-flickers, driller-fillers!." "You can't have total health, without good oral health." Links MI Paste Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/mi.paste/ MI Paste Family Products: https://www.gcamerica.com/products/preventive/MI_Paste_Plus/index.php Glass Ionomer Sealants https://www.gcamerica.com/products/operatory/GIRestoratives.php http://www.gcamerica.com/ce/alleducation.php http://www.gcamerica.com

275 Treating Minorities: Start In the Community Not The Operatory with Alicia Murria, RDH, MS(C) and Daniel Lopez, RDH Apr 14, 2021

Show notes

Please Leave a Review!

THIS EPISODE COUNTS FOR CE! - but read the disclaimers it might not count for your state.

Go here to take the test and get your free CE Credit!

In honor of National Minority Health Month, Andrew and Michelle welcome two passionate experts in the field to the podcast today. Daniel Lopez, RDH, a dental hygienist practicing in a Federally Qualified Health Center in New York City, makes a return visit, while Alicia Murria, RDH, MS(C), and Founder and CEO of Hygienists for Humanity, is making her first appearance here. Together with our hosts, they examine the fundamentals of minority health and what that looks like in dentistry today, and offer their recommendations for the future.

They begin by sharing differing perspectives on politics and minority health, exploring public health and private practice treatment, and offer a glimpse of DentaQuest's Preventistry. Our panel then delves into the need for an outcomes-based health model, the barriers to quality focused care on minority groups, and the many avenues which could lead to overcoming these barriers. Alicia and Daniel conclude the interview by stressing the most important components to address in minority health, and by offering their sage advice for listeners interested in 'really making a dent in this problem'. Drawing greatly upon Alicia and Daniel's immense expertise and experience, today's conversation marks one more step in bringing crucial awareness to this decidedly sensitive and extremely important topic.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

Interview starts: 8:08

Guest introductions
Politics and minority health
Public health and private practice treatment
DentaQuest's Preventistry
New York State's move toward an outcomes based health model
Barriers to quality focused care on minority groups
Learning about cultural differences and making connections
Expanding the role of the hygienist, meeting patients where they are, developing trust, and offering consistency
Underserved and neglected populations
What we can be doing in our communities
Motivational interviewing
The importance of listening to all patients and educating them
Learning from each other in the hygienist community
Daniel and Alicia's parting advice

QUOTES:

"You don't go into this profession with a political mindset. You go into this profession with a heart."

"Health insurance is, unfortunately, a political issue."

"I think, in public health, we're offering fish sandwiches every single day, and we're not teaching enough people to fish."

"If I feel like I didn't give them what they needed, and I didn't serve them well, I bring them back at no cost to them."

"And also, private practice grows if they have disease."

"Why on Earth are we the only health care modality centered around prevention, and no one pays attention to what we have to say?"

"What does it look like if your insurance is paying out more for prevention than for restoration?"

"There's this endless cycle of new providers. The most at-risk and the most underserved are constantly being seen by people who are just learning the ropes."

"The dentist population does not reflect the general population."

"Dental providers and medical providers are less empathetic to the black population than they are to white."

"You have to be able to see color in dentistry."

"There are so many different avenues that you need to go down to actually get to a point where you're really making a dent in this problem."

"I've literally had people say they would rather die than go somewhere else."

"You have to start with yourself…be a resource, be a friend, let them know that you're an ally in their community."

"Be willing and be open to getting it wrong."

"These patients that we are servicing need prevention more than anything else."

"Don't be afraid to speak up!"

LINKS:

A Tale of Two Hygienists homepage - https://ataleoftwohygienists.com/

AToTH on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/aTaleOfTwoHygienists/