A Tale of Two Hygienists Podcast

Latest Episodes:

248. Student Focused Presents: Preventive Dentistry Using Silver Diamine Fluoride Oct 07, 2020

Show notes

It's A Tale of Two Hygienists' monthly student roundtable episode, which means Andrew and Michelle have invited a roster of guests to educate student listeners on a chosen topic. The three guests who've gathered together with Michelle for this episode are going to give you the low-down on silver diamine fluoride, an essential medication used to treat caries and hypersensitivity.

Kyle Isaacs has worked as a dental hygienist for nearly 40 years. Based in Oregon, she currently works in a federally qualified health center where she has direct access to physicians. Connie Simmons is a preventive care consultant for Elevate Oral Care who lives in central Florida with extensive practical knowledge of working with silver diamine fluoride. Lisa Hardill is a Canadian dental hygienist from the Toronto area with 17 years experience, having worked in public health for several of them, and more recently has worked with Oral Science, a unique distributor for Elevate Oral Care.

In this episode, our guests lay out the science behind and uses for SDF, discuss best ways to introduce it to your practice and patients, and delves into the specific patient demographics who'll benefit most from this treatment.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

Interview starts: 3:38

- The guests provide layperson's explanations for what silver diamine fluoride is.

- Who could SDF be a real game-changer for?

- Effectively integrating SDF into your practice and acclimating patients to this technique.

- Connie explains the "ideal" situation for utilizing SDF.

- How does a practice as a whole benefit from using SDF?

QUOTES:

"We have a long way to go with educating everyone but it's so exciting to see that lightbulb come on the minute you say 'We're gonna kill the root cause of the decay'."

"If we can create experiences that are fun, easy and not scary, then we're creating patients for the future who will want to come and see us."

"Never before have we had the opportunity to deal with the bacteria—the root cause of the decay, and that's what silver diamine fluoride does."

"We owe it to our clients to give them all the different treatment options."

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

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

LINKS:

Elevate Oral Care - http://www.elevateoralcare.com/

Oral Science - https://www.oralscience.com/en/

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

TIPisode Leaving Your Job With Grace with Teresa Duncan, MS Oct 02, 2020

Show notes

Please Rate this Podcast! This week on A Tale of Two Hygienists TIPisode we are joined by Teresa Duncan, MS. Teresa talks to us about grace, specifically how to leave your job with grace. Teresa is a speaker and writer with over 20 years of experience in healthcare. Her areas of expertise include proven accounts receivable and insurance methods, and helping doctors and managers establish solid management systems. A recipient of the Educator of the Year Award by the Association of Dental Implant Auxiliaries – a component of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, she understands the importance of continuing education. Episode Highlights

Don't Burn Bridges
Check Your Contract
Craft Your Message
It Pays to be Professional
Change is Good

Quotes "Sometimes we need to leave a position for reasons that have nothing to do with the office" "You may need to take another job for higher pay… and that is okay" "For mental health I think you need to go to the place that makes you happy" "It is a very small industry, whoever you are working with today, you might work with down the road at a different office" "Taking patient information with you is a HIPAA violation" "When you leave an office, you leave the patients, not just the office" "Change is good, it is difficult, but change is ultimately good" Links A Tale of Two Hygienists Website: www.ataleoftwohygienists.com Contact Teresa: http://www.odysseymgmt.com/contact Teresa Website:http://www.odysseymgmt.com Teresa's Book: http://odysseymgmt.corecommerce.com/Book/ use code TALE for $3 courtesy Nobody Told Me That Podcast: http://nobodytoldmethat.libsyn.com Chew on This Podcast: https://chewonthisdentalpodcast.libsyn.com

247 How To Achieve Successful Instrument Reprocessing with Joyce Moore, BSDH, RDH, CRCST Sep 30, 2020

Show notes

Please Leave a Review! For the final episode in A Tale of Two Hygienists' infection control series, Michelle had the opportunity to virtually sit down and speak with a specialist on the subject of keeping your tools in sparkling clean condition so as to limit the risk of spreading infection.

Joyce Moore is an infection prevention specialist at Midmark Corporation, an educational consultant for 3M, and the owner of Compass Dental Safety based in Swansea, MA. Joyce focuses on safe and sanitary instrument reprocessing and over the course of her career has worked in both the dental and medical fields.

In this episode, Joyce goes through her own instrument reprocessing procedure step by step, discusses the different types of indicators, and impresses the importance of good record-keeping.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

Interview starts: 13:36

- How working across two fields allows Joyce to see a larger perspective on how they've evolved.

- The importance of avoiding passing down "legacy errors."

- Joyce and Michelle review their respective processes for handling and treating dental instruments.

- Ultrasonic cleaner vs. dishwasher, and why the latter can never replace the former.

- Why you should invest in a printer or data logger for record-keeping.

- What are the different kinds of indicators, and what should be our best practices for them?

QUOTES:

"I love infection prevention, and I love people who love to talk about infection prevention."

"You don't want to have to contact a whole batch of patients saying that [you] didn't do this right, because you will never repair your reputation from that standpoint."

"Sterile dental instruments and devices are key to practicing safe dentistry."

LINKS:

Joyce's email: hellofromjoyce@yahoo.com

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

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

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

Yes, what kind of toothpaste you use matters! With Beth Jordan, RDH **Bonus** Sep 28, 2020

Show notes

On this A Tale of Two Hygienists Bonus episode we are joined by Beth Jordan RDH, MS - Global Professional and Scientific Relations Manager for Crest + Oral-B to talk about toothpaste! We are diving into the ingredients, what they mean, what our patients need, and how to have the conversations about home-care with them to increase compliance! Episode Highlights

Toothpaste - Do we need it?
Toothpaste Technology
Toothpaste is not all the same
Ingredients - What they are and What they do
Stannous Fluoride
RDA - Radioactive Dentin Abrasively
Prescribing for to your patients

Quotes "Believe it or not, toothpaste technology changed too" "The foundation of good oral health is biofilm control" "Patients are not always great at mechanical biofilm control… there is toothpaste technology now that treats the biofilm left behind" "It's hard to move the needle when we play old tapes" "As Dental Professionals when we pick up that tube of toothpaste it is important that we know what the ingredients are, and what they do" "You cannot ignore the user experience" "Compliance is the name of the game in dental hygiene" "These receptors look for invaders and trigger our bodies inflammatory response" "The trick is to bind to make it stable, but release it to make it bio-available" "There is a lot of chemistry that goes into toothpaste" "You have _____, I am recommending ____ toothpaste for your home-care to help treat that" "I am prescribing this style of toothbrush, interdental brush, toothpaste because of XYZ" "The language and words we use are so important when talking to patients" "Despite their best efforts plaque will be left behind so recommend a highly bio-available stannous fluoride toothpaste" Links Beth's Email: jordan.ba.1@pg.com Instagram Handle: @CrestOralBPro Facebook: CrestOralBPro Website: dentalcare.com Link to full Meta-Analysis: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jcpe.13203 Link to learn more about the Oral-B iO (if you're allowed to share this) https://www.dentalcare.com/en-us/product/toothpaste/stannous-fluoride Oral B: https://oralb.com THIS EPISODE COUNTS FOR CE! - but read the disclaimer below as it might not count for your state. Go here to take the test and get your CE Credit! 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

TIPisode Motivational Interviewing with Elevate Oral Care and Stephanie Eddy, RDH Sep 25, 2020

Show notes

This week on A Tale of Two Hygienists TIPisode we are joined by Stephanie Eddy, RDH. Stephanie joins us to talk about motivational interviewing and resources available through Elevate Oral Care! Episode Highlights

Examples of Communication Structure
Shared Decision Making
Caries Risk Discussions
Patient Centered Communication Video Series

Quotes "The ADA reports only 16% floss once per day" "20% say they floss when they need to" "How do we change the conversation from 'I have to' to 'I want to' " "When you hear that how does that make you feel?" "One of the ways I can help you do that is…" "I stay up to date on the evidence based research so I can help you" Links Patient Centered Communication Video Series: http://www.elevateoralcare.com/elevatingcare 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

246 Why You Will Look Forward To OSHA Training Day With Karen Daw Sep 23, 2020

Show notes

Please Leave a Review! Continuing its series on Dental Infection Control Awareness month, Michelle is speaking with a guest who knows OSHA so well that they call her "the OSHA Lady," and who has plenty experience reaching out to dental employees who've heard the same training many times before.

Karen Daw is an author, coach, and authorized OSHA trainer. Previously the Clinic Health and Safety Director/Safety Improvement Coordinator for Ohio State University, she now works with dental practices to develop a culture of safety while decreasing costs.

In this episode, Karen explains how OSHA training works in the time of COVID, ponders what about OSHA will change after the pandemic, and discusses the strangest mask she's seen yet.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

Interview starts: 14:49

- Karen discusses the unexpected path that led her to work with OSHA and how she became a "safety geek."

- The occasionally tricky task of making OSHA training engaging for employees who may have gone through it a half dozen times over.

- Breaking down the differences between infection control and OSHA.

- How do you reach employees who are just plain tuned out of the training?

- Looking toward the future of OSHA in a post-COVID world.

- Differentiating federal OSHA from state OSHA.

- Karen gives a brief overview of the Respiratory Infection Program

QUOTES:

"You have to be able to educate and empower at the same time."

"You gotta have the buy-in from everybody if you're gonna make this work."

"Your safety is important to me, and because it is important to me we're gonna carve out the time to make sure that you have this training [and] that you understand."

"When you give someone the opportunity to shine, they're gonna surprise you in many cases."

"I think what this pandemic has shown us is that we need more black and white."

LINKS:

Karen's homepage - https://www.karendaw.com/

The OSHA Lady on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theoshalady/

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

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

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

How Technology May Help Change Your Patients Toothbrushing Habits With Dr. Stephanie Gans **Bonus** Sep 22, 2020

Show notes

On this A Tale of Two Hygienists bonus episode we are joined by Dr. Stephanie Gans to talks about the benefits of utilizing an electric toothbrush with oscillating-rotating technology! Dr. Gans is the North America Professional and Scientific Relations Manager for Crest + Oral-B. The CE Credit for this episode is sponsored by Crest + Oral B. Episode Highlights

Dr. Gans Background
Research and Studies
Manual vs. Electric
Benefits of Electric Brushes
Brushing Technique
Brush Heads
For Children

Quotes "People who used this brush had 20% less tooth loss" "As professionals we can share the knowledge we have, letting them know about how it can reduce plaque and gingivitis" "Try before you buy" "Any time you have gears rubbing together, it creates friction which creates noise" "It will show you if you are brushing too hard, and will let you know when you are brushing well" "I use the studies... it's not me saying XYZ, we have new data, literature and studies that tell us XYZ" "You need to teach the patient the new technique" "Tooth by tooth, buccal, occlusal, lingual surfaces for each tooth" "It has 16 different zones to show you where you should be brushing" "Start them when they are young" "We can measure the association between exposure and outcome" "You were 7.4 times more likely to transition to a healthy gingival state with a oscillating-rotating brush versus a manual brush" Links Dr. Gans Email gans.si@pg.com Oral B: https://oralb.com Learn - Electric Brushes: https://oralb.com/en-us/oral-health/tag/electric-toothbrushes THIS EPISODE COUNTS FOR CE! - but read the disclaimer below as it might not count for your state. Go here to take the test and get your CE Credit! 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

TIPisode A Look At Tri Plaque ID Gel From GC America Sep 18, 2020

Show notes

This week on A Tale of Two Hygienists TIPisode we are joined by Susan Wingrove, RDH to talk about Tri Plaque ID Gel from GC America! Episode Highlights

Biofilm
Hygienists Role
Saliva Testing and Ph
Appointment Breakdown
Tri Plaque Gel

Quotes "Wow product to incorporate into your biofilm focused care practice" "We need to look at biofilm differently, biofilm left on the tooth surface can initiate an inflammation cascade" "Explain the oral systemic link to them" "The light blue biofilm identification of the Tri Plaque Gel is the big wow part of this product" "It shows us where the acid producing biofilm is located" "Hygienists, record any teeth with a light blue identification area for the doctor to check at the time of the exam" "This is our quick caries assessment tool" "We have a roadmap to professionally make sure all the biofilm is removed at each maintenance appointment" "This helps to patients understand the biofilm risk to their overall health" Links http://www.gcamerica.com/products/preventive/GC_Tri_Plaque_ID/ http://www.gcamerica.com/ce/alleducation.php http://www.gcamerica.com

245 Implementing Antibiotic Stewardship into your practice with Dr. Erinne Kennedy Sep 16, 2020

Show notes

Please Leave a Review! Continuing its series on Dental Infection Control Awareness month, A Tale of Two Hygienists had the opportunity to speak with a dentist specializing in the tightrope walk of prescribing patients the dosage of antibiotics that works best for them while avoiding antibiotic resistance.

Erinne Kennedy is a public health dentist who works at an innovative practice in Quincy, Massachusetts. Dr. Kennedy's focus is antibiotic stewardship—that is to say, she works toward safer and more effective prescription of antibiotics to dental patients. She is also a success series speaker for the American Dental Association.

In this episode, Dr. Kennedy defines antibiotic stewardship, describes the mindset shift that will allow us to move away from opioids whenever possible, and explains the special role hygienists play in assessing if their patients need antibiotics.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

Interview starts: 15:30

- For the first time, Dr. Kennedy shares the "roundabout way" she came to be involved in antibiotic stewardship.

- What exactly is antibiotic stewardship, and how does it relate to antimicrobial stewardship?

- What hygienists can do to practice antibiotic stewardship, and which resources they should check out.

- Dr. Kennedy lays out the CDC's five steps toward appropriate stewardship practices.

- Debunking the myth that antibiotics will cure your tooth infection.

- On changing our collective mindset toward antibiotic prescriptions.

QUOTES:

"We REALLY need to make sure that the dosing is correct, the duration is correct, and the route of administration [is correct]."

"I firmly believe that ANYONE can practice antibiotic stewardship."

"The hygienist is the absolute antibiotic steward."

"When it comes to the inappropriate use of antibiotics, often the risks well outweigh the benefits."

"We should really only be prescribing antibiotics when absolutely necessary."

LINKS:

Dr. Kennedy's email: erinnekennedydmd@gmail.com

ADA Antibiotic Stewardship Resources: www.ada.org/antibiotics

AAOS Guidelines for Prophylaxis: https://www.aaos.org/quality/quality-programs/tumor-infection-and-military-medicine-programs/orthopaedic-implant-infection-in-patients-undergoing-dental-procedures/

Massachusetts AS Toolkit: https://hub.arcgis.com/items/d719c2ecbe1149cfbc7c85fe373f2cd7

Illinois AS Toolkit: http://www.dph.illinois.gov/sites/default/files/publications/publicationsopps2018pdsb-toolkit_0.pdf

CDC Course: https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/community/for-hcp/continuing-education.html

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

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

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

Getting To Know Air Techniques **Bonus** Sep 15, 2020

Show notes

In this A Tale of Two Hygienists Bonus Episode we are joined by Christine Scherker and Nicole Miller from Air Techniques. In this episode we learn how Air Techniques came to be, as well as information on some of their most well known technology and some new products! We are also joined by Patti DiGangi to discuss her clinical application of Air Techniques products! Highlights

Air Techniques background info
Infection Control
Educational Courses
Patti's use of Air Techniques
Legacy Errors
Instructions for Use
Coding and Diagnosis
Appointment breakdown - allotting time for IC
Culture of Safety

Quotes "We have been digital for almost 60 years" "I always gravitate towards companies that have that color coding system" "I got into infection protection due to my own allergies" "We give her 2 epi shots and have to get her to an ER within 12-13 minutes or she will die" "Spray Wipe Spray… No, don't be spraying anything around me thank you very much" "I've seen people used stuff on a surface that isn't made for that surface…so you are destroying the surface, and you are not protecting anyone" "We made some mistakes back then, that I hope we don't repeat this time around" "People take a course and they think that is good enough…no it's not!" "I always do that except for when I don't, and I never do that except for when I do" "I think the entire staff should have infection control training" "I am not going to be comfortable with probably, and neither will our patients" "Vital signs our vital" "I have temped in more than 250 Chicago area offices" Links CE course (2 Free CEs) https://www.dentallearning.net/icp-ce code is INFECTPFFS1

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

A Tale of Two Hygienists Podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected