What a great time to be a dental hygienist! I am thrilled to not only write this month’s editorial but to also have curated this edition’s content and theme specifically to help you, dear dental hygienist, stay current with the latest and greatest happening and to get excited about the future of our profession.
This edition’s theme, The Hottest Topics in Dental Hygiene, is especially important to me because there is so much happening in our industry. Around the world dentistry is seeing significant changes like never before. From changes in recent legislative and advocacy measures, to mergers and acquisitions, a spike in new and innovative clinical tools, to AI taking everything by storm — it’s never been more important to stay current on the latest hot topics.
If you follow me on Instagram, @thetoothgirl, you’ll know I spend the final days of each year hosting my annual campaign @thetoothgirl’s 12 Days of Christmas Favorite Clinical Things. This past December proved to be another exciting time as there were a few new clinical tools that made the list including artificial intelligence products, salivary testing, waterline testing, and several top-notch preventive products.
Which is exactly why we’re diving in deeper this month in Oral Hygiene! Sheena Hinson, RDH, takes us on a journey to understand how artificial intelligence and SaaS (software as a service) come together to be the brains and the glue to enhance your clinical dental hygiene practice and perhaps even elevate your care. For example, did you know AI can help treat obstructive sleep apnea, record hands-free perio charting, preview patients’ smiles, and highlight bone loss and cavities on a radiograph?
We then venture into the world of oral testing in an effort to understand the variety of oral tests on the market. From salivary tests that screen biofilm, to once-in-a-lifetime human DNA tests, we discuss the types of tests that could be right for you and your patients. We also debunk a few common myths and highlight oral tests of the future — which includes testing breath and perhaps even snot!
But we don’t just need to test the biofilm in our mouths, we also need to test the biofilm lurking in our deep, dark, moist dental unit waterlines (DUWLs). What used to be a confusing topic has now seen clarity as of late, thanks to the all-in-one solution Sterisil now offers, in addition to their SAFEWATER Solution Protocol, which takes the guesswork out of DUWL maintenance and testing. Sterisil also offers modern quick and easy in-office waterline testing that can be accomplished chairside in 15 minutes.
And finally, we wrap this month’s hot topics with a subject that’s near and dear to my heart: sustainability in dentistry. Sustainability expert Brittany Cox, MA, RDH, begins the conversation by sharing a few staggering statistics, helping us understand the impact we make within our communities and environment. After all, we are only as healthy as the environment which surrounds us.
If you’d like to stay-up-to date with the latest hygiene technology and products, let’s connect on Instagram as we’ll continue this conversation each week. Then join me in person at Under One Roof in Texas as I’ll be taking clinical hot topics to the main stage. And then be sure to join me in May in Alberta as I take the stage at the second RDH Evolve!
About the author
Melissa K. Turner, is a fresh force of change and is on a powerful mission to transform the future of dentistry for both patients and practitioners. An award-winning speaker, key opinion influencer, and hygienist, Melissa represents a new generation in dentistry through a focus on inclusion, practitioner well-being, and innovative technology. She is a 2022 recipient of the Sunstar Award of Distinction, the dental hygiene industry’s highest honor, and is a top dental content creator nationwide. She leads the Cellerant Best of Class Hygiene Awards as their Chief Hygiene Officer and Director of Social Strategy. Learn more and contact her at www.melissakturner.com
