Hygiene Tribune U.S. No. 6, 2013
Celebrating 100 years of dental hygiene / Reflections on the ADHA meeting
Table of contents
Array
(
[post_data] => WP_Post Object
(
[ID] => 60422
[post_author] => 0
[post_date] => 2013-08-16 16:42:16
[post_date_gmt] => 2013-08-16 16:42:16
[post_content] =>
[post_title] => Hygiene Tribune U.S. No. 6, 2013
[post_excerpt] =>
[post_status] => publish
[comment_status] => closed
[ping_status] => closed
[post_password] =>
[post_name] => hygiene-tribune-u-s-no-6-2013-0613
[to_ping] =>
[pinged] =>
[post_modified] => 2024-10-22 03:57:13
[post_modified_gmt] => 2024-10-22 03:57:13
[post_content_filtered] =>
[post_parent] => 0
[guid] => https://e.dental-tribune.com/epaper/htus0613/
[menu_order] => 0
[post_type] => epaper
[post_mime_type] =>
[comment_count] => 0
[filter] => raw
)
[id] => 60422
[id_hash] => ed1ca19ca7496dad94e80aae73bfa3f76601a580fec31426619a4268dc22dfc1
[post_type] => epaper
[post_date] => 2013-08-16 16:42:16
[fields] => Array
(
[pdf] => Array
(
[ID] => 60423
[id] => 60423
[title] => HTUS0613.pdf
[filename] => HTUS0613.pdf
[filesize] => 0
[url] => https://e.dental-tribune.com/wp-content/uploads/HTUS0613.pdf
[link] => https://e.dental-tribune.com/epaper/hygiene-tribune-u-s-no-6-2013-0613/htus0613-pdf-2/
[alt] =>
[author] => 0
[description] =>
[caption] =>
[name] => htus0613-pdf-2
[status] => inherit
[uploaded_to] => 60422
[date] => 2024-10-22 03:57:07
[modified] => 2024-10-22 03:57:07
[menu_order] => 0
[mime_type] => application/pdf
[type] => application
[subtype] => pdf
[icon] => https://e.dental-tribune.com/wp-includes/images/media/document.png
)
[cf_issue_name] => Hygiene Tribune U.S. No. 6, 2013
[contents] => Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[from] => 01
[to] => 01
[title] => Celebrating 100 years of dental hygiene
[description] => Celebrating 100 years of dental hygiene
)
[1] => Array
(
[from] => 01
[to] => 03
[title] => Reflections on the ADHA meeting
[description] => Reflections on the ADHA meeting
)
)
)
[permalink] => https://e.dental-tribune.com/epaper/hygiene-tribune-u-s-no-6-2013-0613/
[post_title] => Hygiene Tribune U.S. No. 6, 2013
[client] =>
[client_slug] =>
[pages_generated] =>
[pages] => Array
(
[1] => Array
(
[image_url] => Array
(
[2000] => https://epaper-dental-tribune.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/60422-3186710e/2000/page-0.jpg
[1000] => https://epaper-dental-tribune.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/60422-3186710e/1000/page-0.jpg
[200] => https://epaper-dental-tribune.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/60422-3186710e/200/page-0.jpg
)
[key] => Array
(
[2000] => 60422-3186710e/2000/page-0.jpg
[1000] => 60422-3186710e/1000/page-0.jpg
[200] => 60422-3186710e/200/page-0.jpg
)
[ads] => Array
(
)
[html_content] =>
)
[2] => Array
(
[image_url] => Array
(
[2000] => https://epaper-dental-tribune.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/60422-3186710e/2000/page-1.jpg
[1000] => https://epaper-dental-tribune.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/60422-3186710e/1000/page-1.jpg
[200] => https://epaper-dental-tribune.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/60422-3186710e/200/page-1.jpg
)
[key] => Array
(
[2000] => 60422-3186710e/2000/page-1.jpg
[1000] => 60422-3186710e/1000/page-1.jpg
[200] => 60422-3186710e/200/page-1.jpg
)
[ads] => Array
(
)
[html_content] =>
)
[3] => Array
(
[image_url] => Array
(
[2000] => https://epaper-dental-tribune.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/60422-3186710e/2000/page-2.jpg
[1000] => https://epaper-dental-tribune.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/60422-3186710e/1000/page-2.jpg
[200] => https://epaper-dental-tribune.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/60422-3186710e/200/page-2.jpg
)
[key] => Array
(
[2000] => 60422-3186710e/2000/page-2.jpg
[1000] => 60422-3186710e/1000/page-2.jpg
[200] => 60422-3186710e/200/page-2.jpg
)
[ads] => Array
(
)
[html_content] =>
)
[4] => Array
(
[image_url] => Array
(
[2000] => https://epaper-dental-tribune.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/60422-3186710e/2000/page-3.jpg
[1000] => https://epaper-dental-tribune.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/60422-3186710e/1000/page-3.jpg
[200] => https://epaper-dental-tribune.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/60422-3186710e/200/page-3.jpg
)
[key] => Array
(
[2000] => 60422-3186710e/2000/page-3.jpg
[1000] => 60422-3186710e/1000/page-3.jpg
[200] => 60422-3186710e/200/page-3.jpg
)
[ads] => Array
(
)
[html_content] =>
)
)
[pdf_filetime] => 1729569427
[s3_key] => 60422-3186710e
[pdf] => HTUS0613.pdf
[pdf_location_url] => https://e.dental-tribune.com/tmp/dental-tribune-com/60422/HTUS0613.pdf
[pdf_location_local] => /var/www/vhosts/e.dental-tribune.com/httpdocs/tmp/dental-tribune-com/60422/HTUS0613.pdf
[should_regen_pages] => 1
[pdf_url] => https://epaper-dental-tribune.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/60422-3186710e/epaper.pdf
[pages_text] => Array
(
[1] =>
HYGIENE TRIBUNE
The World’s Dental Hygiene Newspaper · U.S. Edition
August 2013 — Vol. 6, No. 6
www.dental-tribune.com
Meeting commentary
Esther Wilkins, RDH,
DMD, left, visits with
an ADHA meeting
attendee after
speaking at this
year's annual
meeting via the
Jumbotron screen.
Hygiene Tribune
Editor in Chief
Patricia Walsh
describes her as 'the
true north on our
professional
compass.'
Reflections on the
ADHA meeting
By Patricia Walsh, RDH
Editor in Chief
signing. We wish to hold
her hand, feel her genuine
warmth. Just being near
her makes us feel like we
are somehow connected
first met Esther Wilkins
to the original intention
quite by accident. It was
and purity of our profesearly in the morning
sion. One of the highlights
at a Chicago convenof the American Dental
tion. Marginally awake afHygienists Association anter 12 hours of convention
Patricia Walsh, RDH
nual meeting was a mornfestivities the previous day,
ing speaker who opened
I walked onto a hotel elevawith an unofficial “benediction” taken
tor. No badge, no makeup, and in search
from “The Book of Esther.” About a thouof strong coffee. I glanced at the person
sand dental professionals got the joke
I shared the lift with and did a double
immediately and burst into wild aptake. I tilted my head to one side and
plause. When Dr. Wilkins spoke to us this
said, “Aren’t you ...?” There she was, our
year, not onstage, but via the Jumbotron
Florence Nightingale. I was all alone with
screen, you could have heard a pin drop.
Dr. Wilkins for a whole glorious eight
She is the “true north” on our professionfloors. The love we have for this hygienal compass.
ist is palpable. You see it at every book
Photos/ By Patricia
Walsh, Hygiene Tribune
I
Technology sometimes leaves me
scrambling to keep up. I would be lost
without regular continuing education
courses even if they weren’t a licenser
requirement. This was not the case for
the first 20 years of my career. But in
more recent years, there has been an explosion of change in our profession. My
office was one of the first in the state to
go digital. Since then, the improvements
that have been made with panorex clar-
ity and definition are amazing. Its capabilities astound me: a concise, full head
shot with all the radiation of one set of
bite-wings.
A pan review course was at the top of
my list for the Boston meeting. In other
words, we’re seeing so much more detail
that it amounts to information overload.
A helpful website to assist in lesion
” See REFLECTIONS, page D2
Industry commentary
Celebrating 100 years of dental hygiene
By Lori Bernardo, RDH
of dental hygiene with fellow hygienists. In the past
100 years, our profession
has fought hard to carry
In 1906, when Dr. Alfred
out Fones’ mission. As I reFones came up with the idea to
flect on this anniversary,
train his assistant, Irene Newthere are two major areas
man, to clean teeth and perwhere the dental hygiene
form preventive oral services
profession has made leaps
on children, no one could have
and bounds — the career
predicted how our profession
Lori Bernardo, RDH
opportunities available becould have evolved. Fones’
Photo/Provided
yond the clinic and the oral
early vision of the role of the
by Crest Oral-B
health challenges facing our
dental hygienist was revolupatients.
tionary.
Although most dental hygienists are
His goal was to employ dental hygienemployed in the private practice setting,
ists who were primarily from schools
many of us have chosen to take our misand medical practices. He was quoted as
sion “to the streets” in a variety of ways
saying: “It is primarily to this important
during the past 100 years. We can still be
work of public education that the dental
seen as public health workers, teachers,
hygienist is called. She must regard hermarketing and sales representatives, reself as the channel through which densearch professionals, and more.
tistry’s knowledge of mouth hygiene is to
I personally have had a very rewarding
be disseminated, the greatest service she
career that has spanned almost 30 years
can perform is the persistent education of
in the oral health industry. Although
the public in mouth hygiene and the almost of those years were spent in clinical
lied branches of general hygiene.”
practice, twice during this time I left to
It was a lofty goal, which became the
work in sales for different dental product
start of a noble profession whose purpose
companies. In my current sales represenis to eradicate oral disease and improve
tative role, the commodity that I offer is
overall health of the whole population.
no longer the work of my hands, but the
I recently had the opportunity to attend
collected knowledge of 30 years in the
a reception sponsored by Crest® and Oraldental profession. It is more about what I
B® to celebrate the 100-year anniversary
know than what I
CDA
do; I believe this
BOOTH
role allows me
NO. 1202
to continue delivering the message of our original
dental hygienist mission on a much
larger scale and make room chairside
for new graduates. Sharing information
on new products and services gives other
dental professionals the tools they need
to do their work more efficiently, and in
turn, help them reach more people. No
matter where we practice, the cause of improving oral health unites us all.
Dental hygienists have always strived
to educate the public on the value of oral
health and its role on one’s overall wellbeing. Today that message is even more
powerful as many believe the mouth is an
indicator of a person’s whole-body health.
In the first 100 years, we have made gains
on the improvement of oral health, and
the incidence of dental caries and tooth
loss dropped dramatically. In addition,
there was a steady rise in the percentage
of the population that receives regular
dental care. However, since the mid 1990s,
we may be witnessing an alarming reversal in that trend.
According to a recent National Health
and Nutrition Examination survey, the
incidence of caries among children is on
the rise.1 Additionally, research from the
American Dental Association indicates
the percentage of the population obtaining regular care has dropped and the frequency of dental visits has declined.2 No
matter what challenges lie ahead, I know
that we are more than capable to rise to
the occasion as we always have.
So, my fellow colleagues, I say we pause
to celebrate our profession and all that we
have done. Have a party. Enjoy a piece of
cake. But don’t rest for too long, because
if we want to honor the mission that Dr.
Fones set out for us 100 years ago, we still
have a lot of work to do.
Are you ready? Now, let’s get started on
another “100 Years of Dental Hygiene!”
▶
References
1.
www.nidcr.nih.gov/DataStatistics/Find
DataByTopic/DentalCaries/DentalCaries
Children2to11
www.ada.org/sections/advocacy/pdfs/7170_
Breaking_Down_Barriers_Role_of _FinanceFINAL4-26-12.pdf
2.
[2] =>
D2
◊ REFLECTIONS, page D1
identification is www.0rad.org. A clinician can be guided along by answering
simple questions about the abnormality.
You’ll be asked to enter age, gender, borders, loculation and location. The website will give you a list of the most probable or typical lesions that match your
entries. I hope I never see evidence of
metatastic breast cancer show up on one
of my pans, but it’s entirely possible. The
radiographic improvements that have
transpired increase our responsibilities
as clinicians. Technology has furthered
our role as holistic health care providers.
I have an old-school physician who was
never much for vitamins other than Calcium and D when I turned 50. Now and
then I’ve read something on a dental blog
about an exciting new oil or a vitamin
combo that has left me scratching my
head. If so-and-so is this excited about
Ad
MEETINGS
it, then it must be great. One year I sat
intrigued by a hygienist pushing “gingival” vitamin powder rubs — after her
lecture on lasers. The more high-tech the
subject, the more credible the educator?
When I wrote to a top nutritionist — a
professor emeritus at a prestigious dental school — his response was chilling.
Not only was it a profound, “No. It doesn’t
do anything,” but he followed it up with
a scoulding: “Patty, you’re a smart girl,
stop reading the blogs. Read PubMed.”
His mantra seemed to be if they are
selling their book after the lecture, take
what they say with a grain of salt.
His words were resounding in my head
when I went on a hunt for an antioxidant
gel at the ADHA convention booths. A
well-respected periodontist I know had
been using it to fight inflammation in
patients who did not seem to respond
to traditional treatment. If it’s good
enough for him, it’s good enough for me.
The hygiene blogs were all buzzing about
it as well. The company did not have a
booth at the convention, and I was disappointed. I was ready to put their reps’
feet to the fire and ask about clinical
trials. As they said in Dragnet: “Just the
facts ma’am, just the facts.” Perhaps the
product will turn up in another year, at
another big meeting.
My first hygiene textbook, “The Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist”
(AKA, The Book of Esther) may be “old
testament,” but it is the foundation of
a vibrant and growing profession. Recently, California approved self regulation for hygienists, who will now dictate
their own education and licenser requirements and control the profession's
ethical standards. Californians have always been trendsetters. If it is a left-ofcenter fashion statement, it probably got
its start in California. (The jury is still
out on wearing Uggs boots with short
Hygiene Tribune U.S. Edition | August 2013
HYGIENE TRIBUNE
Publisher & Chairman
Torsten Oemus t.oemus@dental-tribune.com
President & Chief Executive Officer
Eric Seid e.seid@dental-tribune.com
Group Editor
Kristine Colker k.colker@dental-tribune.com
Editor in Chief Dental Tribune
Dr. David L. Hoexter
feedback@dental-tribune.com
Editor in Chief Hygiene Tribune
Patricia Walsh, RDH
feedback@dental-tribune.com
Managing Editor
Robert Selleck r.selleck@dental-tribune.com
Managing Editor
Fred Michmershuizen
f.michmershuizen@dental-tribune.com
Managing Editor
Sierra Rendon s.rendon@dental-tribune.com
Product/Account Manager
Jan Agostaro
j.agostaro@dental-tribune.com
Marketing Director
Anna Kataoka-Wlodarczyk
a.wlodarczyk@dental-tribune.com
EDUCATION Director
Christiane Ferret c.ferret@dtstudyclub.com
Accounting Coordinator
Nirmala Singh n.singh@dental-tribune.com
Tribune America, LLC
116 West 23rd Street, Suite 500
New York, NY 10011
Phone (212) 244-7181
Published by Tribune America
© 2013 Tribune America, LLC
All rights reserved.
Tribune America strives to maintain the utmost accuracy in its news and clinical reports. If you find a
factual error or content that requires clarification,
please contact Managing Editor Robert Selleck at
r.selleck@dental-tribune.com.
Tribune America cannot assume responsibility for
the validity of product claims or for typographical
errors. The publisher also does not assume responsibility for product names or statements made by
advertisers. Opinions expressed by authors are their
own and may not reflect those of Tribune America.
Editorial Board
Dr. Joel Berg
Dr. L. Stephen Buchanan
Dr. Arnaldo Castellucci
Dr. Gorden Christensen
Dr. Rella Christensen
Dr. William Dickerson
Hugh Doherty
Dr. James Doundoulakis
Dr. David Garber
Dr. Fay Goldstep
Dr. Howard Glazer
Dr. Harold Heymann
Dr. Karl Leinfelder
Dr. Roger Levin
Dr. Carl E. Misch
Dr. Dan Nathanson
Dr. Chester Redhead
Dr. Irwin Smigel
Dr. Jon Suzuki
Dr. Dennis Tartakow
Dr. Dan Ward
Tell
Tell us
us what
what you
you think!
think!
Do
Doyou
youhave
havegeneral
generalcomments
commentsor
orcriticism
criticism
you
youwould
wouldlike
liketo
toshare?
share?IsIsthere
thereaaparticular
particular
topic
topicyou
youwould
wouldlike
liketo
tosee
seearticles
articlesabout
aboutin
in
Hygiene
HygieneTribune?
Tribune?Let
Letus
usknow
knowby
byemailing
emailing
feedback@dental-tribune.com.
feedback@dental-tribune.com.We
Welook
look
forward
forwardto
tohearing
hearingfrom
fromyou!
you! If you would
like to make any change to your subscription
If(name,
you would
address
likeortotomake
opt out)
any change
please send
to your
us
subscription
an e-mail at database@dental-tribune.com
(name, address or to opt out)
please
and besend
sureus
toan
include
emailwhich
at database@dentalpublication
tribune.com
you are referring
and beto.sure
Also,
to please
includenote
which
that
publication
subscriptionyou
changes
are referring
can taketo.up
Also,
to 6please
weeks
to process.
note
that subscription changes can take up to
six weeks to process.
[3] =>
Dental Tribune U.S. Edition | August 2013
shorts, but my perpetually cold feet do
appreciate the introduction of soft fur.)
Our professional meetings allow us to
collaborate and compare. I no longer discount the blogs. Sometimes a grass-roots
effort or product takes a little longer to
catch on. A rumor might just have you
hold off on buying a loupe if you know it
may go cordless soon. Clinical trials and
documentation can take years. Dental
corporations compete with one another;
dental publications compete with one
another. The information highway can
sometimes be a one-way, one-lane street.
We use our education to take what we
need for the time being, and leave the
rest.
I try to tell my patients not to believe
everything they read or see on TV. Not
only are hygienists bombarded with professional information on a daily basis,
it’s that much worse for the patient. The
patient never reads peer-reviewed dental journals. I heard one well-educated
lecturer disparagingly use the phrase
“bogus journals” at a dental meeting. I
think there’s a place at the table for everyone. Only a small percentage of us are
in research — and writing our doctoral
thesis.
The vast majority of hygienists just
want to know what works and what
doesn’t. Not necessarily what is fast and
easy — but what actually works. We learn
so much from each other’s clinical experiences in “the trenches.” There is an understanding in the military that if you
really want to know what’s going on, ask
a master sergeant. Don’t ask an officer.
They’re too busy with the bureaucracy.
Your doctor isn’t going to be up to date
on which sensitivity toothpaste is the
least abrasive. (Hint: It’s not the one you
think.) He’s too busy trying to get his
state income tax software to work properly. We, the hygienists, are the prevention specialists of the office.
The Oscar-winning actor Geena Davis
spoke to us at the end of our ADHA session about a woman’s worth — the value
of our integrity, the beauty of our intellect. Davis reminded us that we still have
a long way to go to change how women
as a whole are perceived. To change the
Hollywood misrepresentation of women, she started the foundation called
Seejane.org. I walked away from the convention hall feeling empowered and as
tall as Davis in heels. She is an actor, not
an actress; just as I am a hygienist, not a
hygienistess.
As a profession, we were slow off the
mark when it comes to diversity. I wonder sometimes if our female-oriented
profession is both our greatest strength
and our greatest weakness. We have
evolved and diversified. I hope our individual information-gathering processes
continue to evolve and diversify.
Some of us are astute to changes in
technology and research, while others
have ears to the ground via local meetings and the Internet. We go forward
together in this new information age —
free from information prejudice — with
an open mind and a common goal.
Corrections
Hygiene Tribune strives to maintain the
utmost accuracy. If you find a factual error
or content that requires clarification, please
report details to Managing Editor Robert
Selleck at r.selleck@dental-tribune .com.
MEETINGS
D3
The citizens’ memorial to Boston Marathon bombing victims is spread out across much of Boston's Copley Square, five blocks from the
convention center that hosted the June ADHA meeting. The still-growing memorial is adjacent to the marathon’s finish line, still painted on
the pavement. Nearly a third of a block near the statue of painter John Singleton Copley is filled with running shoes, caps and other remembrances and gifts. Among the memorial's most touching and recurring themes are the many references to the 8-year-old boy killed by one of
the blasts. It's reported that he made a poster in school at an earlier date that said ‘no more hurting people.’ You see that written over and
over again, along with ‘Boston Strong.’ In juxtaposition with the square's quiet area of reverence, life goes on. People are picnicking and
children play on the grass. There are outdoor musicians entertaining and a farmers market is set up along the sidewalks.
Ad
[4] =>
)
[page_count] => 4
[pdf_ping_data] => Array
(
[page_count] => 4
[format] => PDF
[width] => 765
[height] => 1080
[colorspace] => COLORSPACE_UNDEFINED
)
[linked_companies] => Array
(
[ids] => Array
(
)
)
[cover_url] =>
[cover_three] =>
[cover] => ![Hygiene Tribune U.S. No. 6, 2013]()
[toc] => Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[title] => Celebrating 100 years of dental hygiene
[page] => 01
)
[1] => Array
(
[title] => Reflections on the ADHA meeting
[page] => 01
)
)
[toc_html] =>
Table of contents
[toc_titles] => Celebrating 100 years of dental hygiene
/ Reflections on the ADHA meeting
[cached] => true
)