Dental hypersensitivity, the "common cold" of dentistry is a problem most dental professionals see every day. As dental professionals we know 1 in every 3 adults suffer from sensitive teeth. The most common is the reaction to hot/cold drinks and foods, sweet and sour drinks and foods and tactile stimulus such as tooth brushing or dental instruments.
How do we help aid our patients to rid them of this daily persistent pain? We recommend a sensitivity toothpaste. Which one? The most common is Sensodyne. Followed by Crest Sensitivity, Colgate and other brands.
The makers of Sensodyne (GlaxoSmithKline) have reformulated and updated their Sensodyne toothpaste. Taking it from "your grandmother's toothpaste" to an "all ages" use toothpaste. New research shows sensitivity by erosion is a leading cause of sensitivity in adults 30 to 40 years of age; I have seen this occurring in patients even younger. Why? The population is drinking coffee, soda, juices, energy drinks and wine. All acidic drinks!! All day long!
After 33 years of practicing dental hygiene I have learned recently that after drinking these acidic drinks that you should not brush your teeth for 30 minutes! Well frankly, some hygienists would be running to brush and clear these acids out before they could do any damage(thanks to histology class). But back then in school we we concentrating on the acid and the plague formulation that equals decay. Now sensitivity and erosion (the gradual wearing away of enamel) is on the rise due to the same acids.
However GlaxoSmithKline, the makers of Sensodyne toothpaste believes brushing directly after drinking these acidic beverages cause faster breakdown of the tooth. Pondering this idea a bit, I realized how many patients we refer to a power toothbrush due to their over aggressive brushing habits! So when you drink the acidic beverage and then brush with force, this is like adding fuel to the fire!
We dental professionals need to let our patients know Sensodyne is not their "grandmother's toothpaste" any longer. All ages complain of sensitivity. Also the taste has improved with seven flavors to chose from! Decreased sensitivity can be noticed in 2 weeks, in 4 weeks the results are even better and as it becomes a daily use toothpaste the results last. This product us indeed to be thought of as a therapeutic toothpaste to be used daily for the treatment of dental hypersensitivity.
Look for my future blog discussing the new Sensodyne Pro Enamel and Pro Enamel for children, making the Sensodyne product line truly one for all ages.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Dental Hygiene Then and Now
To all the dental hygienists out there practicing a "long while" please join me in a trip down memory lane. I believe no matter what dental hygiene school you went to this story will be similar to yours!
The year is 1974 and the school is Southern Illinois University, Carbondale Illinois. The seventies in Carbondale. Yes they were very much like the wild stories. EXCEPT........
The dental hygiene program was not on the main SIU campus but located some miles away in Marion, IL. We "girls" and 2 males took a bus to SIU School of Technical Careers. Here our classes were held in old white army barracks. On "campus" with us, were the students of Auto Mechanics and Mortuary Science. Great! Dirty oil streaked hands, talk of calculus walled teeth and heads in boxes of which the mortuary students were able to practice their art!
The ladies of dental hygiene wore all white. Dresses, hose, shoes and caps. Looking something like the nurses from "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest." Remember the caps? We would hit them on the dental lights. We did wear glasses. Our hair if long was severely pinned away or we cut it short. I opted for the cut and never went back. We did not wear gloves, masks and certainly no comfortable PJ's as I like to call the scrubs of today. Also absent was the cavitron and not invented yet the wonderful prophy jet!
Squared off molars were scaled with tired hands. The lower anterior walls of calculus chiseled away. So difficult it was back then. The instructors would check with the air syringe and there the missed calculus would show itself to us in embarrassment. ( A practice I still do, to double check myself with the air. Unknown then, that was the most valuable lesson taught!) It's so much easier now. Finally after two carpal tunnel surgeries I have made friends with the Cavitron and Prophyjet!!
Hygienists, don't we all love to see that calculus "wall" come down!!! What a rush!! However our Doctors have to remind us to STOP! Put the instruments down. This is not a prophy!!
Let's face it, we hygienists are perfectionists. We have to scale down that wall and now! It took me 30 years to put down the universal scaler!!!
Just recently my aunt and I were having a discussion on perfectionism. Did perfectionism make me a great hygienist or did the hygienist make me a perfectionist? (OCD if you will). It is like the chicken and egg concept. She and I agreed I probably will never know. I do know my patients mouths are clean and so is my house, just ask my husband.
So now it is 2009 my scalers are put to rest except on Thursdays. I have time to reflect and be thankful that I still love dentistry and be proud to have had a career that has spanned 33 years!
Congratulations to all the hygienists from then and welcome all of new hygienists of now to celebrate this great opportunity we have been given. The gift of giving healthy mouths.
Celebrate with me and enter the Ms. SmileScapesUSA contest! Tell us about your passion!
The year is 1974 and the school is Southern Illinois University, Carbondale Illinois. The seventies in Carbondale. Yes they were very much like the wild stories. EXCEPT........
The dental hygiene program was not on the main SIU campus but located some miles away in Marion, IL. We "girls" and 2 males took a bus to SIU School of Technical Careers. Here our classes were held in old white army barracks. On "campus" with us, were the students of Auto Mechanics and Mortuary Science. Great! Dirty oil streaked hands, talk of calculus walled teeth and heads in boxes of which the mortuary students were able to practice their art!
The ladies of dental hygiene wore all white. Dresses, hose, shoes and caps. Looking something like the nurses from "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest." Remember the caps? We would hit them on the dental lights. We did wear glasses. Our hair if long was severely pinned away or we cut it short. I opted for the cut and never went back. We did not wear gloves, masks and certainly no comfortable PJ's as I like to call the scrubs of today. Also absent was the cavitron and not invented yet the wonderful prophy jet!
Squared off molars were scaled with tired hands. The lower anterior walls of calculus chiseled away. So difficult it was back then. The instructors would check with the air syringe and there the missed calculus would show itself to us in embarrassment. ( A practice I still do, to double check myself with the air. Unknown then, that was the most valuable lesson taught!) It's so much easier now. Finally after two carpal tunnel surgeries I have made friends with the Cavitron and Prophyjet!!
Hygienists, don't we all love to see that calculus "wall" come down!!! What a rush!! However our Doctors have to remind us to STOP! Put the instruments down. This is not a prophy!!
Let's face it, we hygienists are perfectionists. We have to scale down that wall and now! It took me 30 years to put down the universal scaler!!!
Just recently my aunt and I were having a discussion on perfectionism. Did perfectionism make me a great hygienist or did the hygienist make me a perfectionist? (OCD if you will). It is like the chicken and egg concept. She and I agreed I probably will never know. I do know my patients mouths are clean and so is my house, just ask my husband.
So now it is 2009 my scalers are put to rest except on Thursdays. I have time to reflect and be thankful that I still love dentistry and be proud to have had a career that has spanned 33 years!
Congratulations to all the hygienists from then and welcome all of new hygienists of now to celebrate this great opportunity we have been given. The gift of giving healthy mouths.
Celebrate with me and enter the Ms. SmileScapesUSA contest! Tell us about your passion!
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