So as a newly retired dental hygienist I keep replying when asked if I miss the job, "I am surprised, but no I do not miss it." What I miss is the people of course!! What I don't miss is: the ropey saliva sucking, the rock hard calculus that's a result of the patient not knowing how long its been since their last cleaning and the probing of pockets.
However I was wrong!
I just power washed my flagstone walkway and patio will all the gusto and precision I used for the oral cavity.
So I may not have been scaling off calculus with my favorite Universal scaler but i was removing very thick algae. Just like the example I would use when the term "plaque" went to "bio film". I would compare the patients unclean teeth to that of river rocks coated with green film.
Well anyway, on to the cleaning of the stone. It took a very long time to do!! It wasn't just a clean sweep. Some of the flagstone was smooth but some pieces were irregular like fossil pieces. As I was using the power washer and seeing the green film disappear with excitement, I remembered a patient's remark when I was using the prophy jet on him. He told me that the baking soda and water blast in his mouth was the way graffiti is removed from buildings in Chicago.(with a larger hose of course)
So I added baking soda to the machine and got down to business. I attacked every crack and crevice with such precision I realized I miss my profession after all!
If anyone needs their stone cleaned contact me at SmileScapesUSA.
Just give me a few days to rest my hands!!!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
The Grossest Thing Ever!
As dental professionals we talk about it. Patients actually ask about it.
What is the grossest thing you have found in a patients mouth?
Is it the usual? Popcorn, chewing gum? Maybe it's the Oreo Cookies or the Gummy Bears in the deep occlusal grooves. Or is it mustache hair(or you hope?!) These are usual and customary. What defines gross? The dictionary lists the following definitions.1) fat and coarse looking;burley, 2)flagrant; very bad ,3)dense,thick 4)lacking in refinement; vulgar; coarse. Well these definitions will not help me to describe the" thing" found in a patients mouth. Gross to me is indescribable and this thing was! Plus it makes a catchy blog title.
So what is the grossest thing Ms. SmileScapesUSA contestants have ever found? Let's find out. SmileScapesUSA will survey the contestants and report the results in a future blog.
My finding happened last year in my 32nd year of practicing hygiene: I scaled out of 6mm+ pocket distally on #17 (wisdom tooth lower left)" something." Something I could not identify. It wasn't hard like a bone chip. It wasn't soft like food debris. For lack of a better description it will say it was somewhat spongy.
For some reason I could not bring myself to ask the patient what he had recently eaten. So I placed the unknown thing on gauze and proceeded with the cleaning. Upon completion I walked into the Dr's office to ask him to come do an exam. I proclaimed my 32 years as a superb hygienist and told him I found something in the mouth that stumped me. I had not discussed this with the patient and the "thing" was on the gauze on the bracket table.
I walked into the operatory a little after the Doctor and found him and the patient engaged in conversation about the restaurant he dined in the night before and how fine they prepare octopus.
Mystery solved, ooh, ick, mmmmmmmm, an octopus tentacle!!!
So Ms SmileScapes contestants tell us your gross story. For that matter any hygienists out there email janet@smilescapesusa.com and let your grossiest "thing" be told!
What is the grossest thing you have found in a patients mouth?
Is it the usual? Popcorn, chewing gum? Maybe it's the Oreo Cookies or the Gummy Bears in the deep occlusal grooves. Or is it mustache hair(or you hope?!) These are usual and customary. What defines gross? The dictionary lists the following definitions.1) fat and coarse looking;burley, 2)flagrant; very bad ,3)dense,thick 4)lacking in refinement; vulgar; coarse. Well these definitions will not help me to describe the" thing" found in a patients mouth. Gross to me is indescribable and this thing was! Plus it makes a catchy blog title.
So what is the grossest thing Ms. SmileScapesUSA contestants have ever found? Let's find out. SmileScapesUSA will survey the contestants and report the results in a future blog.
My finding happened last year in my 32nd year of practicing hygiene: I scaled out of 6mm+ pocket distally on #17 (wisdom tooth lower left)" something." Something I could not identify. It wasn't hard like a bone chip. It wasn't soft like food debris. For lack of a better description it will say it was somewhat spongy.
For some reason I could not bring myself to ask the patient what he had recently eaten. So I placed the unknown thing on gauze and proceeded with the cleaning. Upon completion I walked into the Dr's office to ask him to come do an exam. I proclaimed my 32 years as a superb hygienist and told him I found something in the mouth that stumped me. I had not discussed this with the patient and the "thing" was on the gauze on the bracket table.
I walked into the operatory a little after the Doctor and found him and the patient engaged in conversation about the restaurant he dined in the night before and how fine they prepare octopus.
Mystery solved, ooh, ick, mmmmmmmm, an octopus tentacle!!!
So Ms SmileScapes contestants tell us your gross story. For that matter any hygienists out there email janet@smilescapesusa.com and let your grossiest "thing" be told!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Flossing of Teeth and Flipping of Mattress
Do you floss about as often as you flip your mattress? Do you spend more time putting toothpaste on your brush then you take the time to brush? Dentists and Hygienists notice these things. And that's not all.
If your hands bled every time you washed them would you see your Doctor? Probably. But if your gums bled every time you brush would you call your Dentist? Probably not. Most of the population thinks bleeding gums are normal. Unless you are an over zealous brusher, bleeding gums are not normal, even small amounts of bleeding can indicate an level of periodontal disease.
What is periodontal disease? You probably heard the term and blocked it quickly out of you mind, because you couldn't possibly have a disease! Perio means" around" and "dont" is tooth. So the tissue that surrounds the tooth is unhealthy. Gum tissue should be tight against the tooth like a turtleneck sweater!
When dentists or hygienists look at gum tissue,we look for bleeding and inflammation first. Then note if the tissue is glossy or stippled. Stippled is like the skin of an orange. Your tissue should have texture not be shiny and smooth. To determine the disease level an instrument called a probe is used. Think of it as a little ruler. One to three millimeters is healthy tissue. Four without bleeding is healthy while a four with bleeding is unhealthy. Any number higher number puts you in an advanced gum disease and at a risk of losing your teeth.
Dentists and hygienists love patients who are interested in their oral health. So ask questions? Ask what your probe readings are. Brush, floss and use a antimicrobial mouthwash daily.
Just a note if your pockets are five millimeters and above flossing will not help. Just think you don't have to floss. Did you ever try to clean out a bottom of your shirt pocket? What you should do is invest in a water irrigator to flush out the disease causing bacteria. Start on the low setting and move your way up in force. You will be amazed at what comes out! Just think of what can be found in the bottom of that shirt pocket!!
If your hands bled every time you washed them would you see your Doctor? Probably. But if your gums bled every time you brush would you call your Dentist? Probably not. Most of the population thinks bleeding gums are normal. Unless you are an over zealous brusher, bleeding gums are not normal, even small amounts of bleeding can indicate an level of periodontal disease.
What is periodontal disease? You probably heard the term and blocked it quickly out of you mind, because you couldn't possibly have a disease! Perio means" around" and "dont" is tooth. So the tissue that surrounds the tooth is unhealthy. Gum tissue should be tight against the tooth like a turtleneck sweater!
When dentists or hygienists look at gum tissue,we look for bleeding and inflammation first. Then note if the tissue is glossy or stippled. Stippled is like the skin of an orange. Your tissue should have texture not be shiny and smooth. To determine the disease level an instrument called a probe is used. Think of it as a little ruler. One to three millimeters is healthy tissue. Four without bleeding is healthy while a four with bleeding is unhealthy. Any number higher number puts you in an advanced gum disease and at a risk of losing your teeth.
Dentists and hygienists love patients who are interested in their oral health. So ask questions? Ask what your probe readings are. Brush, floss and use a antimicrobial mouthwash daily.
Just a note if your pockets are five millimeters and above flossing will not help. Just think you don't have to floss. Did you ever try to clean out a bottom of your shirt pocket? What you should do is invest in a water irrigator to flush out the disease causing bacteria. Start on the low setting and move your way up in force. You will be amazed at what comes out! Just think of what can be found in the bottom of that shirt pocket!!
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