Dental Hygiene Diagnosis

In 2003, my mother was diagnosed with inoperable cervical cancer and had to complete chemotherapy and radiation treatments to eliminate the disease. She is a survivor because of her strong will but has suffered from multiple, long-lasting side effects from the treatment. The medications did the job of ridding her body of cancer but caused issues to other organs in her body. These issues require her to take multiple medications that now give her dry mouth. My mother has tried multiple over the counter remedies for dry mouth, but nothing seems to help. She wants to know if the xerostomia, dry mouth, is causing the increased number of cavities that are ruining her smile. I am at the point in my life that I have more resources to help her and as a dental hygienist I hope to provide her the help she needs to improve her smile by solving her problem with

Dental hygienists examine for signs of abnormalities oral diseases, for example decay or gingivitis, then they will provide treatment if necessary. They play an important role in evaluate patients’ oral health and interpret findings for the dentists. Also, Dental Hygienists educate patients how to keep their oral healthy. It is obvious that Dental Hygienists have to work by hands all the time; therefore, they are required to keep their hand totally clean and get them sterilized before and after each patients. They have to wear protection tools including safety glasses, masks, and gloves to prevent infection for themselves and patients (Bureau of Labor

Another assessment tool is the Oral Health Assessment tool and is a condensed alteration of the BOHSE. It can be completed before implementing an individualized oral hygiene care plan. Completing this assessment will help the health care professional assess the patients current oral status and factors, which can contribute to their risk for oral disease. This makes it possible to put into practice the most appropriate care, plan for the residents needs.

Infection control is a central concept to every practice of health care providers. Its main objective is to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases from both patients and health personnel (Martin et al., 2010). In dental clinic, infection control is a continuous concern for its professionals. They have to contact patients routinely and be exposed to their blood, saliva, dental plaque and pus that may contain infectious pathogens. It is important for the dental professionals to treat these fluids as if they are infectious and special precautions must be taken to handle them. In this essay, I will highlight the scope of infection control practices in dental clinics and the ways through which infectious microorganisms are transmitted

Overall the patient had excellent homecare and was a Calculus Level One. There weren’t any risk factors discussed with this patient, but her concern about the throbbing in her upper jaw was addressed. Her general goal of the appointment was to keep her plaque score the same or lower since she was at 14%. She was a Periodontal Case Type Two based on the bleeding from probing, bone loss, and previous radiographs. The patient said she has been flossing more and is really trying to maintain her plaque score.

If a medical condition runs in your family, then you need to let your dentist know about this. Having a family history of a certain condition can put you at risk for it. Additionally, if dental problems run in your family, then you are at a greater risk for developing them.

Any of these indications may flag a significant issue, which ought to be checked by a dental practitioner. At your dental visit: The dental specialist will get some information about your medicinal history to recognize fundamental conditions or hazard elements, (for example, smoking) that may add to periodontal illness. The dental practitioner or hygienist will inspect your gums and note any indications of irritation. The dental specialist or hygienist will utilize a little ruler called a "test" to check for periodontal pockets and to gauge any pockets. In a sound mouth, the profundity of these pockets is more often than not somewhere around 1 and 3 millimeters. The dental practitioner or hygienist may take a X-beam to see whether there is any bone misfortune, and

In the first case study, the public health dental hygienist is responsible for evaluating the daily fluoridation test that is submitted by each state to make sure it is in the optimal range 0.7 to 1.2 milligrams per liter. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2011) She is also responsible for working with the state if the test results do not measure up the standards set forth by the CDC. In addition the dental hygienist reports all of these results to Centers for Disease control and Prevention (CDC) so the CDC can determine a national average. This case study shows the “assessment” part of the essential public health services.

Hundreds of years ago, the dental profession and the medical profession was perceived as two separate entities, however, this bifurcated health system has created an epidemic in oral disease with our aging population (Nagro, 2016). Dentistry should be more closely integrated with medicine and the health care system, however, organized dentistry has fought to stay a monopoly. They have protested regarding dental personnel being independent, even in the advancement of serving more rural areas, just as they repelled being part of Medicare. Finally, there are a few states that have alternative choices for a dental hygienist to travel to people who can’t get to a traditional dental office. Some of these states include Minnesota, Colorado, Oregon,

Dental hygienist focuses on oral health. They clean the patient’s teeth, tell them how they can improve their oral health, and tell the patient about any oral disease that they have or can possibly happen from poor oral hygiene. To become a Dental Hygienist you have to graduate from an accredited dental hygiene program and have a license in the state they have practiced. It takes 2-6 years to become a Dental Hygienist, they make an average salary of $55.307 annually. The dental hygienist work in many places such as: private dental practice, community health centers, hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, practice clinics, schools and state/federal government services.

The patient was keen to get her oral hygiene up to a good standard and prevent any

As dental hygienists we are members of the healthcare community. That means that we have an extremely important role when it comes to the health of our patients. When patients present themselves in our treatment room, it is our responsibility to make sure we do not leave anything unexamined. We are professionals in the practice of identifying, preventing, and treating oral diseases. We do this by completing thorough extraoral and intraoral exams and being conscious of what to look for. One particular exam that we do is an oral cancer exam. As dental hygienists we are at the forefront in identifying this disease. In an article written by Nancy Burkhart, a coauthor of General and Oral Pathology for the Dental Hygienist, she states, “It is known that oral cancer is more likely to be detected in an early stage in the dental office than those found at a physician’s office, which tend to be at a later stage.” (Burkhart, 2014) This may be because dental hygienists focus more on the oral tissues than physicians do; or the fact that patients go to a doctor when it is already at advanced stages. It is imperative that we as dental hygienists know the signs and symptoms of oral cancer, as well as the risk factors involved in developing the disease and how it can be prevented. While it is important as a dental hygienist to identify oral diseases, it is more important to educate our patients on how they can avoid any potential abnormalities from becoming severe problems,

When deciding whether or not to give a medication to a patient, many things must be taken into account. These conditions are known as indications. The indications for a medication include the most common uses of the drug in treating a specific condition (10). Another thing to be considered are contraindications, which are conditions where the drug should not be given. Contraindications are situations in which the drug should not be administered because of the potential harm that could be caused to the patient (10). The dosage is also important. The dose simply indicates how much of the drug should be given to the patient (10). The actions of the drug must always also be taken into account. The actions are the therapeutic effects the drug will have (10). Side effects of the medications must also be considered. Side effects are actions that are not desired and occur in addition to the desired therapeutic effects. Some side effects are unpredictable (10).

As stated by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “Each year, more than 30,000 new cases of cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx are diagnosed and over 8,000 deaths due to oral cancer occur.” (CDC). Most adults are unaware that they have periodontal disease or gum disease, this occurs because they do not maintain routine checkups with their dentist. When we insert food and other bacteria into our mouths, it affects our teeth and gums. We need routine dental checkups and cleanings throughout our lives. Dental checkups usually involve x-rays, cleanings, and the examination of the mouth.

From a very early age, I had a natural affinity for teeth. I wanted to know how they form, and differ in other individuals. As a toddler, I would grab hold of the staff’s teeth at my local daycare and attempt my own version of a dental inspection. It came quite apparent to my mother that either I had a serious fetish or I was finding a passion for a future profession. Even though my mother loved my curious personality, she wanted me to understand that there are boundaries that I must adhere too. Over time, I stopped playing with stranger’s mouths and started using my hands for more important duties. On Saturdays, after soccer practice, my father would drive us to food banks to volunteer our time. During my time as a volunteer, I did such activities such as feeding the homeless, packing boxes of food for families in need, and assisting the building of homes with habitat humanity. Thankfully, I could continue my development as a community leader throughout college and adulthood.