Dentistry, Dentistry And Oral Hygiene

In elementary school, one of my favorite days in grade school would be when my mom came in for her oral hygiene lessons. Even though my mom could have easily demonstrated proper techniques on how to brush and floss teeth with a dental model for my classes, she knew how excited I would always get when she called on me to personally demonstrate. I would brush in confidence those tooth surfaces, at a 45 degree angle and with small circular strokes. Promptly in the lesson, I would put the toothbrush vertically for those inside surfaces of my front teeth. My mom would end the brushing technique with a friendly reminder to brush for a full two minutes, twice a day. She also told the kids to think of triangles and to floss along the mesial and distal surfaces of their teeth, rather than straight down and cutting their gums. With every upcoming yearly demonstration, I honed that routine of mine, ensuring to my classmates the best way to keep the plague out. Even to this day, I have still got my middle school sketchbook in my desk drawer, where I had illustrated the cover as, “Dr. Pham, DDS”. Starting in my high school summer, I had my first shot to assist my parents with what I have always known to be as, “The Office.” In the day-to-day, I strove to follow my dad’s office procedures. Imagine, my young, impressionable self holding onto the large suction and water syringe as a patient’s wisdom were extracted; gums cut, that red blood flowing throughout the procedure.

In “Where are all the Dentists?”, Kristen Lewis states that there are not enough dentists in rural areas, but that can be fixed. Many people in the modern world live in poverty and don't have the dental support they need. This is because regular dental treatment can cost up to $100, which is a lot for some people who don't have regular dental access. Having a dental degree is very pricey, so when the dentists come out of dental school, they are usually in debt. Because of this, dentists like to work in modern environments where they can get good business. But in places with not a lot of money, there are less or no dentists. These “dental deserts” have many people with untreated cavities and other bad tooth diseases. Because of that, dentists

While most of the patients I interacted with were seeking non-dental care, I met patients who were seeking care to health conditions that stem from their oral health such as oral abscesses, which our team was unable to treat except for prescribing antibiotics or painkillers. I encountered similar situations when I shadowed physicians in the emergency room of hospitals, observing a variety of craniofacial disorders originating from a preventable tooth decay. From these observations, I learned that patients often did not receive treatment that addressed the root of their problems: their oral health. As the result, I learned that many physicians saw the same patient repeatedly for problems that would otherwise be easily prevented through proper preventive dental care. Determining to address the unmet needs for accessible preventive dental care, I decided to pursue a career in dentistry so that I can provide a positive and meaningful impact to the underserved community on their oral health and ultimately their overall

The field of dentistry has history dating back to 7000 BC and has continually changed and improved overtime through the influence of many intelligent people. The ancient cavemen of Pakistan received credit for the first documented drilling of teeth. Studies show that Pakistanian cavemen used asphalt and other creative treatments to fill cavities (“Dentistry”). This act of improving oral health laid the basis for further development and innovations in the field. Following the Pakistanian cavemen, the ancient Egyptians contributed to dentistry by creating the formula for one of the oldest recorded toothpastes. This mixture consisted of rock salt, mint, dried iris flower, and pepper. Scientists believe that this formula for toothpaste may have worked better than toothpastes developed during the 18th century (Monson). The French, the next

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.

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,

Oral health care is an integral part of the US healthcare system. In 2012, Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced “The Comprehensive Dental Reform Act”, which aimed on expanding dental coverage, accessible oral health care centers, increase in dental workforce, enhanced dental education and encourage dental research. (Congress.gov). The ACA, aim to curb the national health spending, by facilitating the affordability to quality care through private and public health insurance. The purpose of this bill is to cut the healthcare costs and to reverse the “silent epidemic” of dental health status (surgeon gen). This dental bill with an integrated approach towards the preventive and comprehensive oral healthcare is estimated to provide coverage to almost 17.7 million adults. (ADA

“Nearly seven out of 10 Americans brush their teeth at least twice a day but more than 30 percent aren’t brushing enough, according to a survey published by Delta Dental,” (colgate.com). Many people all across the United States have dental hygiene issues due to lack of practicing good oral health skills. The reason why some individuals have poor oral health is due to lack of funds, products, race, and simply because they’re lazy. A dental hygienist can provide a patient with better hygiene regiments to motivate the patient on the right path in order to have a healthy mouth.

L., Walsh, M. M., (2015). Dental hygiene: Theory and practice (4th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Saunders Elsevier.

MB2 Dental Solutions offers a suite of services for dental practices and solo practitioners who are seeking new methods to make their practice more efficient, without sacrificing their patient's standard of care. According to MB2 Dental Solutions' About Us page, dentists maintain their clinical independence; affiliated dentists simply receive assistance with tedious administrative tasks associated with practice management that keep practitioners busy, without bringing in income. Since MB2 is a practice management firm created by a dentist, Dr. Chris Steven Villanueva, DMD, patients always come first.

In “Where Are All the Dentists?”, Kristin Lewis explains that millions of people don't have dental care, so mobile dentists are on the job. The true problem is the lack of dental care people receive. Why is that and how bad is it you may ask. Well according to “Where Are All the Dentists?”, “...one in seven kids between the ages of 12 and 19 have at least one untreated cavity…” This is terrible because unhealthy mouths can lead to surgery and other major health problems later on in life. Why are people getting inadequate care? Well there is not one answer to this. Some people simply find it too expensive seeing that an average check up is around $100. Others simply have no dentist to go to, these are called dental deserts and the office can

Dentistry has a long and complex history, with the earliest evidence of it being performed being dated back to 7000 B.C. from the Indus River Valley Civilization. Later, an ancient Sumerian text mentioned “tooth worms” around 5000 B.C., and from 2900 - 2700 B.C,Egyptians began drilling teeth to drain abscesses. Etruscan and Greek physicians further progressed dentistry by pioneering dental prosthetics and writing texts that contained information about dentistry. The Roman Empire later conquered the Etruscans and absorbed some of their culture, including dentistry. In fact, the Roman medical writer Celsus wrote on many topics pertaining to dentistry. In Asia, although the Chinese did use silver amalgam fillings as early as 200 B.C., a proclamation from the Qu’ran that prohibited body mutilation prevented the advancement of dental surgery for many years. The first book to focus solely on dentistry, Little Medicinal Book for All Kinds of Diseases and Infirmities of the Teeth by Artzney Buchlein was published in Germany in 1530. Known European dental achievements were mostly French and English in the 16th and 17th century, with James Hunter, an English surgeon, pioneering the idea of teeth transplant. When the English began settling the United States, many of them brought along their dental practices. Notable American dentists during the colonial period include Isaac and John Greenwood and Paul Revere. In the 19th century, America was a hotbed for dentistry related

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.

As an established dental center in Kane County, IL, Lorlyn Dental Care is committed to providing a wide range of preventative care and dental maintenance services designed to meet every dental need. Whether you are looking for a reliable resource for comprehensive teeth cleaning and exams or hoping to take advantage of our excellent rates on more complex dental work, we’re here to help. In addition to general dentistry, we take pride in providing cosmetic dentistry options so that we can help our valued patients have the beautiful smile they deserve.

Although many Americans have good oral hygiene due to fluoride and making everyday good decisions, others do not have any access at all to oral health care. Over the years, dentists have been trying to demonstrate the importance of oral care. (“Access to Dental Care”) From commercials to campaigns, dentists will continue to demonstrate to their patients as well as to the people who don't have insurance the importance of oral health care. They will teach them preventative care and some techniques on how to prevent from getting any diseases.