Double Gracey Anterior Instrument

This Double Gracey Anterior is a game changer for hand instrumentation in the anteriors. Check out our latest video to learn how to use it. Also, win your own by sharing this video from our Facebook page.

YA! A New Instrument For Hygienists-The Boge 513

American Eagle Instruments have released a new instrument called the Boge 513. It has a Hoe on one side and a Nebraska on the other. The best part of this instrument is that it was created by Emily Boge, a dental hygienist. Check out our latest video on how to use it.

Also, would you like to win one? Head on over to our Facebook page HERE to share the video to your dental hygiene friends to be entered to win one for your office. 

One Of My Best Tips For Efficient Ortho Prophys

Remember to enter our giveaway of a complete GumChucks kit HERE

Ugh. Your 30 min child prophy just showed up, right after school lunch, with a new full set of braces. This is about the time when I USED to shed a little tear as I knew I was going be be put behind in my schedule. Now when I have this scenario, I am excited for the change of routine and can complete it in the time provided. (Feel free however to schedule extra time at the next prophy visit if needed.) Here’s is the time frame ESTIMATION by minute:

• 1m-HH
• 4m-Radiographs (if needed)
• 2m-Brush the patient's teeth/OHE
• 10m-Polish, ultrasonic, hand instrumentation
• 3m-Flossing
• 5m-Exam
• 1m-Fluoride
• 4m-Dismissal/room turnaround

One of my personal biggest time savers to stay on the above schedule on an ortho patient is to disclose, hand them a mirror, and then have the patient watch me brush their teeth. This will give you a good head start on removal of materia alba and biofilm, which these patients usually have lots of, and at the same time you are doing OHE. I love a good BOGO (Brush One Get OHE). You could have the patient brush their teeth over the sink as well but I find that they take longer and still miss those hard to reach areas.

I used to hate flossing braces, as threading the floss through each time was a killer! Some time saving tips on braces are to use an ortho flosser such as the sterilizable handle from the company GumChucks with an ORTHOgami attachment, or you could use the platypus flosser or fish floss. Find one that works best for you by requesting some samples. 

Stay tuned in over the next few weeks to come as we have some videos on how to be more proficient  with the air powder polisher, ultrasonic and hand instruments on patients with ortho. 

How To Use A Tooth Slooth

Every hygienist must know what this tool is and how to use it. How often do you use it in your office?

How to Read Two Periodontal Probes

Need help with understanding a periodontal probe? Sometimes everyone needs a little refresher on how a probe works and what the lines mean. Shelley goes over how to read the UNC perio probe and the Marquis perio probe with these two helpful videos.

It's Giveaway Time

We LOVE getting new instruments, they are always so sharp and shiny.  We know you love it too, so we are giving some away! American Eagle Instruments has created the Blackjack- an instrument designed with the dental hygienist in mind. It's a universal sickle scaler with a longer shank length to help reach tricky molars, but not too long that it can be used for anteriors. Check out how to use it and some tips on how to use posterior sickles around the anterior teeth in the video below. Also, don't forget we have several videos on instruments that are available for hygienists to use our Dental Hygiene Instruments page. Check them out HERE

To win a Blackjack Instrument with XP Technology, sign up for Hygiene Edge updates below by entering your email address and answer the question in the comments below!

What is the most difficult quad for you to clean?

How To Reach Those Hard To Access Areas

Wow this Craigslist posting for a hygienist had me in awe! I read it in an article in the December 2012 issue of the RDH magazine entitled IS THERE REALLY A HYGIENE SHORTAGE? 

"The World Wide Web is an excellent resource for job searching, if one is careful of the sources used in seeking employment. Sites requiring a fee for job postings are often less packed with offers of part-time work making thousands of dollars weekly — postings worth ignoring. Success in career placement has been found on sites ranging from Monster.com to LinkedIn. The worst posting I witnessed this year came from Craigslist.org and was forwarded to me by a frustrated dental hygienist."

“Dental practice in ______ seeking motivated Hygienist. Looking for someone who can complete task at hand so that I do not have to come in and finish the Distal lingual of the lower right and distal buccal of the upper left on every single patient. Also need you to come to staff meetings with an upbeat attitude, focused on trying to find ways to connect with your patients and help keep your schedule full, rather than have a chip on your shoulder and fail to participate in any meaningful manner. Position will start as part time but with the right person can become full time. With this economy and WDS, times are terrible for practice owners. Most of us have taken 50%-75% pay cuts. The gravy days are over. Pay will start at $35 per hour. Bumping up to the high 40s of yesterday will be determined on your skill level, ability to complete tasks at hand without emotional flare up and attitude. Most importantly, you will be expected to help in keeping your schedule full rather than expecting the front desk personnel to do it all for you. If you want employment, and are willing to put in an effort, send your resume.”

Of course this AD is a disgrace in all aspects but I show you this not to discourage you but to make you step back and ask yourself if you are able to reach #15 DB and #31 L. Are you going to staff meetings with a great attitude? Do you have a recall system in place in your office or do you have one that you can present to the dentist in an interview? Check out our latest video for tips on how to reach those hard to access areas.