Sealants with the Ultradent VALO
Sealants! We all know that doing a treatment that is very time and saliva sensitive can be stressful! I’m not going to lie- the second a kid sits in my chair and I know I’m placing sealants that appointment, my blood pressure instantly raises. But, with a bit of practice and a few helpful tricks, sealants can start to become as easy as scaling a patient with only 3 natural teeth left. Here a few tricks to help make sealant placement a bit easier:
1. Have great products. We are only as good as the products we use. If you have old etch, old sealant material, or even an old curing light, your perfectly placed sealants won’t hold. We’ve been using the VALO curing light the last few weeks and are obsessed. We honestly didn’t realize the importance of a great light until we used one.
2. Have a system. Make sure you have all the products you need, like plenty of cotton rolls, dry angles, the proper tips, microbrushes, etc, already on your tray. Nothing is more stressful them missing an item or two, and then trying to wing it mid procedure.
3. Don’t be shy to utilize a bite block. If you notice your patient is having a hard time keeping their mouth open during a prophy appointment, it definitely is going to be tricky during a sealant placement. Explain what a bite block is before placement, and then take it out right after it has a final cure.
If you’re for a few more tricks and tips, definitely follow us on Instagram (@hygieneedge)!! We’ll be sharing videos of more sealant tricks throughout the week.
Thank you to Ultradent for supporting us and for supporting RDHs! Did you know that Ultradent created the VALO curing light? It is definitely one of a kind and pretty much indestructible. If you office needs a new light, they will be on an amazing promotion for Black Friday this week. Make sure you register for an account on Ultradent before Black Friday to help make the check out process a bit easier.
Let's Get Varnish on Your Patients
Looking for a new way to have better case acceptance with fluoride? Education! Education is a major part of any case acceptance, but definitely with a fluoride varnish treatment. Patients may not understand the benefits of spending the extra money in their appointment, and definitely won’t pay anything in addition to what their insurance covers if they don’t see the value.
How do I add value?
Adding value to varnish doesn’t look like a quick 2 second introduction to fluoride in the last 30 seconds on your appointment. Talk about fluoride from the 1st few minutes in the appointment. Do they report on their medical history they had cavities filled at their last appointment, or did they write down they have sensitivity? Talk about fluoride right then. It doesn’t have to be a big sales pitch- just introduce that there’s a product we can apply today at the end of your appointment that could help with (insert their concern). During radiographs, if you notice some decay areas, mention how there may be come cavities on this picture and that we should try some prescriptions to help prevent more. After the dental exam and the decay is confirmed, mentioning again that we should apply fluoride will highlight now important the application actually is. If we explain to our patient why the $15-$45 treatment is important for them specifically, your acceptance rate will definitely increase.
How do I make sure it is effective?
Definitely explaining the post op instructions is very important. I’m sure patients aren’t too excited if they pay for the treatment, then come back in 6 months and have more problems than the last recall appointment. Highlighting the importance of home care, and changing up that home care for the next 4-6 hours, can be critical. However, sometimes explaining the post op recommendations after an hour appointment doesn’t transfer to the patient as well as we’d love. If you don’t feel like patients are understanding the post op instructions, print them off! Ultradent has an easy download for you to print off and to have something physical for the patient to refer to. After your explanation, show the patient you’re putting the paper into their page for them to refer to later if they have questions.
Thank you to Ultradent for supporting us at Hygiene Edge! We’ve loved working with them and learning more about their company, their motivation, and how they support dental hygienists. If you’re looking for a new varnish to try (think different flavors like orange cream or caramel), Ultradent’s Enamelast may be for you! And they may or may not be having an amazing sale on Enamelast on Black Friday. Side note- all black Friday deals must be ordered online through your office’s account. If you don’t have one, make one today to make saving/checking out so much easier on Friday.
National Dental Hygiene Month Winner- Cortney
We had so many amazing entries to the National Dental Hygiene Month giveaway, it was so hard to pick just one! I wish we had enough prizes to give everyone who entered, since every hygienist is just amazing. The more we get to know dental hygienists in our community, in our online community, and through out the country, I’m amazing on how genuine, kind, smart, and funny they all are.
We are excited to announce the winner of the 2019 #NDHM giveaway to Courtney Humphrey! It has been wonderful to get to know her, and see her passion for dental hygiene with starting her own mobile clinic to help underserved areas in her state. We asked Courtney a few questions about starting her own business, and how it has changed her life.
How long have you been a dental hygienist?
I have been a hygienist for almost 8 years.
What inspired you to start your own mobile clinic?
I never imagined I'd be an entrepreneur. From a fairly young age I felt a draw towards individuals with special needs and loved to do volunteer work with them. In 2017 my daughter was born with special needs. She ended up passing away after just a few short weeks, but she left me determined to serve and care for those with special needs.Then in February of this year I attended a CE presented by Angie Stone and that flame was reignited. A few months later, with the support of some awesome dentists, Accessible Dental was born.
Where are you at in the process?
I will be seeing patients at my first facility next month!
What has been the hardest part in owning your own business?
The most difficult part so far has been putting myself out there. I've been making "cold calls" both in person and over the phone to get patients. Sometimes it gets discouraging to get rejection after rejection. I have to remind myself constantly to be brave and push through the growing pains because I have a service that can make a difference in others' lives.
What has been the most fun/most rewarding?
Meeting so many wonderful individuals, and getting to know them and their stories. They bring so much light to my day. I always feel best when I forget myself and focus on others.
Hygiene Temping With Cloud Dentistry
I recently had a hygiene bud announce in a group forum that when they are scheduled to temp, they will be charging the office for a minimum of 6 hours on that day. No matter if the day falls apart, or if they have a large break in the middle of the day, a minimum of 6 hours of payment is required. They started creating this policy as so many offices were canceling or reducing the hours of temp jobs the day before. Some praised the hygienist, while others threw digital tomatoes.
This friend was fed-up. They had too many offices taking advantage of them as a temp. They were making themselves available with their valuable time, and then the day before the job was cut short or canceled completely. They also reported that some offices wouldn’t pay them their original payment agreement. How do we work together to solve these issues?
Remember when you temp that, YOU are valuable, and YOU are needed. Otherwise, the office has to cancel thousands of dollars in production. They need you to be there!
We here at Hygiene Edge are always looking for new and cool things to make hygienists’ lives easier. We recently found a digital platform called Cloud Dentistry that helps to solve the issues that many of us face when temping, just like the ones my friend was dealing with.
Cloud Dentistry allows offices to book you for temporary jobs via their website or app. You set your availability and the hourly fee. One of my favorite parts is you can message directly with offices through their app.
To get started:
Create a free account with them at www.clouddentistry.com
Put your info in, list your skills, and upload a professional photo.
2. Update your Schedule
They have a short video that explains all the details. You can mark yourself available for several days or just the occasional temp day.
If you are sent home early, you are eligible to be paid for the number of work hours booked, minus one (If you were booked through “real-time matching”).
To have a system like Cloud Dentistry to work to its full potential, having more hygienists register will help! This helps find temps when you need one, and helps you find temp jobs.
Cloud Dentistry understands that they need all of us to work together to build this network. So they offer an ambassador program that you can join once you have created a profile. They give you a kick back for 4 years on dental offices that sign up through your special provided code. Mine looks like this: https://mbsy.co/Czc7g.
If you’re looking to have people in your area sign up for Cloud Dentistry, here are a few tips to try:
1. Network with all of your hygiene buds in the area and encourage them to sign up. The more the merrier.
2. Go around to offices and state, “I am a dental hygienist who temps in the area. You can book me through the app or website called Cloud Dentistry.”
You can even hand them a business card with your LinkedIn (for your resume info) and custom ambassador link. When they use your link to sign up, and they purchase a monthly plan, you get a commission for 4 years on that plan.
3. You can even post about it on other social media platforms to encourage others to sign up with your ambassador link.
Cloud Dentistry values dental professionals. They know that if we work together to set the bar high then we won’t be taken advantage of, and that temping can be a good experience for both parties. Check out their website for all the details at CloudDentistry.com.
What Being a Dental Hygienist Means to Me
I’m not going to lie. I specifically remember a moment in dental hygiene school where I questioned everything. I was in my last semester, sitting with my cute perio patient, sitting in the very back corner operatory in the clinic. He was numb and I had just put down the Piezo to start using Graceys. I specifically remember picking up the instrument and thinking “Is this really happening? Will I be picking up instruments just like this, doing wrist motion just like this, and treating patients just like this for my entire life?”
Fast forward 10 years later. A few days ago while temping at one of my favorite offices to temp at, I picked up a Gracey during a periodontal therapy. The patient was a cute perio patient, she was numb (and very nervous might I add) and that picture of me as a dental hygiene student popped into my head. Guess what. I’m still treating perio patients just like in school. I’m still doing wrist motion (which I’m grateful for. If not, I may not be working anymore due to finger and joint pain). And I’m actually really loving being a dental hygienist. However, now being out of dental hygiene school for more than 10 years and having a completely difference perspective on the profession, dentistry does and will always have a place in my heart. Being a hygienist means so much more that removing calculus.
1. You’re a Friend
As my patient was looked up at me with fear, I worked with her to become her friend. And our patients become our friends, if not our families, by spending time with them in a very vulnerable place. I often forget that a dental office is personal, sometimes scary, and vulnerable to the general public. These patients are trusting me when they are nervous and scared, and in turn we become friends in the process.
2. You Save Lives
That sounds dramatic. Most people think we check out gums, love to pick off “stuff” from teeth, and can take a mean bitewing. All true, but we also can save lives. We find suspicious areas of oral cancer that not many other people can find. We educate on overall health and the importance of not only oral, but systemic health. We help get people out of pain so they can get back to the things they love. We screen for high blood pressure, for artery problems on panos, for systemic issues like diabetes and heart disease with bleeding gingiva.
3. You Support Overall Health
The mouth is a key component in systemic health. The oral cavity is such an important area of the body. It aids in breathing, sleeping, proper nutrition, digestion, communication, social connection, emotion, plus so much more. Without the mouth, your patient’s standard of living would be drastically decreased. Knowing how important health and prevention of the mouth for the entire human you’re working on is a big responsibility! We can do it!
4. You’re a Teacher
We educate every hour for each of our patients. We talk about oral health, easy ways to increase their home care, and discuss with patients what’s working and what isn’t. We also translate after a dental exam what work is recommended, and give advice to the patient on what they’re looking for when it comes to dental work. We talk about increasing confidence by teeth whitening, and educate how to best complete the whitening process. We talk about ways to improve the patients life and their family’s lives through great oral hygiene and staying away from dental pain. We educate all day, and I personally love seeing the difference it makes it patient’s lives.
5. You can take a break if needed
Dental hygiene is hard. Physically from repetitive motions, emotionally from working in stressful situations with stressed patients, to mentally by working in a small business and figuring out relationships and dynamics of an office. Because of this, it’s ok to take a break! Take off a week or even a year to do some self care and make yourself the best clinician possible.
Dental Hygiene may not have been what I thought it was going to be. It ended up turning out so much better! Thanks to you and all the many dental hygienists who paved a way for our career, and who have helped and inspired be to be the best RDH I can be.
National Dental Hygiene Month Giveaway
We’re so excited about this month’s giveaway to celebrate our favorite month of the year! Dental Hygienists are an amazing group of people that we want to celebrate.
This year, we’ll be doing one mega giveaway for a deserving dental hygienist. Nominate yourself or a friend who needs a quick pick up after a long year in an amazing but sometimes difficult career. Email us your nominations @ hygieneedge@gmail.com. Entries are due on October 31, 2019 at 11:59MST and we’ll be pouring over the entires and announcing the winner the week after that.
Some amazing things you can win:
Five instruments of your choice and a cassette from American Eagle Instruments
Safety Glasses from Cees Glasses
Whitening Go Trays and Whitening Tubes from Ultradent
A Prize pack from our Hygiene Edge Shop
Sharpening Guide from PDT
Nose Filters
GumChucks autoclavable handles and inserts
Enter today! Happy Nation Dental Hygiene Month!
Social Media Tips to Help Your Practice Grow
We were lucky enough to go to the Digital Dental Marketing Conference last week held by My Social Practice and learned so much about the online space for dental hygienists and dental offices. Who knew the online space was so complex, and using it as a tool to promote a practice could be so easy and so complex all at the same time? Here are a few tips we picked up on during the convention that you could use tomorrow to grow your office’s online presence.
1. Check your website on your phone. The majority of patients and people use their phones to do any searching online. Makes sense! I’m always looking up companies on the go, comparing prices when I’m at a store, or asking questions online all from my phone. Why wouldn’t patients be looking at you from theirs? Make sure your website looks good and makes sense from mobile and answers all their questions about your office, like hours, services, and location all easily from their favorite browsing device.
2. Use What You’re Doing to Your Advantage! If you’re already doing monthly cavity free giveaways or volunteering on mission trips, document them! And use them as content for your website and social media. Show off all the amazing things you already do, and let both your patients and your potential patients know how great of an office you are.
3. Keep Videos Short and Simple. People, aka patients, attention span online is 30 seconds to 1 minute. So, if you want to do some quick OHE Videos, or how tos, keep them just that- quick. If you’re thinking about showing the differences between different materials, think about breaking them up into a few different videos to keep them short.
4. Use Mircroinfluencers to Promote Your Practice. Are their local people online talking about what’s happening in your town? Ask them to come to your practice for a tour or a whitening treatment to show off what’s happening or what’s new in your office.
5. Google Your Office. Make sure your offices phone number, office hours, and photos are available right away if someone is searching your name. Seems simple, but if you’ve never checked before, they probably aren’t on there!
Having your office online is major when it comes to patients finding you. I mean, it is almost 2020! If you are looking for something new to work towards as an office, using social media may be it!
Does your office use social media to promote the practice? What is your role in creating posts or content for their online presence? Maybe consider heading to the Digital Dental Marketing Conference next year right here in Utah! We’d love to meet up with you if you do!!
Ways to Celebrate National Dental Hygiene Month
It’s here! It’s October. Not only does this month come with season changes, lots of hayrides and pumpkins, and sweater weather, it brings the best thing to celebrate all year- National Dental Hygiene Month! We are very excited to celebrate this special month with you over the new few weeks. Are you looking for some ideas on how to celebrate? We’ve thought of a few we’ll be doing this month!
1. Share about it on your Instagram or Facebook! Let all your friends and family know how important oral health is to you and it should be to them. Highlight what you do as a dental hygienist each day and how much you love your career and taking care of your patients every day. I had a few students mention they had no idea what dental hygienists did before coming to school, but coming into school has opened their eyes to how important dental hygiene really is and how smart RDHs is as well! If people searching out, shadowing and actually coming to school to be a dental hygienist doesn’t truly know the extend of what we do, what does the general public know? Let’s work together to educate, and this month is the perfect excuse!
2. Paint rocks and hide them around town. Does your town have painted rocks around? They are definitely a fun way to do something different to promote oral health. Include a specific hashtag for your office or include #NDHM so you can see where they end up!
3. Attend a local ADHA event. Do you know where they are held? If you don’t know, we can help you! Email us! Do you ever attend their meetings? Sign up and support! You’ll meet dental hygienists locally to you, and learn something new. Having a network of hygienists that are close to home in so important when it comes to finding a new job in your area, plus you can discuss cultural concerns and situations that are common in your area with your new RDH friends.
4. Order yourself a new name tag. Get a new, simple name tag (especially if you don’t ever wear one) that includes your first name, your title and that you’re a dental hygienist. Let your patients know by this simple act that you’re different than the assistant or dentist, and that you have a unique and critical role in their health care.
5. Sign up for a dental hygiene magazine, like RDH Magazine or Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. They’re free, come every month or so, and are a great way to learn about new products. Plus, since they come regularly, it’ll keep National Dental Hygiene Month going all year! I love when they come, can review them during a slower clinical day, and learn a new skill or review different medications or syndromes.
6. Since this month also includes “Treat Yourself” Day on October 13 (any Parks and Recs Fans here?!), why don’t you treat yourself this month! Buy yourself a new pair of scrubs and throw an old, faded pair away. Look into a yoga class to keep your body stretched and healthy. Replace your old clinical chair with a new saddle chair. Your body and career will thank you as you treat yourself this month.
How are you celebrating? We’d love to know and join with you!
What Should I Take When I Temp?
Whether you are thinking about occasional temping or full-time temping it is a good idea to bring along a few essential items. Please adapt this list for your level of temping.
Items for Patient Treatment:
Patient glasses
Blood pressure cuff
Supplies: Your patient education folder
Your preference of instruments- (be sure to sterilize before you leave)
Sharpening stone- Most instruments are not sharp when I temp (be sure to sterilize before you leave)
Cordless Handpiece- (be sure to sterilize before you leave)
Your own favorite no-hassle floss
Polishing paste, Prophy brushes. (Items you may want to try from the trade shows)
For you:
Labcoat
Nametag
Loupe light- HERE is one we wrote about that you can use to try out a light and then save for your favorite one.
Saddle chair
Den plugs- Start protecting your hearing from those high frequencies.
Nasal filters- Protect your patient and yourself from aerosols
Small clock to stay on-time.
Patient Samples: Toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, xylimelts, interproximal brushes (items you get at trade shows)
Making It Memorable
Xylitol suckers- For those pedo patients, an OHE tool for parents or a fun treat for the child tagging along with a parent.
Need to stock up on any of these items? Check out our Amazon Influencer storefront of recommended temping products HERE.
Want to know more ideas about temping read our article Becoming and Unforgettable Temp.
Disclaimer: We are #amazoninflencers we do get a commission if you buy a product we recommend. We have an influencer store front on Amazon HERE of products we find valuable for dental hygienists. We thank you for your support.
September Hygiene Round Up
We’ve collected some of our favorite dental hygiene articles and products from all over the web and completed them just for you!
Figs Scrubs (our fave) are on sale for 20% off today. I’m ordering a jacket!
Do you talk about weight at a dental visit?
Do you follow us on Instagram? We just showed the difference between each Nevi by Hu Friedy, and we’re working on a post right now about them (with a video on how to use them intraorally.
Who’s been using a cordless hand piece? There are so many new brands out there! What are you using and loving or hating?
We’re also interested in trying out the new Orascoptic Trucolor light.
Dental Hygiene Nation launched their fall line. This sweatshirt is our favorite.
Who dresses up for Halloween in a dental theme? Or dresses up as an office for a clinical day?
Need an interim light while you save for the one you really want. The light pictured is from amazon for 30$. See all about it in our recent post HERE. Or check it out on our Amazon shop HERE. #amazoninfluencer