MI Paste: What's the Difference?
We all love MI Paste. But, did you know there are 3 different kinds on the market? It can be tricky to stay up to date on the latest info when it comes to products, so we’ve done a bit of research on what’s the difference between each one and who each should be recommended to.
MI Paste
This is the 1st type of MI Paste that came out on the market and the 1st product that was delivered to patients through a prescription. The company actually says this paste is a “tooth cream” , which means it should be used in adjunct with brushing with regular toothpaste. It is applied with your finger or your toothbrush after brushing as as extra step to the oral hygiene routine. The main difference between MI Paste and MI Paste Plus -this paste does not contain fluoride.
MI Paste Plus
MI Paste Plus is pretty much the exact same as the regular old MI Paste, but now it contains fluoride at 900ppm (over the counter pastes usually have 1000-15000ppm of fluoride). It is also used as an adjunct to brushing with over the counter toothpaste, and is applied with your finger, a Q-tip, or a brush after regular home care.
MI Paste One
This MI paste is the newest on the market and has more of a toothpaste feel. Instead of adding a second step like the other products do, this one can replace the 1st brushing and instead, your patient can just brush normally for 2 minutes with MI One. It has the same amount of fluoride as an over the counter product (1,000ppm) but only needs a 2 minute exposure time. If you try it, you’ll notice it is a lot creamery then the other products, and foams more just like a toothpaste would, however they say it doesn’t use SLS as a foaming agent.
So, which one should I recommend?
That question can only be answered by you for your patient population! It’s tricky to know if adding a second step in their oral hygiene routine will make it more cumbersome or be more motivating to the patient. If you know your patient population aren’t fans of fluoride, MI Paste is the best bet. If you’re patients are having a tricky time brushing and flossing at all, MI Paste One is probably a safe bet for them to use.
But what about a Milk Allergy?
I’m sure you’ve recently heard about the little girl who ended up passing away to using MI Paste due to a severe milk allergy. In MI Paste, they use casine, which is in milk, as part of the ACP to help uptake of the product. Only severe milk allergy patients have an allergy to casine. But to be safe, better ask patients of their food allergies before prescribing the product and steer clear of MI Paste if they do have any milk sensitivity or allergy.
Do you currently recommend a prescription treatment for patients to use at home for caries or for sensitivity? Which one?
Getting Organized for 2020
The new year is almost here! And with the new year, new goals. Is one of your goals keeping up with your continuing education classes, getting them finished before the last week of your renewal deadline, or having them organized to make finding what you’ve taken easier?
I try to stay up on organizing my CE credits throughout the year to keep my CV updated and if I ever get audited (knock on wood), it’ll be easier to track everything down. There are some amazing CE tracking apps on the market, but using a regular old document works great too, and what I’ve been utilizing the last few years. Keeping all the information online makes searching for needed information quick and easy.
I organize my CE credits on Google Docs. Having the information on a cloud service makes sure I won’t lose all my information if something happens to my computer, and lets me access it from any place if needed. You never know if you’ll need to find out if your attended a pharmacology class this renewal cycle last minute, right? I’ve been able to share this document with my work as well to highlight how many additional classes I’ve been taking over the year.
So, as soon as I take a class, I’ll update the document with all the important information- date, number of continuing credits, Speaker name, sponsors, etc. Each state is a little different, so I would recommend looking into exactly what your state needs for proof of continuing education credit. Honestly, sometimes I’ll update the document during the lecture at a break or a slow time during the class. Then, I’ll hang onto the physical CE paper and file it in a file folder away per year. Then, the papers are close by if I ever need them, but I have a quicker and cleaner way to look at everything that I’ve learned the last year.
One thing that’s always a little stressful is losing a CE paper from an event! Tracking right away will help keep the stress at a minimum, so you know exactly who to contact if you need a replacement. Another way to prevent this heartache is to take classes that have online tracking for you, like Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. With each class you take, the course and the CE certificate is kept safe in your online account. And lucky for us, they have an amazing end of the year promotion right now for CE classes! Purchase 4 CE courses to receive a $15 Amazon.com Gift Card or 6 CE courses to receive a $25 Amazon.com Gift Card. No code needed, and you’ll be able to redeem the classes throughout the next year, so you don’t have to stress to get them in before January.
Do you track your continuing education credits somehow? What works for you? We’d love to learn a new way if you have something better!
How to Survive the Holidays: Dental Edition
I don’t know about you, but December seems to be one of the busiest months for us in Dentistry. Lots of patients coming into the office, trying to squeeze in the last prophy appointment and dental work before December 31st hits and their insurance rolls over. On top of extra hours and extra patients, the holidays are in full swing with parties, office lunches, specialty offices dropping off treats, and gift exchanges. It can be a lot to handle! Here are a few tips and ideas to help these next few months go by a bit smoother.
1. Take Time for Yourself.
Yes- it may seem impossible with everything going on. But, spending a few minutes for yourself during the day will be helpful to recenter and figure out what’s most important. Keep going to the gym (if you love that), listening to your favorite podcast (I love Tale of Two Hygienists)
2. Don’t start Christmas Music in your office too early.
It can be tempting to try and sneak it in and blast it early in the month. But, maybe ease into it a bit. We even created a playlist to hopefully balance out the holiday music with the everyday music to make this month go a little better.
3. Don’t stress about gifts for your office.
I know, it’s definitely fun to give gifts. It is honestly one of my favorite parts of the season! Finding the perfect gift for someone. But, if your office normally exchanges gifts for everyone, it might be time to suggest something different. Maybe donate the money you’d use for gifts to a local charity, or sponsor a Sub for Santa child if you have a giving tree close to your office.
4. Buy yourself new clinic shoes.
Nothing is better than new shoes. You deserve it to get you through the month!
5. Drink lots of water.
When dentistry gets busy, basic things like going to the bathroom or drinking go out the window. Make it a priority to take at least 1 sip of water in between each patient to stay hydrated during the day.
What are you doing this holiday to make it through?
Black Friday 2019 Dental Deals
Can’t believe it’s the end of 2019! Remember when it was 1999, it was turning into the new millennium, and everyone was freaking out? How was that 20 years ago!?
With the next year and the new holidays coming up, means Black Friday is upon us. And, of course, we have dental family members, dental besties, coworkers, and even ourselves to shop for this holiday season. We definitely want to best deals on these gifts, and we are definitely going to be utilizing Black Friday this year. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite deals just for the dental team right here on Hygiene Edge.
Figs- Of course, we love our Figs. They definitely have a higher price tag than some other brands, so this is the perfect time to get a pair or two. Today, they have 30% off your purchase.
Dental Hygiene Nation- Need a gift for a dental hygiene bestie? Here is the place! With selected items on sale throughout the store, plus a FREE Blackjack scaler with a $75 purchase, what’s not to love?
Dimensions of Dental Hygiene- If you want to learn something new, this is the perfect opportunity to stock up! Purchase 4 CE courses to receive a $15 Amazon.com Gift Card or 6 CE courses to receive a $25 Amazon.com Gift Card. Purchases must be made between November 29 - December 2, 2019, but courses can be taken at your convenience.
Ultradent- So many amazing promotions on Friday and Cyber Monday! Check out the deals on their website. You’ll need to register and make an account with Ultradent where you’ll be able to order directly through the company.
Reebok- Some of our most favorite shoes to wear on a long hygiene day. 40% off their classic designs.
Bombas- Our favorite socks. They stay up all day (which is a huge feat in dentistry) and breathe throughout the day. Save 20% with code HOLIDAY20.
Jaanuu- Another amazing scrub brand that we love. They’ll be having 35% off your purchase this week!
Ulta- Our favorite Buxom Waterproof mascara is on sale on Friday for only $10. It works amazing with loupes, stays on all day, and doesn’t flake, even with everything that is thrown at us during the day. We always stock up for the entire year this weekend.
Hygiene Edge- Of course, we’re going to throw in our own shop! We have 25% through the weekend on everything in the store! Use code HYGIENEEDGE25 to save.
Diabetes and Implant Care
Of course, we all know diabetes effects dental treatment and healing. However, does your home care education change when you know a patient has diabetes? What about when they have a dental implant and diabetes?
Since implants are more and more common, regularly recommended to many different patients, and being placed in general offices, implant protocol for an immune compromised patient with diabetes is crucial. Here are a few things to think about when talking to a patient diagnosed with diabetes about implants:
Has missing a tooth or multiple teeth effected their nutrition? Is their diabetes uncontrolled because of their eating limitations due to missing teeth? This may be a perfect candidate for an implant, as having it will help the patient’s overall health.
How is the patient’s home care? Do they regularly come to your office with generalized biofilm? If the patient is already having a difficult time with their home care, will adding another aspect to their home care with an implant going to be beneficial? Especially with delayed healing on top of the infection with the bacteria, it may be tricky to place an implant and have positive results.
Is their diabetes in control? Well controlled patients with diabetes have an HbA1C levels between 4.0% and 7.5%. These levels are taken over monthly visits to their MD, and averaged to show how well their body is tolerating treatment and how in control their blood sugar is. If the patient does not have these numbers, it may be a sign that they have not be regularly seeing their doctor for treatment, and potentially may not be in control. If a patient is well controlled, they do have a high chance of success for implant placement.
Are they willing to come in at least every 3 months for recall appointments? We as dental hygienists play a major factor in implant maintenance and education for the patient. Having the patient dedicated to coming in every 3 months highlights their commitment to their health and oral health, which in turn will make them a better candidate for implant placement.
How often do you see implants in your patients? Does your office offer implants as a treatment method for missing teeth? We see them every day, and see patients with diabetes regularly, so taking this online CE Course through Dimensions of Dental Hygiene was definitely eye opening!
A big thank you to Dimensions of Dental Hygiene for letting us take this class! They have an amazing Black Friday sale coming up on Friday and through the weekend, which you won’t want to miss! Register today to be the 1st to know of what the sale is, and what you can learn through their peer reviewed courses.
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.