Old Alabama Family Dentistry

Spotlight: From My Point of View and TOOTHPASTE RECALL

October is Dental Hygiene Month. The hygienist is your strongest ally when it comes to helping you have healthy teeth and offering their advice about oral hygiene. SmileLink wants to show its appreciation for the work that these tireless, caring people do.

We spoke with Shirley, a hygienist who may have come to the profession somewhat by default, but once she arrived, Shirley put her heart and soul into her work. She is involved in many aspects of dental care and uses her seemingly endless energies to educate and advocate for dental healthcare. [Shirley's perspective and insights about Minimal Intervention, a growing trend in prevention and treatment, was described in another issue of SmileLink.]

Shirley: In 1981 I decided to be an orthodontist. I had four children under 5 years old and thought I could do it all! I entered college and took a full load of classes. By 1983, I decided I couldn't take the intensity for another 6-or-more years between family and school so I looked into dental hygiene. The program was only two more years, so I took that road instead.

I graduated with an Associates of Science in Dental Hygiene Degree in 1986. By 1990, I was ready to reenter the University to complete my undergraduate, Baccalaureate degree, and found a number of hurdles and brick walls in the path of my goal. In 1998, the path was revealed to me and my BSDH degree was completed in 1999 from Marquette University.

Shirley: Reading and networking. I do both at the same time by being a part of a number of Internet email communities. The members keep all of us on our toes regarding new techniques, new philosophies, and ways of relating with patients. I write a lot, too; and that forces me to do a lot of research and ask some really hard questions of myself, the research, the researchers and the dental industry. I keep asking myself, why. It's brought me to a number of different ways to think about how we treat patients and even how we use our instruments.

Shirley: Speed. I really wanted to help people with Temporal Mandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorders, to help them get out of pain. When I decided to shift to dental hygiene I was enthralled by the level of care and the science behind it.

Shirley: Bringing new ideas and new science to dental offices, then to patients. The wonder in someone's face to find out that they have cavities because they have a bacterial infection is priceless. To help them find a way to decrease the infection beyond using brush and floss, using xylitol and other aids has made the best impact on me.

Shirley: DIAGNOdent. The DIAGNOdent is a laser device that detects enamel decay. The explorer was perfected in 1880; there is no other medical diagnostic device still in use today that is as old as the explorer. We also know that the explorer can actually create enamel lesions, speed up the enamel breakdown and even move the germs around from one tooth to another. The DIAGNOdent cannot do that. It can tell us how bad the lesion is and whether or not or dental hygiene therapy is working. I love it.

Shirley: Ozone is the most important one with advanced diagnostics for periodontal disease being a close second. Ozone can arrest decay, allow the tooth to remineralize, and treat soft tissue lesions like canker sores. As a gas it can penetrate the nerve canals and sterilize them better than any liquid we currently use for root canal therapy. Ozone in water or oil can be used at home to treat affected enamel and soft tissues. The applications are endless.

Advanced diagnostics for periodontal disease are important as we find that inflammatory diseases, such as periodontal disease, are linked to more and more systemic conditions. In the late 1990's, the link between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease was established with periodontal disease pegged as a more important risk factor than smoking. Soon after, we found this inflammatory disease affecting respiratory functions and pregnancy. Now, we have studies showing that periodontal disease as a risk factor for pancreatic cancer.

Finding it early has been a challenge because of the antique instruments we still use. Blood testing for inflammatory markers will become commonplace in dental offices, as well as DNA testing of the germs that cause the disease, allowing for more accurate treatment.

Shirley: I don't floss. I also don't take Lipator. I'm not at risk for decay or periodontal disease or high cholesterol, or a bunch of other things. I'm a proponent of assessing risk and applying remedies, therapies, or preventive techniques for the condition the person is at risk for. I'm at high risk for kidney stones, I drink 2 quarts of water every day.

There is no such thing as a little filling. There has to be a change in thinking about dental decay, in that we shouldn't think it's expected. I want everyone to be cavity-free for a lifetime.

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TOOTHPASTE RECALL ALERT

We are always on the lookout for information that has the potential of affecting our patients. We were made aware of a recent toothpaste recall and want to alert our patients.

Gilchrest & Soames asked hotels to immediately dispose of toothpaste that is complimentarily supplied to their guests. Any hotel guest who may have this product is also asked to safely dispose of it.

Hotels in the U.S, Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, Barbados, the Dominican Republic received the product from one of several distribution centers. Those centers are located in the U.K., Ireland, Spain, Belgium, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates.

Even though there have been no reports of poisonings, the company does not want to take any chances in this product causing harm. DEG is especially dangerous to children and people with kidney or liver disease.

The tainted toothpaste is produced in small, .65 oz/18ml tubes.

For more information, please see http://gilchristsoames.com/about/recall-08132007.