Dental Hygiene Equipment Tip

I want to give a tip every now and then about what makes my job easier. I have found that a couple of extra instruments added to your daily maintenance kits and your SRP kits can make all the difference.

Files are a necessary part to any routine, even if you are a big time ultrasonic user. There are a couple of different names or brands, but I like Hirschfeld Files. They can fit into tight spaces very nicely without extra damage. The can be used to access deep areas without having to completely numb an area. They give you added tactile sensitivity when used with a light touch.

Give yourself or your hygienists a Christmas present and add these or similar files and your patients will like things better.

Don't Panic

It has been a little bit of time since I've posted here, so today I'm going to give some advice. Most of you know that my hobby is investing and financial matters, and I think that individuals should be very involved in their own futures.

We've heard a lot of talking heads about the economy and personal finances lately. This doesn't really help, it only causes a panic. Unless you are just about to retire, you should be thinking that this time is a great time to be able to invest. Everything you do now will shape your future.

We must cut our personal spending to keep things within our means and normal expenses. Don't be frivolous now! We must personally save more money every month into a savings account for that rainy day. Think of it as a bill that you have to pay yourself every month. It doesn't matter how big or small the amount is, just do it without question. Automatic deposits this way are the best.

Once you do that you must pay down your debt. When the economy is in trouble, you must contract yourself and get rid of things that are extraneous, that includes debt. Start with credit card debt first and then cars and finally the house. Being debt free is a great advantage.

Begin to look at stocks, bonds, and mutual funds like you would if you were investing your own money into buying a company. If you blindly put your future money with someone you don't know without making them accountable, don't expect that money to be there in the future when you want to retire and when you need it.

Why do I spend as much time as I do on knowing the financial world? It's important to know what is going on in the world so that we are better informed to talk with our patients about issues and so we can relate to them when we are recommending treatments. It is also better to take care of yourself. If you are financially secure, then your stress and worry are way less so you can concentrate on your day to day tasks.

Take care and be smart!

Be Aggressive!

I think that the majority of people in the world tend to be conservative. No we are not talking about political views, but in everyday life. We are afraid to put it out there or tell the truth when it comes to tough situations. I think dentistry is no different. I know that I tend to shy away from things and go with the easy way for most things.

I think that this does our patients only harm and no good. Think about things from the periodontal perspective. If you have a deep pocket, over 6 mm, and you know from your daily study of the dental literature that you can't get that area clean, but you don't want to hurt the patient or charge them more, you gloss over the area.

Now think about what you've done. You've left a nidus for infection, because the bacteria and the 400 layers of biofilm that exist in that area are still present. But now you've sealed up the top half of the pocket. Now it takes a few days to fester but you've created a periodontal abscess.

Now the patient will be in pain, need antibiotics, and have to see the periodontist, hopefully me. This could have been avoided if you noticed the area, gave a bit of local and scaled out the area with an antibiotic placed, we prefer Arestin.

In this case, being a bit more aggressive would have been the right thing to do and the healthy thing. First do no harm! This is easier for experienced hygienists than newbees, but they'll learn.

Welcome to My Thoughts on Dental Health

I want to welcome everyone to the first installment of my blog on Dental Health. Let me first give you some background. My name is Robin Henderson and I am a dentist in Oklahoma City who specializes in Periodontics and Dental Implants. Most people don't know what a periodontist is, so the simple explanation is that I am a dental specialist, specializing in the foundation of the mouth, mainly the gums and bones. When people have gum disease, they come to see me.

I've been in practice since 2000 and I basically treat any problem associated with the gums and bones. That means bone rebuilding, implants, gum disease, and a lot of other things. I work very closely with your regular dentist to make sure that your mouth stays as healthy as it can.

I wanted to begin this blog to talk about things in dentistry that I see all the time. I'd like to be able to answer questions when they come up and share some observations that I see on an every day basis. My primary reason for this blog is to be a voice for people, in a non threatening way to get answers to questions. I obviously don't have anything to gain by this except giving you the correct information. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation out there, and i would like to set the record straight.

I hope that this will be helpful for anyone interested.