Archive for the Category »Dental Blog «

Laser Toothbrush
04
January

A Laser Toothbrush? “Futuristic, safe laser breakthrough leaves teeth sparkling white and healthy” my ass. seriously

I found the link through The New Dentist Blog, and was just as excited about this amazing new invention… gaH!

This is definitely the case of “If it’s too good to be true, then it IS too bloody good to be true!” (baka…)

Seriously?! Don’t they have a conscience?? It’s things like this which make me hate those opportunistic marketers, giving marketing a bad name and sucking in unknowing victims.

The worst thing is, I actually know some people who would buy this. You know those types, the ones who put 110% of their effort into finding ways to avoid brushing and flossing their teeth. If they only put that effort into taking care of their gums and teeth, then they wouldn’t have the problems they have today!

Category: Dental Blog  Tags:  2 Comments
Medicare Dental Vouchers
28
December

In the last few weeks at work, there was an influx of medicare dental vouchers in the clinic. The fact that the medicare vouchers are going to expire at the end of the year, and that school is out already, has increased the number of teen patients I’ve been seeing.

Of course I don’t mind seeing the teens because they generally have minimal build up and a lot of plaque. A lot of them also had orthodontics, so this means they generally have an idea of how bad their gums can get (that funky feel of their gums at debanding). The main thing that I enjoy about seeing this particular age group is that I can pump them full of dental knowledge and send them on their way.

The problem is that some of them just don’t listen!

I mean, considering how many of them actually spend hours working on their external appearance (styling hair, make up, clothes etc), I thought that it would be no problem? Gah… kids! I really don’t know what motivates them.

I’m thinking my approach is much too nice to be effective. Maybe I should just tell them to brush their teeth to save their girlfriend/boyfriend from the dreaded kiss?

haHa! I am SO going to do that!

Anyway, hope you all had a delicious Christmas … and remember to brush and floss for the New Years kiss

Category: Dental Blog  Tags: , ,  Leave a Comment
Radio in the Dental Surgery
03
December

The only time I listen to the radio is when I’m in my car or at work in the dental surgery. The good thing about working with a bit of music or background noise is because it dampens my need to fill in the silence, and it also keeps the patients entertained whilst I’m working.

One thing I don’t enjoy about having the radio on in the dental surgery is the advertisements. Most adverts are harmless enough and are quite appropriate for daytime listeners, but there’s this one advert that I seem to continuously hear and that I really think is inappropriate.

I’m sure you’ve all heard it before, it’s the dreaded “AMI Nasal Delivery System” for erectile dysfunction!

radio.jpgI don’t know about you guys, but I find it awkward to listen to a 30 second advert which uses words like ‘erectile dysfunction‘ or ‘premature ejaculation‘ during day light hours. I really don’t understand it, people have jumped up and down about naked babies on diaper commercials as ‘child pornography‘, why the heck is AMI allowed to air it after months and months and months of it on air?

The AMI radio advert uses innocent words and give it a dirty twist, just enough so adults know what they’re talking about, but innocent little kids are completely oblivious. They’ve even put a Christmas spin to it now, marketing it as a ‘great present for your partner by improving your presence in the bed‘… urgh!

And it’s already bad enough to hear it during daylight hours when kids can listen in, but it’s just so much worse when you can’t change radio stations and are forced to listen to the full advert! Plus I’m pretty sure I’ve heard the AMI radio advert on the other radio stations, which means I might still hear it on air even after changing the station!

Can you just imagine a cute little 5 year old kid asking:

kid.jpg

“Mummy, what does ewacktile tispuncion mean?”

P.S. I’m not alone! Read Whirlpool forum response to AMI ads.

Category: Dental Blog  Tags: , , , , , ,  2 Comments
DHAA Dental Seminar
02
November

After weeks of stressing over unfinished assessments, arranging last minute group meetings and touch ups, Friday was the final day of Uni. In the end, I didn’t end up going to the last day of classes (which I was meant to do a presentation), instead I had to attend the Dental Seminar at Kings Park.

Although I’m sick of sitting in on lectures and tutorials, learning about things I can’t apply in my life, I really enjoy listening in on Dental related presentations. When they brainwash you at OHCWA, they brainwash you thoroughly =P

The Dental Seminar reinforced a lot of what I had learnt (but forgotten) at OHCWA, and refreshed my knowledge about dental products/issues/conditions. I found it really beneficial to hear from fellow hygienists, about their opinions on certain procedures and so on. I was so pumped up that I came home and tried to subtly nag my family =P

DHAA organised a fantastic event, the turn out was really good, the presenters were interesting, the whole event ran smoothly…. except for the sound of planes blasting through the sky in preparation for the Perth Red Bull Air Race. Good thing the planes only zoomed around near the end of the seminar, it would have definitely been annoying if that was all we heard all day.

It actually felt totally great to speak with colleagues and talk teeth the whole day, and this is even when I had to wake up at 6:30am (I snoozed til 6:45)!! I’m looking forward to the 33rd Australian Dental Congress & Exhibition event in Perth next year, it’ll definitely be interesting to hear the other presenters… and there’s also no harm in getting a collection of samples either =D

Category: Dental Blog  Tags: , , ,  Leave a Comment
Dental Insurance – Cover Your Ass!
01
July

I’ve been with the same Dental Insurance Company from the time I first graduated until now – well, technically I’m still with the same one! Insurance has never really been a big issue for me considering that I don’t work a full time load… I don’t even think I work a part time load!! =P But OHCWA (Oral Health Centre of WA) taught us that it’s better to be safe than sorry: “Cover your ass!”, and now that Australia is following the American trend of suing anyone worth suing, insurance isn’t such a bad idea.

Now in case anyone gets confused, the type of insurance I’m talking about isn’t health insurance, it’s my work insurance to cover my ass. I pay to be covered legally for any dental work I do on patients just in case they aren’t happy with it or they just feel like suing me. Although the chances of me getting sued is close to none since my working hours borderline zilch at the moment, and my patients all love me! (Well, I like to think they all do…)

The only reason I’ve even thought about dental insurance is because every year I get a letter telling me I need to pay up =( Other than that, I don’t have any contact with them at all! But this year the provider split or something, MDA is now working with Dental Protection and MIPS is on its own …I think… Regardless, I had to choose between the two and because I wasn’t too sure who to go with, I asked around a bit. 

Turns out that they agree with me, the chances of me needing any legal attention is pathetically low so I should just go with the Dental Insurance Company who charges less. And so I did =) But I didn’t chose them only because they charge less, it was also because they spelt my name correctly =) Nothing irks me more than my name being spelt incorrectly when they previously spelt it correctly!

Category: Dental Blog  Leave a Comment
CPITN – community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs
16
May

Something a Dental Hygienist should never forget….

COMMUNITY PERIODONTAL INDEX OF TREATMENT NEEDS (CPITN)
The “Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs” (CPITN) was developed for the “joint working committee” of the “World Health Organization” and “Federation Dentaire Internationale” (WHO/FDI) by Jukka Ainamo., David Bares., George Beagrie., TerryCutress., Jean Martin., and Jennifer Sardo-Infirri in 1982.
Primarily the CPITN is a screening procedure for identifying actual and potential problemposed by periodontal periodontal diseases both in a community and by the individual. With this information appropriate oral care services can be planned for populations and for individuals.

PROCEDURE OF CPITN
The dentition is divided into six parts (sextant), for assessment of periodontal treatment needs. Each sextant is given a score. For epidemiological purposes, the score is identified by examination of specified index teeth. For clinical practice, the highest score in each sextant isidentified  after examining  all teeth.  Essentially  the CPITN considers  the periodontal treatment needs of each sextant with respect to:

  • score 0 - No need for care
  • score 1 - Bleeding gingivae on gently probing
  • score 2 - Presence of calculus and other plaque retentive factors
  • score 3 - Presence of 4 or 5mm pockets
  • score 4 - Presence of 6mm or deeper pockets

SEXTANT
The mouth is divided into six sextant defined by tooth numbers as shown below:

17-14 13-23 24-27
47-44 43-33 34-37

The third molars are not included, except where they are functioning in place of secondmolars.The treatment need in a sextant is recorded only if there are two or more teeth present and not indicated for extraction. When only one tooth remains in a sextant, it is included in the adjacent sextant.

Category: Dental Blog  Leave a Comment
« Previous Entries
Next Entries »