DT U.S. Edition, November 2010, Vol. 5, No. 22

Do you have general comments or criti- cism you would like to share? Is there a particular topic you would like to see articles about in Hygiene Tribune? Let us know by e-mailing feedback@dental- tribune.com. We look forward to hearing from you! If you would like to make any change to your subscription (name, address or to opt out) please send us an e-mail at database@dental-tribune.com and be sure to include which publication you are referring to. Also, please note that sub- scription changes can take up to 6 weeks to process. Tell us what you think! HYGIENE TRIBUNE The World’s Dental Hygiene Newspaper · U. S. Edition Publisher & Chairman Torsten Oemus t.oemus@dental-tribune.com Vice President Global Sales Peter Witteczek p.witeczek@dental-tribune.com Chief Operating Officer Eric Seid e.seid@dental-tribune.com Group Editor & Designer Robin Goodman r.goodman@dental-tribune.com Editor in Chief Hygiene Tribune Angie Stone, RDH, BS a.stone@dental-tribune.com Managing Editor/Designer Implant, Endo & Lab Tribunes Sierra Rendon s.rendon@dental-tribune.com Managing Editor/Designer Ortho Tribune & Show Dailies Kristine Colker k.colker@dental-tribune.com Online Editor Fred Michmershuizen f.michmershuizen@dental-tribune. com Account Manager Mark Eisen m.eisen@dental-tribune.com Marketing Manager Anna Wlodarczyk a.wlodarczyk@dental-tribune.com Sales & Marketing Assistant Lorrie Young l.young@dental-tribune.com C.E. Manager Julia E. Wehkamp j.wehkamp@dental-tribune.com Dental Tribune America, LLC 114 West 23rd Street, Suite 500 New York, NY 10011 Tel.: (212) 244-7181 Fax: (212) 244-7185 Published by Dental Tribune America © 2010 Dental Tribune America, LLC All rights reserved. Hygiene Tribune strives to maintain utmost accuracy in its news and clinical reports. If you find a factual error or content that requires clarification, please contact Group Editor Robin Goodman at r.goodman@dental-tribune.com. Hygiene Tribune cannot assume responsibility for the validity of product claims or for typographical errors. The publisher also does not assume responsibility for product names or statements made by advertisers. Opinions expressed by authors are their own and may not reflect those of Dental Tribune America. exposed to the sugars that dental plaque thrives on. Don’t suck on hard candy for a long period of time because this bathes the teeth with plaque acids and continues for 20 to 40 minutes after finishing. • Go sugar-free. The best Hal- loween sweets for teeth are xyli- tol-based sugar-free candies and chewing gums. Xylitol, a natural non-fermentable sugar alcohol, not only fights the bacteria related to gum disease it also helps dental enamel crystals to re-mineralize. • Limit the frequency of candy exposure. Surprisingly, four candy bars eaten all at once cause less damage than one candy bar eaten over a long period of time. What counts is the number of times the teeth are exposed to sweets and how long they are in the mouth. • Brush. Brush your teeth or rinse with water after eating candy or sweet treats. But don’t brush your teeth directly after eating sour candy, as this will remove more of the already softened enamel. Instead, rinse your mouth with water immediately. • Fluoridate. Use fluoride tooth- paste to help re-mineralize the areas of the tooth broken down by the acid. Nightly, over-the-counter fluoride rinses help prevent the formation of cavities too. • Steer clear of acid. Avoid or limit contact with candy labeled “sour” or “tart.” Remember that sour means acid. Look for the fol- lowing acids on the ingredients list and avoid them: citric, lactic, malic, artaric, fumaric, adipic and ascorbic. • Choose chocolate. A perennial favorite, chocolate is a good choice because it melts quickly, which limits your mouth’s exposure to harmful sugars. There’s more good news. Studies by the University of Osaka show that cocoa, the main ingredient in chocolate, may actu- ally help reduce gum inflammation. • Don’t nibble. It’s actually bet- ter to enjoy three or four pieces of candy in one sitting than to eat the same number of treats over sev- eral hours. This is because nibbling News HYGIENE TRIBUNE | November 20102B f HT page 1B The temporary dilemma Across the United States, full- time hygiene positions are difficult to come by for the unemployed hygienist. This situation leads many hygienists to rely on working in an office only a couple days a week. If there are not enough hours available, other hygienists are forced into being a “fill in” or “temporary” hygienist for an office. While some hygienists prefer to work as a tem- porary worker, the greatest share of hygienists would prefer to have an office to call their work home. Temping has many pros and cons. On the up side, the hygienist has the ability to choose when and where she wants to work. If a requested day does not work into her schedule or if the location is too far away from home, she can decline the day. Filling in also provides an oppor- tunity to see how the office oper- ates without having to commit to a permanent position. There is no need to return to an undesirable office situation. Working in many different offices exposes the tempo- rary worker to different equipment, products, technology, etc. This is a great opportunity to learn new things. On the other side, it can be dif- ficult to provide a high-quality den- tal hygiene experience to patients when temping. When a hygienist is not accustomed to the equipment, supplies and office environment, the focus of the appointment can land on these issues when the focus should be on the patient. In addition, difficulties can arise if the office is not practicing to the same standard of care the hygienist is familiar with. In this situation, should the hygienist practice in his usual fash- ion or should he fall in line with how the temporary office operates? This has the potential to be a dilemma for the hygienist. On one hand, there is a standard of care that needs to be met. On the other hand, the office has its standard and is likely not going to appreciate a different approach. In order to keep a temporary posi- tion, the hygienist may feel the need to comply with standing office pro- cedures. Keeping a job in this job climate is of ultimate importance, but so is standard of care. Many hygienists have been in “the temporary dilemma.” I wel- come your feedback on how our readers handle this situation. HT Best Regards, Angie Stone, RDH, BS greatly extends the length of time your mouth is exposed to harmful acids. • Eat less sugar. Limit sugar intake to three meals and two snacks a day. When possible sweet treats should be eaten at meal- times; during meals extra saliva is produced and this can help rinse away extra sugars and bacteria. • Go for fewer carbs. Beware of potato chips and other carbohy- drate snacks, which can also create an acid environment in the mouth and lead to cavities. HT Where there is candy, there should also be practical information, according to dental professionals. (Photo/Kmitu, www.dreamstime.com)