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Stick out your tongue…it could save your life
Posted by | Posted in Dental Health | Posted on 08-07-2010
You know the drill, or hopefully you have had the experience of an “oral cancer screening”, they grab the end of your tongue with that gross tasting gauze..
If your hygienist or dentist doesn’t do this- ask for it. Some dental hygiene and dental clinics have cool equipment like velscope - that incorporates fluorescence visualization technology to help detect abnormal tissue , including cancer and precancer. Again more dental lingo I know- basically they shine a light inside your mouth and abnormal tissue fluoresces differently than normal tissue.
Often patients think hygienists are a bit overboard with concern, and it requires the attention of a Hollywood star being diagnosed with a “not talked about so much” disease to increase public awareness. Michael Douglas being diagnosed with oral cancer has done this. The Academy Award winner has recently been diagnosed with a tumour in his throat, and now faces an eight-week course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy
The media attention has brought this important issue to the attention of both the public and healthcare workers.
This high profile case has brought oral cancers into the limelight, and oral health experts are keen to make the public more aware of the key risk factors and early warning signs. Afterall when was the last time a healthcare provider inspected your oral cavity? It was likley in the dental chair. Dental hygienists spend time working closely around the teeth and tissues or the mouth – therefore throughout an approximate hour long dental cleaning they have an opportunity to screen for lesions, lumps or ulcerations that are not healing and discuss risk factors.
Tobacco is considered to be the main cause of mouth cancer, with three in four cases being linked to smoking. Drinking in excess is also a known factor, with those who both smoke and drink to excess being up 30 times more likely to be at risk.
The chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter said: “It is crucial the public know about the risk factors and early symptoms as early detection can save lives. Survival rates can increase from just 50% to over 90% with early detection – yet over two thirds of cases are diagnosed at a late stage. “Many people have not heard of mouth cancer, and do not realise how common it is – latest figures show that over 5,300 cases are diagnosed in the UK in a year and that men over the age of 40 are twice as likely to develop the condition as women.”
So stick your tongue out ….have a look…and please feel free to “stick your tongue out” at me in the dental hygiene clinic!!!
Watch the video related to dental hygienist
Michele Darby, professor and eminent scholar in the Gene W. Hirschfield School of Dental Hygiene, is a dynamo. In addition to teaching in the schools state-of-the-art clinic, Darby teaches online courses, consults in the oral products industry and has written two core textbooks for the profession.
Help answer the question about dental hygienist
Is the salary of a dental hygienist enough to survive on your own?I'm a male in junior year of high school and wanting to
become a dental hygienist. My dad says he wants me to go
in medicine or doctor or at least a dentist. But I'm not really into
the whole blood scene and things with being a dentist. But I don't
mind being a dental hygienist but my dad says it's not enough
to make a living off of?
Depending on where you went to school, you can sometimes get advanced placement credit for your dental assisting education.
i found some additional info for you at http://www.bls.gov.
Hope it helps.
Education and training. A high school diploma and college entrance test scores are usually required for admission to a dental hygiene program. High school students interested in becoming a dental hygienist should take courses in biology, chemistry, and mathematics. Also, some dental hygiene programs require applicants to have completed at least 1 year of college. Specific entrance requirements vary from one school to another.
In 2006, there were 286 dental hygiene programs accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. Most dental hygiene programs grant an associate degree, although some also offer a certificate, a bachelor’s degree, or a master’s degree. A minimum of an associate degree or certificate in dental hygiene is generally required for practice in a private dental office. A bachelor’s or master’s degree usually is required for research, teaching, or clinical practice in public or school health programs.
Schools offer laboratory, clinical, and classroom instruction in subjects such as anatomy, physiology, chemistry, microbiology, pharmacology, nutrition, radiography, histology (the study of tissue structure), periodontology (the study of gum diseases), pathology, dental materials, clinical dental hygiene, and social and behavioral sciences
THERE ARE ALWAYS LOCAL DENTISTS ADVERTISING THAT THEY NEED A HYGIENIST TO WORK FOR THEM.
HYGIENE IS ABOUT 33% OF A DENTAL PRACTICE SO THERE IS ALWAYS A NEED FOR CAPABLE PERSONEL.
I have experienced this in my hygiene career and sometimes it is a careless dentist (or other staff member) and sometimes it is an honest mistake. A couple of ways I have handled this are –
1. said nothing that would alert the patient and handed them a new pair of gloves prior to them getting into the mouth
2. asked them if I could speak to them for a minute outside the room and let them know
3. just made eye contact with the Dr. and pointed to the gloves on their hands to jog their memory
4. held out the box of gloves at them
(I have attempted to do all of these behind the patients head or at least out of the line of site, because who wants to be shown their wrong in front of the patient or staff)
If you think it is a ongoing problem and you feel that the dentist will get upset or be offended, you might opt to hold onto the mirror and explorer (so they can't do the exam) until you see they have changed their gloves and if they haven't, hand them gloves first and then the instruments.Or maybe leave a new set of gloves on top of the instruments on the tray so they can't get to the instruments without seeing them.
If this is a constant obvious problem and their are copious amounts of other "dirty" offenses you might see if you can make some positive changes in the practice or find a different practice to work in. Honestly, I graduated 15 years ago and alot has changed, so if the Dr. you are working for is older they may just not know about the newer protocols. There is an awful lot of new information to take in all the time, but basic cleanliness is an issue that cannot be compromised since some medically compromised patients could be severly affected….Not only are you able, but you must address the issue for everyone's safety. After all, if dirty gloves are going into a patient's mouth, what else are they touching the bathroom doorknob? (that you are going to end up touching with your bare hands?)
Good luck + hope that helps!
JAMRDH -a dental hygienist
hi,
check this out,
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos097.htm
http://www.texasdha.org/
http://www.tdhea.org/
http://www.twu.edu/dental-hygiene/
good luck,
Dental hygienest
They typically make $50 an hour and see 1 patient per hour.
its better if you are not too to get a hepatitis c shot, its for your safety.
It depends on the dentist you are going to work for.
Well every job has it's downsides, but dental hygiene is a great career. Bls.gov says that the employment growth is projected to be 30%, much faster than average. It is in demand and offers great pay, especially for an associate's degree. And yes they do get good benefits, just like any job, you have to search around and interview to find a job that offers benefits that are valuable to you. Here's a good link to lots of useful info on dental hygienists: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos097.htm