The Hygiene Products We've Left Behind (and What's Replaced Them)

In this video, Linda Kilpatrick will go over why she has chosen to leave behind old, uncomfortable face shields and pick up the Ambience PPE face shield, known for its comfort and optical clarity. Kilpatrick has been a registered hygienist for 25 years and works in Vancouver in both a practice, and as an instructor at the Vancouver College of Dental Hygiene as well as the UBC Dental Hygiene Department.

Video transcription:

“Hi, my name is Linda, and I'm a dental hygienist. I’ve worked in a private practice for the last 25 years and as well as an instructor at a private dental hygiene college. Some things that I have left behind, this is one of them. This product is great when we started the pandemic and we didn't have anything better but to wear your loupes with this, it's just impossible. Well, we graduated to something like this which is great. I enjoyed it but as you continue to wear it, the plastic wears and scratches like so quickly and you can't see a thing. Finally, I found something that I am leaving the rest of those things behind and I'm wearing this now.

This is the Ambience PPE shield. It's awesome. It's clear, and so easy to adjust so that I can use my loops if I want to by moving the whole thing forward. And I can't get along wipe out this I love this on the on shield. The 3 best things I love about this Ambience shield is I could wear it with my loupes and it's so easy to adjust up or down so I could flip it up. I could flip it down. And the thing I like the most is I don't even know what's there. Okay, like it's so clear like I don't know what they make the plastic out of. But it is definitely like optical quality because you can't even tell that you have it on. So those are the 3 best things that I love about the Ambience PPE face shield.”

In this video, Katrina Sanders, RDH, BSDH, M.Ed, RF, talks about the importance of having a toothbrush like the iO from Oral B, that can suit the needs of every patient, even ones who require a more sensitive setting. Currently, Sanders is a distinguished speaker with Dental Hygiene Culture as she lectures nationally in a variety of dental hygiene continuing education content, as well as serving on the board for "Modern Hygienist."

Video transcription:

“Hello, my name is Katrina Sanders, I am a practicing dental hygienist and editorial advisory board member for modern hygienist. If this pandemic has taught us anything, it's that now more than ever, we have an opportunity to reflect on some of the equipment that we're using in the operatory, some of our policies, our protocols, and our paradigms, to better align with technology and of course, better support our patients. This year, I really started to focus on some of the modalities that I was recommending or rather prescribing to my patients. You see, when the world shut down and dentistry had to close its doors it was the equipment that I put in my patients hands that would make the greatest difference when I could not be there to physically treat my patients with my 2 hands. This equipment was integral and extremely important, and I consider even pivotal in being able to continue to manage maintain my patients information during this pandemic.

One of the pieces of equipment that I absolutely fell in love with was my Oral B iO. Now, in the past, I was not necessarily a massive Oral B fan because I felt like the brush itself was almost a bit too aggressive, particularly for my perio patients. However, the new iOseries actually utilizes micro vibrations. The Smart pressure sensor on the actual device itself helps to reduce the risk of my patients damaging their teeth or their gum tissues, and even more so the ability for the device itself to integrate 3D teeth tracking and AI recognition allowed me to actually see where my patients were effectively utilizing the brush and were they reaching all areas of the mouth, were they maximizing that smooth magnetic drive system to effectively transfer energy from the bristles into their gum tissues? The brush itself comes in 7 different modes daily clean whitening, gum care, sensitivity, intense super sensitivity, and my favorite tongue cleaning. This interactive display allows me to best map and track if my patient is optimizing the cleanse ability of this particular toothbrush. And the Bluetooth technology allowed me to track my patients brushing habits. If you haven't checked out the new technology from Procter and Gamble at crest or Oral B, please do so. This is the technology that helped support my perio patients during this pandemic and is continuing to help support them, now more than ever, as we're continuing to understand the importance around managing oral inflammation and better protecting society. Check it out today.”

Dental hygienists see the effects that clenching and grinding has on the oral cavity every day. There is not a single workday where I don’t have at least one patient that has been affected.

When I started my dental hygiene training, I learned about all the radiating effects bruxing can have on the whole body. The only way to prevent this damage is to prevent the patient from clenching and grinding, which often occur during times of stress, and more often during sleep.

After much research and discussions with professors and dentists, the consensus was that a bite guard was usually the best solution.

There are many different variations of bite guards but almost all of them are shaped like a horseshoe and cover all of the teeth in that arch. This does protect the patient's teeth from the damage they would cause without a barrier, but the horseshoe is not the best solution.

I have had a lot of patients try the traditional route, with over- the-counter and professionally made bite guards. Those patients then express their disappointments: most commonly they can't sleep with it in, they grind through it, they wake up with more jaw pain than before, they forget to wear it for a few nights and when they try to wear it again it no longer fits.

We've seen the boil and bite over-the-counter models create more problems than solutions.

Like much of the population, I suffered from bruxism. I would have occasional jaw clicking with no pain or consistency, so I ignored it as an anomaly. Anything I tried would help for a little while but then all the symptoms would come back.

I had a few custom horseshoe bite guards made, including the one I made for myself in a dental lab, but I found them uncomfortable and hard to sleep in.

Having read the abundant research on the NTI® device, I understood this succeeded with some patients, but NTI has its own drawbacks; particularly its rigidity and ability to move and even sometimes chip teeth inadvertently. Once the “gold standard”, NTI generally requires multiple appointments and a laboratory fee that not all patients can afford.

When I came to work at my current employer, I was introduced to GrindRelief, which is based on the same principle as the NTI.

It had so many advantages over the NTI and horseshoes, even before I experienced its benefits as a patient. It cuts out the patients' least favorite part: having alginate impressions made, which speeds the process and greatly increases the patient's comfort. I was able to make mine in 5 minutes from start to finish. It can be re-molded, if necessary, over time, to grow with the patient.

The GrindRelief design, with the unique Central Power Bar, disperses/dissipates the potentially harmful energy on both arches simultaneously. Here in Michigan, once the doctor confirms the diagnosis, an auxiliary usually fits the appliance, to send home with the patient.

I personally find the GrindRelief easy to sleep in and comfortable, and I did feel more relief than with the traditional horseshoe. Comfortable and discreet, I was able to talk to my husband before going to bed without an embarrassing and obvious lisp. Later he told me he had no idea I was wearing a bite guard.

However, like many people I treat, I have a slightly open bite, so occasionally the doctor has us add a maxillary splint. It is thinner (0.02) and more comfortable than the horseshoe. I don't bite down harder or grind the splint because the GrindRelief was still helping my muscles and jaw close and relax correctly.

I believe in this product, not only because of the tremendous results I have seen with my patients, but also with what I have experienced first-hand. I have finally been able to truly help my patients get and keep relief.