In honor of National Dental Hygienists week in April, we want to spotlight Lynn, our hygienist at Weisbard Dental. Many patients have sent rave reviews in honor of Lynn. From Fabian, “Just put quite simply, Lynn is the BEST.” From Doris, “Lynn is very knowledgeable and very experienced.” As you can see, Lynn is well loved. Lynn comes to us from the East Coast and though she has years of experience, dental hygienists have been around since the mid-1930’s, even though the majority of the population didn’t receive preventative dental care until after WWII and there were no national hygiene boards until the early 1960’s.
Many people may wonder how seeing the dentist “every six months” came into being. It was not from the dental profession or dental insurance, but from one of the original “Mad Men” long before Don Draper came along. Grant Richey dove deep into the records and found that Claude Hopkins was the real advertising guru in the early 1900’s. He had done a very successful campaign for Schlitz beer and Pepsodent asked him to help them promote their product. It was rare for a household to have a can of “tooth powder” or toothpaste at this point and during WWI, tooth decay became so rampant and debilitating, it was declared a national security risk! Eventually, Shirley Temple became a spokesperson and suddenly Pepsodent was a household staple. Ninety plus years later, dentistry has become the business of prevention.
Dentistry and oral hygiene have come a long way in the last century. Now you may see your hygienist once a month or every two, three, four or six months. It is not “one size fits all” or “one size fits most” anymore. Your mouth is the window to your body and may require more care. Our goal is always to make you comfortable and confident In your dental care and decisions.
Let us explore what takes place at your hygiene appointment and why…
First, we will review and update your medical history and ask questions pertaining to your home routine and care. Your blood pressure will be taken and recorded. Next, if you are due for radiographs ( x-rays are generally once a year for adults), those will be digitally taken. Then an oral cancer screening and general exam of soft and hard tissue, tongue and throat is recorded. In our office a periodontal exam is done every six months. This is above and beyond the standard, but we feel this exam is very telling of the state of your mouth and often, your overall health. If we see a significant change in these numbers, we often find there may be other dental and health issues that may need to be addressed. At this point, the actual “cleaning” of the teeth, which involves hand and/or machine scaling and root planning (many people describe this as the dreaded “scraping”) removes surface and subsurface plaque and calculus. You get to wrap up with a thorough polishing, to make your teeth shine! Since the 70’s, we have found fluoride to be a vital component of healthy teeth. It is added to all public water in the United States and we advocate the placement of fluoride to maintain strong enamel. The last step is a comprehensive exam by the dentist, to check each tooth and also recheck anything observed by your hygienist. If there is any additional care you need, Dr. Weisbard is happy to consult on a treatment plan for you.
Weisbard Dental is currently accepting new patients into our practice. You can find more information about Lynn and Dr. Weisbard at weisbarddental.com. You can also request an appointment or additional information at 303.773.3373.