From Trisha's Desk Trisha E. O’Hehir, RDH, BS, Editorial Director, Hygienetown


A Healthy Smile Lasts a Lifetime

Trisha E. O'Hehir, RDH, BS
Editorial Director,
Hygienetown Magazine





Every day in dental practices around the world, dentists and hygienists work together to diagnose and plan effective treatment for their patients. To bolster this natural collaboration, feature stories, content from the message boards of Hygienetown.com and Perio Reports research summaries are presented in every issue of Dentaltown Magazine. The goal of this section is to present topics that will create discussions between dentists and hygienists to ultimately improve dental hygiene outcomes.
October is National Dental Hygiene Month (NDHM) and the American Dental Hygiene Association is continuing with last year’s family focused theme: “A Healthy Smile Lasts a Lifetime.” This is the month to celebrate dental hygiene and the benefits of dental hygiene for the public in general and for your practice in particular. It’s a great way to begin a conversation with patients. Tell them that October is NDHM and ask if they’ve heard any of the promotional pieces on the radio or television. There are several public service announcements focused on oral hygiene, oral health and the risks of sour acid candy and drinks.

Take NDHM outside your practice. Bringing practice-imprinted toothbrushes to various community sites will spread the news about NDHM and about your practice. Visit pregnancy classes with brushes and information about the importance of mother’s oral hygiene when babies’ teeth erupt. Visit a preschool in your area, with practice toothbrushes for the children. Tell them about dry brushing, which kids prefer over strong-tasting toothpaste and encourage water instead of sweetened juice drinks for the children.

Arrange ahead with a school, to present a brief NDHM program. Hygienetown has some helpful discussions with long lists of fun activities you can easily do with children, from having them try on gloves to testing the pH of acid candies and drinks. Be sure each child and teacher receives one of your practice toothbrushes.

Other places to visit are retirement homes and assisted living centers. They welcome visitors and can definitely benefit from oral hygiene instructions and donated xylitol products to reduce plaque levels. It will warm your heart to drop by and leave a basket of toothbrushes, imprinted with the practice contact information. It’s a way to market the practice while sharing with the community; a win-win for everyone.

Halloween and NDHM provide the perfect tie-in for providing advice and alternatives to sugary and acid covered candy. Some offices have initiated candy buyback programs for kids to get rid of their candy in exchange for money or gift certificate for things that don’t cause tooth decay, like games and toys. Many dental offices offer $1 per pound to buy back the children’s Halloween candy. The offices then ship the candy to Operation Gratitude which packages and ships the candy to our military troops overseas. The children are asked to include a letter to the troops in their candy. It’s an opportunity to reach out to the community by submitting a press release to the local newspaper and local radio stations. These news outlets are always looking for holiday specific news like this.

Send me an e-mail (trisha@hygienetown.com) or join the Halloween discussion online and tell me about what you did for NDHM!
Inside This Section Cover model: Lyn Rehm, RDH, began her three-decade career as a dental assistant and then as a receptionist before graduating from the first dental hygiene class at Rio Salado College, in Phoneix, Arizona. Lyn graduated at the top of her class and was invited to speak at commencement. Lyn now lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, has three grown children and 13 beautiful grandchildren. She enjoys golf, traveling and visiting family.
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