Short on time this past month? Here's a summary of the five most popular articles on DentistryIQ for January 2024, ranging from pharmacology considerations to the uptick in dentists performing hygiene duties.
Cavities and consequences
In DentistryIQ’s top article for January 2024, Amanda Hill wrote about the sometimes dire consequences of untreated decay and cautioned readers to take their oral health seriously: “The American Dental Association says there are over two million visits to hospital emergency rooms for dental pain, costing the US health-care system $1.7 billion annually…[and] The frustrating thing here is that most oral diseases are preventable.”
Dear Patient: You can die from cavities
Considerations with Ozempic
Use of Ozempic (semaglutide)—particularly for weight loss—soared in 2023, and that uptick means dental practitioners are going to have more patients who are taking it. In this Medical History Mysteries, dental pharmacologist Tom Viola said that regardless of patients’ reasons for using Ozempic, “there are some dental considerations” dental pros need to understand.
Drug interactions 101
Reviewing a patient’s medication list and asking if they’ve taken their meds the day they’re in the chair is an essential part of safe dental care. But what about drug interactions? And not just with other drugs—there are foods and beverages that can affect a medication’s efficacy.
Can a hygienist own a practice?
A licensure called Registered Dental Hygienist in Alternative Practice (RDHAP) “empowers hygienists to redefine the oral health-care model through dental hygienist-owned practices…RDHAPs are able to set their own schedules, determine the time allotted for each patient, and lead their practices with a preventive, patient-centric approach,” writes Britt Glauz.
Hygienst-owned practices: Transforming dentistry through prevention
Dentists and dental hygiene
Recent polling shows that amid the ongoing dental staffing shortage, more dentists are performing hygiene duties. Whether they should is one consideration, but for Hill, the more relevant one is if they’re providing quality care: “Patients still need preventive care, and that might, out of necessity (or choice), fall into the dentist's column. As with any procedure, if dentists are going to perform it, they better know how to do it!”
