Dental Hygiene Commons^™

Chlorine Stain And The Oral Cavity, Alexandra B. Moore

Dental Hygiene ETDs

Swimming is known worldwide as one of the healthiest, low-impact forms of exercise and for the subsequent promotion of a strong body, heart, and mind. However, many swimmers and non-swimmers do not realize that swimming in a pool can have a negative effect on the oral cavity. Several studies have suggested that pool chlorination is responsible for dental erosion, calculus formation, and stain in competitive and recreational swimmers, and this phenomenon is known as ‘swimmer’s mouth.’ A pilot experimental research study was conducted that evaluated the prevalence of chlorine stain in the oral cavity of twenty-one female swimmers from the …

Minnesota Dentists’ Opinion Of The Dental Therapy Workforce Model, Marguerite J. Rogers 4435350

Dental Hygiene ETDs

The state of Minnesota developed the dental therapy workforce model to help alleviate the disparity in access to dental care. Despite success in other countries and acceptance by other professional organizations in the United States, some dentists continue to oppose this workforce model. The purpose of this study was to quantify Minnesota dentists’ attitudes regarding the utilization of dental therapists in that state. A survey was constructed that queried dentists’ opinion on dental therapists performing irreversible procedures and dental therapists alleviating the disparity in access to dental care. A stratified random sample of 1,000 dentists were invited to participate in …

Effectiveness Of Autism Education In Accredited Dental Hygiene Programs, Stephanie M. Riehn

Dissertations

The increase in the prevalence of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased dramatically over the last few decades, causing an increase in the exposure of dental professionals to patients with the disorder in a clinical setting.

The purpose of this study is to understand the influence of the licensed dental hygienists’ professional attitude towards treating a patient with ASD, and the level of accommodations provided to patients with ASD during a routine dental visit, based on the amount of knowledge provided about the disorder during an accredited dental hygiene program. Survey data were collected from 78 registered …

How Sweet It Is, To Be Xylitol, Lori Robichaud

Dental Hygiene Student Research Posters

Dental caries is a common illness in adults and is caused by the demineralization and decay of tooth structure. There are different factors that can contribute to dental caries, such as poor oral hygiene, an abundance of cariogenic bacteria, frequent consumption of sugary or acidic foods and drinks, and a maintenance of low pH in the oral cavity. While the best prevention of dental caries is brushing twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste and flossing daily, there are other options for patients that may be helpful, such as products containing a sugar alcohol called Xylitol. With this being said, …

Current Radiation Safety Practices Of United States Dental Hygienists, Kimberly Lintag

Dental Hygiene Theses & Dissertations

Problem: The purpose of this study was to determine licensed dental hygienists’ current radiation safety practices.

Methods: Data was collected with a 22 item, IRB exempt online survey administered to a sample of 1,500 U.S. dental hygienists who were subscribers of a professional journal. Questions focused on respondents’ use of ADA selection criteria guidelines, policies implemented by their dental practice, and hand-held portable x-ray device use and training. A response rate of 38% (N=566) was obtained. Cross tabulations were obtained using logistic regression and general linear models for significance at a 0.05 level.

Results: A majority of respondents had an …

A Gender-Based Comparison In Health Behaviors And State Of Happiness Among University Students, Rehana Rehman, Amara Zafar, Aleena Mohib, Mukhtiar Baig

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Objective: The presence of good healthy behaviors among university students is imperative for their future life. This study aimed to compare positive health behaviors and state of happiness between the two genders of Bahria University (BU), Karachi, Pakistan.
Subjects and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at BU, Karachi, Pakistan. A total 813 students participated in this study. The healthquestionnaire, adapted from Health and Behavior Survey and the Subjective Happiness Scale, was used to assess self-reported happiness. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 22.
Results: Overall self-reported health behaviors were found to be more prevalent in females as …

Aloe Vera: A Multipurpose Healer And Bacterial Eradicator, Mary X. Tran, Leira N. Jimenez, Linda K. Blackburn

Dental Hygiene Student Scholarship

The Aloe vera plant is a succulent known for its rich content in vitamins and minerals, thus gaining popularity over the years in healthcare products. With advancements in alternative medicine, it has been recently found useful in dentistry due to properties such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial actions that contribute to wound healing. The purpose of this study was to examine and discover how Aloe vera can be used as an alternative therapy in the dental field. The PubMed, Google Scholar and Dentistry & Oral Sciences (DOSS) databases were utilized to find current scientific evidence on the effects of Aloe …

Consideration For Care For Your Patient With Cerebral Palsy, Katlin R. Cannon, Melissa Stowe, Brooke Ryan

Dental Hygiene Student Scholarship

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a common developmental neurological disorder affecting about 2-3 children out of 1,000. CP is the result of infant brain damage or abnormal development resulting in impaired muscle control, coordination, tone, reflex, posture, and balance. These patients are unable to control motor movements of their muscles of mastication and facial expression, causing excessive drooling, clenching, bruxism, and other oral health-related issues. This lack of motor control affects their ability to swallow and often limits these patients to a liquid diet. This can lead to vitamin deficiencies and result in further developmental problems. As an example, a deficiency …

Got Caries? Breast Milk And Early Childhood Caries?, Megan L. Dean, Rebecca Fields, Hannah Fritz

Dental Hygiene Student Scholarship

Objective: To provide an analysis of the association between the longevity of breastfeeding and development of ECC. Determine the optimal time frame in which mothers should cease breastfeeding to reduce ECC development. Methods: Dr. Brickhouse, PubMed, Google Scholar and other scholarly databases were utilized to find current scientific evidence on the effects of breast milk on ECC. Relevant articles were summarized to write a review of literature. 16 articles published from 2015 to the present date were reviewed and cited. Results: From the studies, there is strong evidence to support breastfeeding beyond 12 months of age increases the prevalence …

Would You Recognize Lupus?, Sydney C. Smith, Maegan Simms, Barbara Brown

Dental Hygiene Student Scholarship

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, or SLE, is a chronic autoimmune disease which significantly affects various organs of the body and the oral cavity. According to various studies, SLE can cause an increased risk of periodontitis, fungal infections, and dental caries within the oral cavity. Periodontitis is an inflammatory condition mediated by an infectious etiology which affects the supporting tissues of the periodontium and alveolar bone. With SLE being an inflammatory condition as well, recent studies have emerged hypothesizing the possible association between SLE and periodontitis. Other effects on the oral cavity such as fungal infections including lichen planus and angular cheilitis …

Oral Aversion And Your Child's Dental Health Brochure And Handout, Gretchen Clavey

A with Honors Projects

For this A with Honors project, the student created a a caregiver brochure and a healthcare provider fact sheet to address dental healthcare concerns for children with oral aversion issues.

Workplace Bullying: A Survey Of Virginia Dental Hygienists, Gayle B. Mccombs, S. Lynn Tolle, Tara L. Newcomb, Ann M. Bruhn, Amber W. Hunt, Lanah K. Stafford

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose: Workplace bullying in health care has been identified as a problem that negatively affects career satisfaction, career longevity and patient outcomes. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the prevalence of workplace bullying in a convenience sample of dental hygienists in the state of Virginia.

Methods: Two hundred and forty Virginia dental hygienists attending a continuing education seminar were invited to participate. Using the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R), respondents were asked to indicate how often they had experienced 22 negative acts or behaviors according to rate of occurrence (never, now and then or monthly, weekly or …

A Systematic Review On The Validity Of Teledentistry, Jafar H. Alabdullah, Susan J. Daniel

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Objectives: The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the validity of using teledentistry in oral care examination and diagnosis.

Methods: In June 2016, a systematic search of the literature was conducted without time restrictions in three electronic databases (Ebscohost, Pubmed, and Scopus). Two reviewers screened the retrieved articles first by title and then by abstract to determine relevant articles for full text review. Studies included were as follows: (1) related to teledentistry, (2) available in full text and English, (3) compared teledentistry application to a gold standard, and (4) provided clear statistical tests for validity. The methodological …

A Survey Of Dental Hygiene Program Directors: Curriculum Development And Implementation For The Dental Hygiene-Based Dental Therapist, Heidi Desmarais

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Purpose: This study used a survey of program directors and program chairs to analyze relationships related to curriculum development for a dental hygiene-based dental therapist and the question of how external variables affect allied health workforce development and implementation.

Methods: A survey instrument was utilized to help identify the relationship between a dental hygiene-based dental therapist curriculum and the external influences of future needs of the dental hygiene profession and workforce; external influences; and institutional influences on curriculum design and implementation using Spearman’s rho testing. The open-ended question was studied through the application of grounded theory analysis. (N=340).

Results: Upon …

Perceptions And Attitudes Of Healthcare Students Towards Marijuana, Carrie Crosby

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Perceptions of marijuana were studied in healthcare students at EWU. It was found that most students had an average self-reported knowledge of marijuana use. Marijuana comes in several forms such as, edibles, smoked, patches, and lotions. With its recent legalization in Washington State, sales tax alone has accumulated $400 million dollars in the past 3 years. With this increase in use an examination of healthcare students was warranted. Most students also felt there was a need for more education on marijuana and that their current knowledge level was not enough to be competent when talking with patients about use. Overall, …

The Lasting Impact Of Intraprofessional Education Between Dentists And Dental Hygienists, Kimber Satter

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Purpose: The Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) program at the University of Washington (UW) allows first year dental students to take courses with Eastern Washington University dental hygiene (DH) students. This study was conducted to see if the RIDE program is effective as an Intraprofessional Education (IntraPE) program in improving dentists’ attitudes towards teamwork and understanding the roles and responsibilities of the DH.

Methods: UW School of Dentistry alumni from 2012-2017 were invited to participate in this study. Attitudes towards teamwork and roles and responsibilities were assessed using two online surveys: a demographic survey containing open-ended questions, and a …

Exploring Student-Led Interprofessional Education Through A Community Service Project, Lindsay Ann Doerschuk

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to explore the effectiveness of a student-led interprofessional education (IPE) workshop in improving student attitudes and perceptions toward IPE. Students from four health science programs including Dental Hygiene, Communication Sciences and Disorders/Speech and Hearing, Health Services Administration and Occupational Therapy participated in a community service event. Students provided screenings to veteran patients including a health history intake, hearing test, and sleep screening while other students observed.

Methods: Students were asked to attend an orientation, the Vets Day IPE workshop, and a debrief session. This mixed methods approach study utilized the Readiness for Interprofessional …

Endoscope Use To Improve Students’ Periodontal Debridement Skills And Self-Efficacy, Sandra J. Walker

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Purpose: The primary aim of this study was to determine if using the dental endoscope altered dental hygienists’ perception of periodontal disease, changed their instrumentation skills, helped increase self-efficacy, and if multiple uses had an effect on participants’ self-efficacy in debridement skills. Methods: This mixed-method convenient sample study included dental hygienists (N = 34) recruited from Eastern Washington University Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene or Master of Science in Dental Hygiene Program. EWU Alumni with at least one experience using the dental endoscope during patient care completed an anonymous self-efficacy survey through SurveyMonkey®. The survey included seven demographic questions, …

Efficacy Of Brushing With Probiotics For The Reduction Of Gingivitis, Cheri L. Barton

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Purpose: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of brushing with the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri on plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation. This study included 34 healthy adult subjects, ages 18-65, exhibiting gingivitis. Participants were asked to participate in a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study testing whether brushing with L. reuteri probiotic drops added to toothpaste reduced the clinical parameters of gingivitis more than brushing with a placebo drop added to toothpaste.

Methods: Biological measurements of plaque accumulation were recorded using disclosing solution and an O’Leary Plaque Score (PS), and gingival inflammation was recorded using a modified …

The Analytical Methods Used To Detect Fluoride In Dental Pharmaceuticals, Amber Aboona

Honors College Theses

My thesis, “The Analytical Methods Used to Detect Fluoride in Dental Pharmaceuticals” discusses the various analytical chemistry methods which are incorporated in the field of dentistry in order to detect fluoride in pharmaceuticals such as toothpaste and mouthwash. The oral cavity is exposed to various forms of bacteria, many of which enter through the consumption of foods and drinks that contain sugar and starch. The side effects of fluoride have been a controversial component of oral healthcare, however, many benefits have been discussed. Water fluoridation has been one of many significant methods of incorporating fluoride into the oral cavity, enhancing …