Inside Scoop By Trisha E. O’Hehir, RDH, BS, Editorial Director, Hygienetown Magazine

This month’s Profile in Oral Health features the story of the POH company, and their commitment to oral health. It was this strong commitment to oral health that motivated Dr. Robert G. Jones to start the company 45 years ago and that strong commitment to oral health continues with the company today. Brushing and flossing are the foundation of oral hygiene and the mantra of the dental hygienist, but the effects go far beyond healthy teeth and gums.

As a dental hygienist, you have two distinct roles: periodontal therapist and preventive therapist. It’s easy to see that the periodontal therapist role seems the most important, based on the strong focus placed on calculus removal, both in school and on licensing boards. Despite this focus on periodontal therapy, every dental hygiene program also teaches the importance of patient education. To some, oral hygiene education is simply teaching brushing and flossing. If you catch the passion of Bob, Terri, Chera and Sarah at POH, you will realize the impact oral hygiene has on people’s lives. It’s more than brushing and flossing and it goes beyond plaque and bleeding gums. Teaching prevention is all about self esteem.

There’s a quote from Maimonides that says, “Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Providing twice-yearly dental hygiene visits or teaching oral hygiene is somewhat similar. Seeing a person twice a year to remove the plaque and calculus slows the disease process, but doesn’t prevent it. If this person returns with interproximal bleeding at each visit, you can slow the disease progression. However, without effective daily oral hygiene, the periodontal infection is left unchecked with far reaching effects on the entire body. Teaching prevention is far more effective in controlling and preventing the disease than twice-yearly dental hygiene visits.

It’s a balance between your periodontal skills and your prevention skills. If you’re reading this article, you are a life-long learner. You strive to do your best and continue to perfect your skills as a periodontal therapist. Whatever energy and time you devote to improving your periodontal skills – try and double that to excel as a preventive therapist. It is rewarding to see the results of your periodontal therapy, but even more rewarding is giving people the power to prevent disease. How nice to know that with your help, people will actually avoid periodontal treatment.

The impact of prevention reaches far beyond the mouth and overall health and wellness of a person. Giving your patients the power to control and prevent dental disease impacts their self esteem. You’ve stayed in this profession despite the hard work and stress on your neck, back and arms because of the people whose lives change because of your care. Periodontal therapy is an important part of your career, but it can never match the value of your time spent as a preventive therapist.