Author: Kim Miller, RDH, BSDH

Words of Wisdom by Kim Miller, RDH

Posted on by Kim Miller, RDH, BSDH
Every patient is different. Overcoming a patient’s obstacles to treatment may take some finesse. The diagnosis and treatment plan are typically the easier task. In this series, we have asked the experts from our Protocol Directory, to share their insight. When Kim Miller RDH with Inspired Hygiene was asked to address “I need to think about it” or “I need to talk to ____ (my husband, wife, etc.) about it,” her response included the following: “I completely understand. I’m sure you weren...
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The True Cost of Clinical Lab Testing

Posted on by Kim Miller, RDH, BSDH
As an in-office coach I often hear the following objection, “Clinical laboratory testing is too expensive. My patients won’t want to spend the money.” Taking into consideration the latest research, released in the online British Medical Journal November 29, 2016, which states that periodontal disease with high risk pathogens (Aa, Pg, Tf, Td, Fn) is causal for arterial sclerotic vascular disease, the patient can’t afford NOT to test for the presence of these dangerous bacteria. (1) As a pr...
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Pregnancy Gingivitis: Test, Don’t Guess

Posted on by Kim Miller, RDH, BSDH
In 2015, about 1 out of 10 babies was born too early in the United States (1). In recognition of November's Prematurity Awareness Month, enjoy a hygienist's passion for providing exceptional periodontal care not just for the patient but the unborn patient. "Recently, I was training in a well-established dental practice of more than 30 years.  The four woman, very talented and all out of school less than a year hygiene team, prompted the question about my opinion of pregnancy gingivitis. I...
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Communicating with Patients about Nicotine and Perio

Posted on by Kim Miller, RDH, BSDH
During a recent in-office team workshop, we were discussing nicotine use and its dramatic effects on the progression of periodontal disease. To help the team fully understand the consequences of nicotine use, we talked about vasoconstriction and how smoking masks the true level of periodontal infection. The vasoconstrictive properties of smoking reduce blood flow and, in turn, oxygen to the tissue, resulting in gums that do not bleed or have reduced bleeding. Smoking patients have pockets th...
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Pregnancy Gingivitis: Test, Don’t Guess

Posted on by Kim Miller, RDH, BSDH
Recently, I was training in a well-established dental practice of more than 30 years.  The four woman, very talented and all out of school less than a year hygiene team, prompted the question about my opinion of pregnancy gingivitis. I answered with a question of my own, “What did you learn in school about it?” Quite frankly, their response left me speechless, “It’s caused by increased blood flow and it will go away once the baby is born.”  WHAT?  Is this really being taught to the next genera...
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Missing the Boat When it Comes to Perio Therapy

Posted on by Kim Miller, RDH, BSDH
During a recent national speaking engagement, a hygienist told me that they used to do clinical laboratory testing. “We stopped doing it because when we tested months later, the bacteria had come back and the patient had an active infection again. We decided ‘it’ wasn’t working so we stopped,” she explained. I thought to myself, wow, this is very interesting and a perfect example of ‘throwing the baby out with the bath water’! It wasn’t the clinical laboratory testing that wasn’t working, it ...
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The True Cost of Clinical Lab Testing

Posted on by Kim Miller, RDH, BSDH
As an in-office coach I often hear the following objection, “Clinical laboratory testing is too expensive. My patients won’t want to spend the money.” Taking into consideration the latest research, released in the online British Medical Journal November 29, 2016, which states that periodontal disease with high risk pathogens (Aa, Pg, Tf, Td, Fn) is causal for arterial sclerotic vascular disease, the patient can’t afford NOT to test for the presence of these dangerous bacteria. (1)   As a prof...
Read More