Dental hygienists have treated patients with traditional scaling and polishing for decades and while this approach is sufficient to remove local deposits on teeth, it does not address biofilm, effectively motivate patients, and is not profitable. Moreover, traditional approaches can damage and reduce the lifespan of dental restorations.  Oral biofilm has been implicated in numerous systemic conditions and dental professionals have a unique opportunity to interrupt the oral-systemic inflammatory process.  This promotes a positive impact on oral health while mitigating the contribution of oral biofilm on the exacerbation of systemic disease. Modern dental hygiene practices have revolutionized preventive care, including a mindful approach to planning, and maintaining dental restorations.  This lecture will describe modern dental hygiene practices, implementation and the clinical and financial benefits of integrating this into clinical practice.

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OBJECTIVES: At the completion of the course, participants will be able to:

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• Gain a deeper understanding of biofilm science and a practical approach for patients

• Understand how damaging traditional practices can be on dental restorations

• Learn an efficient approach to the dental hygiene appointment that improves health of patients and improved profitability for the practice