It’s A Tale of Two Hygienists’ monthly student roundtable episode, which means Andrew and Michelle have invited a trio of guests to educate student listeners on a chosen topic. This episode’s subject is all about sealants: what are the most effective sealing materials? What can they prevent? And when can they prove to be a hazard?
Jason Luchtefeld (previously heard on episodes 64 and 145 of A Tale of Two Hygienists) is a dentist based in Robinson, Illinois who has been practicing for 20 years. Julie Frantsve-Hawley (previously on A Tale of Two Hygienists #68) works with the nonprofit group DentaQuest’s Partnership for Oral Health Advancement. Spring Hatfield currently works in a small Alabama practice, having previously been a receptionist and assistant before becoming a dental hygienist.
In this episode, our guests summarize and analyze the readings on sealants they brought to this roundtable, debate the finer points of what counts as permanent or non-permanent restorations, and discuss the dreaded “restorative death spiral.”
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
Interview starts: 3:03
– Jason summarizes the 2017 literature review “The Use of Pit and Fissure Sealants,” which discusses the wide variety of materials utilized in sealants since the procedure began in the 1920s.
– Julie reviews “Barriers to Sealant Guideline Implementation within a Multi-Site Managed Dental Care Practice”—which she actually co-authored—and discusses how pit and fissure sealants can play a key role in “secondary prevention” when applied to non-cavitated carious lesions.
– Spring reviews a randomized clinical trial from last year that tested whether resin-based sealants could prevent non-cavitated carious lesions from progressing.
– What a study on color taught Julie about the power of terminology and puns.
– Why Jason doesn’t think there’s a significant difference between a permanent restoration and preventative, non-permanent restoration.
– Spring explains what the “restorative death spiral” is.
– Take care to ensure that your patients can see to their basic dental needs at home, even if it means just giving them free toothbrushes.
QUOTES:
“Isolation is critical for the success of sealants.”
“If you have dentists that are claiming sub-optimal skills for placing a sealant, then they shouldn’t be placing fillings or crowns.”
“If we don’t have these terms and have general consensus on what they mean, that instance in itself is having a barrier!”
“Always be inquisitive and be open to change your mind when faced with evidence.”
“Just because you learned it in school doesn’t mean you do it your whole career!”
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LINKS:
Jason’s email: jluchte@hotmail.com
Julie’s email: frantsvehawley@gmail.com
Spring’s email: springhatfieldrdh@gmail.com
Check out Helioseal F Plus from Ivoclar Vivadent!
Thank you to Paradise Dental Technologies aka PDT for providing sponsorship for this episode!
Be sure to thank the sponsor for this episode by heading over to www.PDTDental.com and picking up a new instrument or telling them thank you in person at one of the conferences!
THIS EPISODE COUNTS FOR CE! – but read the disclaimer below as it might not count for your state.
CE test is under construction. Please check back soon to take the CE test which will be updated soon.
Go here to take the test and get your CE Credit!
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