With our current review of complementary and alternative medicines, all may have some bearing in the profession of dental hygiene, whether it be for treatment of the patient or the health of the hygienist. Herbal preparations have long been used in the field of dentistry. With the popularity of acupuncture, acupressure, and message, these practices are also occasionally employed in a clinical setting. Chiropractic medicine, message, and acupuncture can also be used to treat the problems associated with long time practice of dental hygiene.
Concerning patient care, herbal medicine was implemented earlier than other complementary and alternative medicines. Mostly in the practice of pain and microbial control. In a text describing the many uses of herbs for common disorders, several treatments of toothaches are presented. The most common being the use of clove oil. Clove oil diluted in a base oil is often rubbed on the area of a toothache to dull the pain, especially in the case of the condition called dry socket (Balch, 2002, p. 411). Dry socket occurs after the extraction of a tooth. The blood clot that prevents the exposure of the bone is lost, causing great sensitivity to the patient. The use of clove oil in this instance can be equally or more effective than traditional pain medications. Clove oil has also made its way into a vast number of current dental products in the form of Eugenol. Eugenol is included in several restoration materials and periodontal dressings. It is added for its sedative properties and, therefore, its use in reducing sensitivity, especially when the preparation for a restoration is close to the dental pulp. The herb Kava is suggested for nighttime use in relieving radiating pain from the text Prescriptio...
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...edicine treats the problem of inflammation in the spine, while message therapy helps to relax the muscles tensed throughout the day.
The only therapy I do not see having much bearing of the practice of dental hygiene is the spiritual aspect, especially the practice of distance healing. With the wide array of patients seen in practices, it may infringe of culture beliefs to use this type of complimentary treatment. However, having a compassion for the patient is needed in treatment to help the patient reach optimum health. A patient that perceives this compassion is more likely to listen to suggestions and instructions to practice proper homecare and help in the prevention of oral disease.
References
Acupuncture in Medicine. (2014, January). Dimensions of Dental Hygiene, 12(1), p. 14.
Balch, P. A. (2002). Prescription for Herbal Healing. New York, NY: Avery.
o Please describe a time when you performed a thorough head, neck and oral exam and the findings had a significant impact on how you proceeded with the dental hygiene process of care. Annette was performing her usual head, neck, and oral exam on a patient and found an enlarged thyroid. She recommended to the patient that she go see her primary care physician to get a better diagnosis. The patient went to her primary care physician and was told there was probably nothing. Later, the patient returned to the dental office and saw Annette and told her what the physician said.
Mathews, Holly F. "Introduction: A Regional Approach and Multidisciplinary Persepctive." Herbal and Magical Medicine: Traditional Healing Today. Ed. James Kirkland, Holly F. Mathews, C. W. Sullivan, III, and Karen Baldwin. Durham: Duke UP, 1992. 1-13. Print.
In the Dental Hygiene field, many challenges come about every day and during different situations. Every day there are new challenges and unusual situations that occur in the dental field, but one challenge that continues to come about and has been a big dispute over the years is the ability to provide beneficial information about oral health care for the underprivileged. For the individuals that are not fortunate enough to pay to have services done in the dental office, lack the knowledge of how important good oral health care is. They do not receive the one on one conversations explaining the significance of taking care of your teeth and gums that the patients who can afford to make appointments and receive essential services do. That
Hygienist are the dentists who educate their patients on the importance of oral health care. Hygienist examine any chipped tooth,damage filling,discolored or swollen gums, and also take x-rays, and help prevent tooth decay. Today, dental care focuses on prevention. Preventing tooth decay and related problems is the main job of a dental hygienist. As generations pass, not many people are fully aware of the downside of not properly taking care of their pearly whites. This topic was brought to my attention by noticing the lack of dental hygiene among my peers. This doesn’t necessarily just mean having only cavities, sore gums, but also bad breath.
Oral hygiene is not just important for health, but also for well-being, for a cleaned mouth provides a refreshed feeling, and healthy teeth provide a nice appearance. In home or residential care, some of the residents may have physical limitations that inhibit them from taking care of their oral health like a stroke or general weakness, or they could have mental limitations, like dementia, and simply forget brush or floss their teeth (Lloyd & Woodbeck, 2014, p.57). I arrived at the topic of oral hygiene in home or residential care due to what one of my nursing said instructors last semester in one of her lectures. She mentioned that it was not uncommon for residents in long term care facilities to only get their teeth brushed once a week because it is something that can be easily skipped by the care staff due to the difficulties involved and their time restraints, as the care aides often have nine to twelve residents to take care of. She went on to mentioned that she always provides oral
Over time as individuals age and are faced with access to care issues they may begin to neglect their oral health. As time passes between dental hygiene cleanings or dentist visits the presence of oral disease may begin to increase.
As I started my new journey of becoming a dental hygienist, I came into the program with no background of dental. I came into this program with an open mind and willing to embrace new concepts as well as develop new skills. During my time at the Canadian Academy of Dental Hygiene (CADH), I learned that as a dental hygienist that I am committed to promoting and helping each individual achieve their optimal oral health goals. In support of my client’s goals, I may assume any or all of the roles included in the dental hygiene scope of practice. My goal throughout this program was to help my clients achieve their optimal oral health goals through education, health promotion and providing preventive and clinical therapy.
Complementary and alternative therapies are relatively new and essential options in health care, they help to increase the quality of life of patients and provide them with numerous possibilities to ensure growth of their health, beyond current medicine. Recently, these therapies, such as massage therapy and acupuncture, have become more prevalent in research. Consequently, their substitution with standard medicine in the healthcare system has been supported by the literature. The literature that supports these methods has explored why complementary therapies are needed, the different and distinct features of each therapy, and they also examine the education and knowledge those implementing the services must have. To accurately analyze if complementary and alternative therapies are valuable to the health care system, this paper will aim to learn why they are becoming predominant and why nurses should use these therapies’ to assist in improving the health of individuals. To determine the main attributes of these therapies, a variety of resources that extensively discuss complementary and alternative therapies will be examined and the paper will also examine the benefits and weaknesses they have on improving health. Lastly, this paper will aim to determine if these services should be implemented by nurses as alternative options for their patients, as nurses should have substantial knowledge pertaining to implementing these therapies.
Howard, Gregg. (2000). Native American Healing Alternative Medicine. Retrieved from the World Wide Web October 4, 2000: http://www.nativeamericanhealing.com
In today’s world, many people assume that the latest medical technology and treatments are always the best option. However, all over the world, different techniques for curing diseases and aliments are being used. These methods fall under the category of complementary and alternative medicine.
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is slowly becoming better known all over the world. CAM encompasses various types of therapies, such as yoga, reflexology, chiropractic therapy, herbal therapy, ayurveda, meditation, biofeedback, hypnosis, homeopathy, acupuncture, etc. The evidenced-based research, recognition of disconnect between patients and also the positive and negative aspects of CAM modalities are reasons behind the increased attention it has gained in medicals schools all over the United States. (Hart, 2009, p. 287).
These alternative treatments include acupuncture, meditation, and therapy among many others.There is growing evidence that the desire for alternative medicine is expanding because people undergoing procedures in today’s health care system has had unmet needs as well as feelings of being uncared for (Acari & Flanagan, 2015). Alternative medicine is able to provide patients with treatments that provide relief for hard to cure problems such as back pain, neck pain, and arthritis. Many of these alternative treatments have been shown to be successful for various problems. The use of complimentary and alternative medicine as well as the open ended communication that holistic nursing provides is gaining popularity from patients who are fed up with traditional care and hospital
Elderly have long been identified as a high risk group for dental disease and poor oral hygiene care. The major barriers to affect good oral hygiene care can include lack of available staff and lack of appropriate oral health knowledge
Petersen, P. E. (2009). Global policy for improvement of oral health in the 21st century–implications to oral health research of World Health Assembly 2007, World Health Organization. Community dentistry and oral epidemiology, 37(1), 1-8.
Not only does good oral health benefit a person socially but it also helps them economically. Following proper oral care prevents the need for treatment of dental problems such as fillings, tooth extractions, etc. These oral problems can result in treatments with costly bills. But by comparison, the cost of performing basic oral hygiene and preventive teeth cleaning is relatively low (Oral-B).