Objective Work‐related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are common in the dental hygiene profession. Awkward postures contribute to MSDs and magnification loupes have been suggested to reduce this risk factor and minimize MSDs. Methods After IRB approval, 24 hygienists were enrolled in the study: twelve hygienists wearing loupes with a standard manufacturer determined declination angle (control) and 12 hygienists wearing loupes with a custom measured declination angle (experimental). To measure changes in neck and trunk flexion, accelerometers were placed on the occipital region of head, cervical vertebrae C5, and thoracic vertebrae T5 and baseline posture was recorded. Typodonts with artificial calculus simulated the oral environment. Participants were randomly assigned to wear their designated loupes during the first or second trial of the experiment and scaled in each quadrant (UR, LR, UL, LL) of the mouth for two minutes. Participants completed the scaling task twice: in the loupes and no loupes condition in a counterbalanced order. Three‐way mixed design ANOVA was used to determine posture differences in neck and trunk posture. Results Those wearing custom loupes (M = 16.52, SD = 6.40) had significantly less trunk flexion while scaling compared to hygienists wearing standard loupes (M = 22.27, SD = 6.40), F(1, 22) = 7.14, P = .01. Neck flexion was not significantly affected while scaling between loupes vs no loupes or loupes type condition, (P’s > .05). Conclusion Posture was partially impacted by loupes type. Custom loupes resulted in less trunk flexion. Neck flexion was not affected by either loupes type.

The biomedical application of low-temperature atmospheric pressure plasma (LTAPP) is a collaborative interest for engineering, medical, dental, and biological researchers. This laboratory study tested whether LTAPP can limit the growth of Porphyromonas gingivalis, a periodontal pathogen strongly associated with periodontal disease, disease progression, and refractory periodontitis. This proof of principle laboratory study of LTAPP's effects on P. gingivalis is an initial step in the development of a new nonsurgical periodontal therapy that could be used by dentists and dental hygienists. After pilot trials, the study consisted of 24 agar plate samples of P. gingivalis; 20 samples were exposed to LTAPP at 5, 7, 9, and 11 minutes and 4 control samples were exposed to helium gas only. Immediately after exposures, the samples were incubated anaerobically for 72 hours at 37°C. After 72 hours, zones of inhibition were measured. After 5, 7, 9, and 11 minutes of exposure times, results revealed a statistically significant difference in the inactivation effect of the LTAPP on P. gingivalis compared with control bacteria that was not exposed, as measured by zone of inhibition (cm) (P < 0.0001). Differences in the inactivation effects were significant for each pair of consecutive time points: 5 minutes versus 7 minutes, 7 minutes versus 9 minutes, and 9 minutes versus 11 minutes (P = 0.0360, 0.0009, and <0.0001, respectively). LTAPP has a significant dose-related inactivation effect on P. gingivalis, as measured by zone of inhibition. These findings advance the national dental hygiene research agenda by validating emerging strategies and technologies that might improve the effectiveness of the dental hygienist in periodontal disease management and by applying emerging science to the nonsurgical treatment and control of periodontal disease.

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The ultimate goal is for practitioners to be culturally competent in providing care to Muslim patients, while keeping in mind that beliefs and practices can vary widely within a culture.