Dental hygiene products: A book, gloves, and NOMAD

BY KIM MILLER, RDH, BSDH

INTRODUCING CARABOOSE: THE TOOTH FAIRY MOOSE

Here’s a book worth having in your reception room or perhaps even on your nightstand. If you have children or grandchildren who are losing baby teeth, or if you serve preschool and elementary school children in your practice, this light-hearted rhyming story is a must. Caraboose: the Tooth Fairy Moose, written by Lynn Swanson, is a story that centers on Caraboose Moose, an overall-clad character, who’s a cross between a moose and a caribou. He fills in for the tooth fairies while they are away at RDH Under One Roof. Well, not exactly, but that’s where I imagined the tooth fairies went when I read the story. And they had a great time while thinking outside the box.

When asked about her book, Lynn says, “I thought it would be fun to show children the humorous side of losing a tooth.” And it is humorous! By my second read through, I was hooked. I even read it out loud to my husband; it’s meant to be read out loud! I’m going to put it on the shelf with other books I intend to read to my brand new grandson, Marshall Paxton Sandberg.

Caraboose: the Tooth Fairy Moose, for ages 4 or 5 to 8, was released in July and is available on Amazon.com and CreateSpace.com. It retails for $12.99 and is 29 pages long. For more information about Lynn Swanson and her books, visit www.lynnswansonbooks.com.

NEW AURELIA NITRILE PERFORM GLOVES

I wonder how many of you have ever been fitted for the correct size examination glove? I’ll admit that, until I started experiencing pain, I hadn’t given much thought to the fit of my gloves. I assumed that gloves should fit as close to the skin as possible. As a result of my wrong thinking, I wore the wrong size gloves for years. Once I was fitted and started wearing the right size, I experienced much less hand, arm, and neck fatigue, resulting in less strain and a more relaxed day. My hands and wrists were no longer being squeezed all day long.

Chronic use of the incorrect gloves, coupled with other ergonomic challenges, may lead to cumulative traumatic disorders such as the following:

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is caused when the tendons are not stretched regularly and begin to compress the nerves innervating the thumb, index, and middle fingers
Ulnar or radial nerve entrapment affects the pinkie finger and the fourth finger, and it is also caused by tendons compressing the nerve
Pronator syndrome (more common than CTS) is also caused by compression of the median nerve on the underside of the forearm
Joint and muscle pain

It’s critical to wear a correct fitting glove to ensure your health and your ability to deliver clinical excellence. In our office, we have test-driven the new nitrile gloves by Aurelia. Hands down — everyone loves this glove. The fact that the medium is true to size and not baggy is just one of the reasons I like these gloves.

Aurelia offers a baker’s dozen — 13 different styles of gloves to choose from, including powdered or powder free, low protein latex, and allergy-resistant nitrile. Joining the product line as No. 13 is the new Perform Thinnest Nitrile Teal Examination Glove. These ambidextrous powder-free gloves are comfortable and come in sizes extra small through extra large.Perform is their thinnest glove yet. It offers increased tactile sensitivity and grip as a result of Aurelia’s patented Honeycomb Textured surfacing added to the fingers.

Shipping 20 billion gloves per year, Aurelia gloves conform and are tested to the highest ASTM international standards. Check out their glove selection at www.aureliagloves.com or call 877- AURELIA (287-3542).

NOMAD PRO

We were fortunate to have Mike Borer, an independent dental rep for the Rocky Mountain area, in our office recently to educate and train us on the Nomad handheld portable X-ray unit. The Nomad features:

Enhanced user interface with preset and programmable exposure settings
External backscatter shield and internal radiation shielding
Cordless and lightweight (just over 5 pounds), making it convenient and efficient as you move it room to room
Produces high quality diagnostic images
Can be used with digital sensors, dental film, or phosphor plates
Rechargeable battery good for about 300 images, includes two batteries and charging cradle
One-year product warranty

I want to add an additional word about radiation safety. When using Nomad, your exposure is less than 1% of allowed occupational doses. In fact, it’s almost 30 times less exposure than using a

wall-mounted unit. Not only is the unit shielded for backscatter, it also has internal shielding, which results in no leakage. The scatter radiation extends only 15 to 18 inches beyond the patient, making this a really safe unit for both the patient and the operator.

The Nomad allows you to stay with your patient, which we all have a need to do from time to time. Not leaving the room for every shot saves you time and energy. This is also a great device for special circumstances such as in nursing homes or with special needs patients. I think you’ll find, like we did, that the Nomad is indispensable in today’s busy dental office. Visit www.aribex.com to learn more or schedule a demo.

As always, email me with your questions, favorite products, or suggestions of products you would like to see reviewed. [email protected]. RDH

KIM MILLER, RDH, BSDH, is the co-founder of PerioFrogz.com, an information- based website providing free current oralsystemic research summaries and patient education downloads. Kim is also a coach with Inspired Hygiene, delivering customized hands-on training. She speaks internationally, writes writes articles and webinars, and enjoys clinical dental hygiene. Kim lives in Arizona and welcomes you to contact her at [email protected].