As a clinical assistant professor and dentist at the University of Florida (UF) College of Dentistry, Bryan Smallwood, DMD, MPH, CPH, has cared for thousands of patients. One in particular stands out to him. 

“I have a patient who had been to the operating room many times because other dentists couldn’t treat him,” Smallwood says. 

Many patients are used to donning large, heavy aprons when getting a dental X-ray. Since the 1950s, providers have thought it was vital to cover a patient’s body and throat for fear of exposing their reproductive organs, thyroid gland, and pregnancy to dangerous levels of radiation. 

Happy National Dental Hygienist week! The second week of every April, we celebrate the outstanding, dedicated, and selfless work dental hygienists do — inside and outside of clinical settings — to improve the oral health system. 

Caries Management by Risk Assessment (CAMBRA) has existed for more than 20 years. But many oral health providers may be unfamiliar with why or how to use it. 

Despite the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) longstanding advocacy for routine dental care before and during pregnancy, there’s still a significant disconnect between the awareness and implementation of these recommendations in clinical practice. This gap in care can lead to suboptimal perinatal outcomes and overlooked oral health needs in pregnant patients.