# data[].attributes.body
On March 24, 2018 I volunteered at the NC Open House to show future students the dental areas and talk about the amazing dental programs NC offers. I remember attending the Open House prior to starting the DA program and I felt so jealous of the students who were almost finished their DA or DH journey's. It was very rewarding being on the opposite side, as the student who was able to teach future students and to be able to inspire them.

# data[].attributes.body
On May 26, 2018 I participated in the Rankin Cancer Run and was able to collect donations to support hospitals throughout the Niagara Region. There was so much love, support and appreciation surrounding the whole event and I felt honoured to be apart of it. It's a great cause and if I can take a small part in donating to cancer research or hospitals that assist with cancer patients, I will always be in support of that.

# data[].attributes.body
On April 9. 2019 for Dental Hygiene week we celebrated by throwing a DH themed event in the Niagara College foyer. It featured face painting, a bake sale, and oral cancer screenings. It was a huge success and we were able to donate $365 to Quest from the bake sale proceeds as well as from other donations! It was great that we brought dental awareness to the NC students while also helping a local dental clinic.

# data[].attributes.body
This link is really beneficial to remember for my own clients who may have questions relating to oral health/oral hygiene. This link comes from the American Dental Center and discusses all aspects of oral health from dental hygiene background history, oral systemic links, to how to effectively brush. For example it has links to dental care basics, oral health nutrition, importance of brushing, and diabetes and your teeth. This is a one stop website that can provide my clients with all of the necessary information they need for their oral and overall health.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Importance of Oral Hygiene for Good Health

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The human body is comprised of a complex system which are interconnected with other parts. Because of the way, the human body is made, one area of the body can have an impact on different parts of the body. For example, take the mouth and teeth.

# data[].attributes.body
After graduating high school I began my secondary education at Brock University. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology I applied to teacher's college. I decided to defer my acceptance after much consideration because I knew there was a lack of teaching jobs at the time.

After working for a few years as a Payroll Administrator I decided to go back to school. Rather than go to teacher's college I decided I wanted to be a Dental Hygienist. By the time I decided this it was too late to apply to the DH program so rather than waste more time I decided to apply to Dental Assisting in the meantime. I completed the DA program and went right into the DH program. I have less than a year remaining and the end is in sight!

# data[].attributes.body
I was driving to my office job one morning and was listening to the radio, when an ad came on that would forever change my career path. It was an ad for Invisalign which was promoted as an orthodontic treatment that transformed your smile using clear aligners that aren't as noticeable as traditional braces. I was always unhappy with my smile and very self conscious of it. Knowing I did not want traditional braces I thought this could be a great option. I found the closest Invisalign provider to me and made an appointment for a consult that same day. I don't know if it was the amazing office that inspired me, or knowing I would finally be confident in my smile, but after a few visits I knew that I wanted to be involved in this process for others. Smiling is a universal language and there is something about getting someone else to be proud of their smile that is so rewarding. Maybe one day I will work in Ortho and allow others to feel the way I did!

# data[].attributes.body
When I first went for my Invisalign consultation I knew how unhappy I was with my teeth but I was not aware of everything wrong with them, aesthetics aside. Turns out I had overbite, overjet, a narrow arch and crowding in both the mandibular and maxillary anterior teeth. They told me it would take 2 years to complete treatment and the cost was very high. Luckily they have interest free payment plans with a small percentage paid upfront. I took the leap and couldn't wait to start my Invisalign journey. I would recommend Invisalign to anyone who wants to improve their smile as well as correct malocclusion. It ended up taking three years to complete my treatment as I was being very particular, but I was honestly sad when it came to an end. I am now so thankful I heard that ad on the radio and I am no longer self conscious when I smile! Invisalign is a great option for those that do not like the look of traditional braces. Invisalign changed my life and lead me to where I am today!

# data[].attributes.body
Brock University: September 2008 - April 2011
• Graduated with a BA in Sociology

Niagara College: September 2016 - May 2017
• Graduated with a Dental Assisting Certificate

Niagara College: September 2017 - August 2019
• Will graduate with a Dental Hygiene Diploma

DA Placement: Glendale Dental Centre, April 2017
• Setup operatories and prepared materials prior to appointments and sterilized and disinfected instruments/operatories after the patients left.

• Provided administrative support such as scheduling appointments and filing clinical records.

• Entered dentist’ notes regarding appointments into the patients’ clinical file.

• Assisted dentist in four-handed chairside dental procedures.

DH LTC Placement: Woodlands of Sunset, September 2018 - August 2019
• Provide OHC to residents at a long term care facility
• Denture cleaning

Related Work Experience: Fairview Mall Dental Centre, July - August 2017
• Assisted dentist in four-handed chairside dental procedures such as restorative procedures, pulpectomies, and crown placements.

• Exposed and processed dental radiographs in accordance with all guidelines to ensure patient safety.

• Managed daily appointment schedules to guarantee efficient clinic workflow and proper time management.

• Maintained a sterile and positive working environment to ensure patient comfort.

Related Volunteer Experience: Niagara College Open House, March 2018
• Provided tours around the dental facilities to potential future students

# data[].attributes.body
I found this article to be important because it highlights the importance of dental hygiene. It discusses the systemic link between oral health and total body health. The article specifically focuses on the link with Alzheimer's disease, pancreatic cancer, and heart disease with oral health.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Most of us are aware that poor dental hygiene can lead to tooth decay, gum disease and bad breath - but not brushing your teeth could also have consequences for more serious illnesses.

In this spotlight feature, to coincide with National Dental Hygiene Month, we peer beneath the plaque to investigate what other - perhaps unexpected - health conditions are affected by poor dental health.

Alzheimer's disease

In 2010, researchers from New York University (NYU) concluded that there is a link between gum inflammation and Alzheimer's disease, after reviewing 20 years of data on the association.

The American Dental Hygienists' Association recommend that we should brush for 2 minutes, twice daily.

However, the number of participants in the NYU study was fairly small. The researchers analyzed data from 152 subjects enrolled in the Glostrop Aging Study - a study looking at psychological, medical and oral health in Danish men and women. The study spanned a 20-year period and ended in 1984, when the subjects were all over the age of 70.

Comparing cognitive function at ages 50 and 70, the NYU team found that gum disease at the age of 70 was strongly associated with low scores for cognitive function.

Study participants were nine times more likely to have a score in the lower range of the cognitive test - the "digit symbol test" (DST) - if they had inflammation of the gums.

Although this study took into account potentially confounding factors like obesity, cigarette smoking and tooth loss unrelated to gum inflammation, there was still a strong association between low DST score and gum inflammation.

In 2013, UK-based researchers from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) built on the findings of this study, by comparing brain samples from 10 living patients with Alzheimer's with 10 brain samples from people who did not have the disease.

Analysis showed that a bacterium - Porphyromonas gingivalis - was present in the Alzheimer's brain samples but not in the samples from the brains of people who did not have Alzheimer's. What was interesting was that P. gingivalis is usually associated with chronic gum disease.

The team followed up this research in 2014 with a new mouse study, the results of which were published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. Medical News Today spoke to co-author Dr. Sim K. Singhrao regarding the findings.

Dr. Singhrao says that there is sufficient scientific evidence to show that two of the three gum disease-causing bacteria are capable of motion (or "motile") and have been consistently found in brain tissue.

"These motile bacteria can leave the mouth and enter the brain via two main routes," he explains. "They can use their movement capability to directly enter the brain. One of the paths taken is to crawl up the nerves that connect the brain and the roots of teeth. The other path is indirect entry into the brain via the blood circulation system."

In a patient who has bleeding gums, says Dr. Singharo, the gum disease-causing bacteria will enter the blood stream every time they clean their mouth and even when they eat food.

He continues:

" P. gingivalis is particularly interesting as it has found ways to hitch a lift from red blood cells when in the blood stream and instead of getting 'off the red blood cell bus' in the spleen, they choose to get off in the brain at an area where there are no immune checkpoints. From there, they spread to the brain at their will. In addition, in older individuals, the blood vessels tend to enlarge and become leaky."

"The published work confirmed P. gingivalis placed in the mouths of mice finds its way to the brain once gum disease becomes established first," Dr. Singhrao concludes. "Furthermore, our hypothesis is strengthened by the recent results demonstrating that the chemicals released by the brain's immune system in response to P. gingivalis reaching the brain 'inadvertently' damage functional neurons in the area of the brain related to memory."

Pancreatic cancer

A research team from Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, MA, were the first to report strong evidence on a link between gum disease and pancreatic cancer, back in 2007.

Researchers are unable to prove whether the periodontitis bacteria are a cause or result of pancreatic cancer - current research can only prove that the two are linked.

The type of gum inflammation associated with pancreatic cancer in the study was periodontitis, which affects the tissue that support the teeth and can cause loss of bone around the base of the teeth.

The other main kind of gum disease - gingivitis; where the tissue around the teeth becomes inflamed - was not linked to increased cancer risk. However, gingivitis can lead to periodontitis if persistent. Gingivitis happens when bacteria in the plaque around the base of the teeth build up due to bad dental hygiene.

Examining data on gum disease from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, which involved a cohort of more than 51,000 men and began collecting data in 1986, the Harvard researchers found that men with a history of gum disease had a 64% increased risk of pancreatic cancer compared with men who had never had gum disease.

The greatest risk for pancreatic cancer among this group was in men with recent tooth loss. However, the study was unable to find links between other types of oral health problems - such as tooth decay - and pancreatic cancer.

The researchers suggest that there may be a link between high levels of carcinogenic compounds found in the mouths of people with gum disease and pancreatic cancer risk. They argue that these compounds - called nitrosamines - may react to the digestive chemicals in the gut in a way that creates an environment favorable to the development of pancreatic cancer.

However, a follow-up study from the team in 2012 was unable to prove whether the periodontitis bacteria are a cause or result of pancreatic cancer - the study could only prove that the two were linked.

"This is not an established risk factor," admitted author Dominique Michaud. "But I feel more confident that something is going on. It's something we need to understand better."

Heart disease

Perhaps more well established is the association between dental hygiene and heart disease.

"The mouth is probably the dirtiest place in the human body," said Dr. Steve Kerrigan.

In 2008, MNT reported on research from joint teams at the University of Bristol in the UK and the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, Ireland, who found that people with bleeding gums from poor dental hygiene could be increasing their risk of heart disease.

The researchers found that heart disease risk increased because - in people who have bleeding gums - bacteria from the mouth is able to enter the bloodstream and stick to platelets, which can then form blood clots, interrupting the flow of blood to the heart and triggering a heart attack.

"The mouth is probably the dirtiest place in the human body," said Dr. Steve Kerrigan from the Royal College of Surgeons, explaining that there are up to 700 different types of bacteria co-existing in our mouths.

Prof. Howard Jenkinson, from the University of Bristol, added:

"Cardiovascular disease is currently the biggest killer in the western world. Oral bacteria such as Streptococcus gordonii and Streptococcus sanguinis are common infecting agents, and we now recognise that bacterial infections are an independent risk factor for heart diseases."

The Bristol University researchers investigated how the bacteria interact with platelets by mimicking the pressure inside the blood vessels and the heart. Prof. Jenkinson's team found that the bacteria use the platelets as a defense mechanism.

By clumping the platelets together, the bacteria are able to completely surround themselves. This platelet armor shields the bacteria from attack by immune cells and makes them less detectable to antibiotics.

Although some of the associations we have looked at in this spotlight feature are still under investigation, good dental hygiene remains important for lowering risk of a variety of conditions.

The American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) recommend that we should brush for 2 minutes, twice daily. The ADHA guidelines also stress the importance of flossing daily and rinsing with mouthwash. You can read the full recommendations on the ADHA website.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Beyond tooth decay: why good dental hygiene is important

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Most of us are aware that poor dental hygiene can lead to tooth decay, gum disease and bad breath - but not brushing your teeth could also have consequences for more serious illnesses. In this spotlight feature, to coincide with National Dental Hygiene Month, we peer beneath the plaque to investigate what other - perhaps unexpected - health conditions are affected by poor dental health.