Summary
In this episode, Salme Lavigne, scientific editor of the
Canadian Journal of Dental Hygiene (CJDH), interviews Rachelle
Pratt, co-author of the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association’s latest
position paper. Learn about the evidence on the indispensable role of
intraoral radiographs in diagnosing and monitoring periodontal disease in
all stages. The need for expanded training and scope of practice for all
dental hygienists in Canada, enabling them to use radiographic tools as
part of best practice in managing periodontal care for their patients,
will also be discussed.
Practical Implications for Dental Hygienists
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Dental hygienists must prioritize using intraoral radiographs to ensure
comprehensive, individualized care.
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Standards of practice should integrate radiographic assessments into
routine protocols to detect subgingival findings that clinical exams
alone may miss.
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Without access to radiographic data, dental hygienists risk making
critical errors in patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning,
implementation and evaluation.
Also, browse past
issues of CJDH for research on similar topics. Individual journal articles
can be easily viewed, downloaded, and printed from cjdh.ca.
Would you prefer to listen to the research article? Use the
Natural Reader
text-to-speech tool—simply select the language of the article, select your
narrator of choice, upload the article, and it will read it aloud for you.
CDHA members who wish to receive a certificate of completion for this
learning activity should click the Access Now button and
complete the curriculum. After responding to a feedback survey, your
certificate will be available in your online CDHA profile.
Learning Outcomes
Following the learning activity, participants will be able to:
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Identify areas of their dental hygiene practice requiring improvement
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Use knowledge sources to inform dental hygiene practice and enhance
service provision
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Reflect on challenges of applying new scientific research to practice
Format for Learning
The recorded interview is available in English with French closed
captioning. The research article is available in English and French.
The interview is approximately 15 minutes in length; access to the
accompanying research article and plain language summary is provided
along with a set of self-reflection questions. The learning is
self-directed, and the article can be downloaded and printed. The
self-reflection questions must be completed prior to receiving a
certificate of completion. It is expected that viewing the recording,
reading the article, and answering the questions will take you at least
2 hours.
questions, and responding to a feedback survey, you can access a
certificate of completion from your online CDHA profile.
Speakers
Rachelle Pratt, BScDH, MEd, RDH
Rachelle Pratt is an experienced dental hygiene professional and
academic with a career spanning over 29 years. A University of
Alberta alumna, she holds a Diploma in Dental Hygiene (1997) and a
Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene (2002). Throughout her career,
Rachelle has balanced private practice—with a focus on
periodontology—alongside roles in public health and clinical
education. In 2019, she completed a Master of Education in Health
Science Education, transitioning to a full-time academic role. She
currently teaches undergraduate courses in dental anatomy, dental
radiography, periodontology, behavioural sciences, and local
anesthesia. Rachelle has been the associate chair and director of
the dental hygiene program at the University of Alberta since 2022.
Salme Lavigne, PhD, RDH
Salme Lavigne was appointed scientific editor of the
Canadian Journal of Dental Hygiene, effective December 1,
2015. She holds a diploma in dental hygiene from the University of
Toronto, a bachelor’s degree in biomedical anthropology from
Lakehead University, a master’s degree in dental hygiene education
from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and a doctorate in
community health sciences from the University of Manitoba. Salme was
the founding director of the dental hygiene program at Confederation
College, Thunder Bay, and served as director of the School of Dental
Hygiene, University of Manitoba, for 13 years where she developed
and initiated the first BScDH program at that institution. An
internationally recognized researcher and educator, Salme has
received Alumni of Distinction awards from the University of Toronto
and the UMKC School of Dentistry, and a Life Membership Award from
the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association.