Rafael Rondon, RDH, BS

Rafael Rondon, RDH, BS

About Rafael Rondon

Rafael Rondon is a highly experienced dental professional with over 31 years of expertise in the dental field. Throughout his career, he has had the privilege of working in various settings, including hospitals and private practices. For the past two decades, he has been an integral part of dental group practices, contributing significantly to the development and implementation of dental hygiene standards of care for the organizations he has been associated with.

Rafael’s passion lies in elevating dental hygiene standards, and he takes pride in his contributions to periodontal therapy, effective communication, and the establishment of efficient hygiene schedules. He has also played a crucial role in enhancing patient care and service, as well as team development within the dental hygiene profession. Over the years, he has consistently achieved remarkable results, leading to exponential growth in hygiene profits year after year. His commitment to the dental profession goes beyond just working within dental practices. He has actively coached and trained numerous dental teams, helping them achieve their long-sought-after goals. By focusing on improving leadership skills, fostering effective teamwork, and optimizing organizational systems, he has contributed to the overall success of these practices.

Rafael’s dedication to the hygiene program's development and the continuous improvement of individual hygienists' skills has been central to his career. He strongly believes in the value of the dental hygiene profession and strives to enhance its recognition and significance in the dental community.

Blogs

• Fast Facts: Coding Edition - D4355: Today we're going to talk about D4355, which is more affectionately referred to as that debridement code. Let's go over the official definition before we get into the nitty gritty.


• Fast Facts: Coding Edition - D0171 The Criminally Underused Code: Today we're going to talk about D0171, which is a follow up code. It's a post op evaluation code that is so criminally underutilized. I like to say that about this code, it's criminally underutilized. Same thing with adult fluoride.


• Fast Facts: Coding Edition - Radiographs: Today I would like to talk to you about a group of codes in general, not necessarily one or two. Let's talk about radiographs. So you're thinking, okay, this is pretty boring, but radiographs can get you into some trouble.


• Fast Facts: Coding Edition - Laser Disinfection Using D4999: Is there a laser disinfection code? And at this moment in time and for 2023, it's not on the horizon either. For 2023, there is no code for laser disinfection. So we have to use what is available to us, which is a D4999, the miscellaneous in the periodontal category.


• Fast Facts: Coding Edition - D6080 and D6081: Today we're going to talk about D6080 and D6081. Let's go over D6080 first implant maintenance procedures when prosthesis are removed and reinserted, including the cleansing of prosthesis and abutments, and so let's go deeper into the descriptor.


• Fast Facts: Coding Edition - D9993: Today we're going to talk about D9993, which is dental case management, motivational interviewing. This might be a new code to you.


• Fast Facts: Coding Edition - D9932, D9933, D9934 & D9935: Today we're going to talk about four different codes, but they are pretty much the same code just for different scenarios. You have D9932, D9933, D9934 and D9935, and these are found in the 9000 series.


• Fast Facts: Coding Edition - D4910 & D4341 vs. D4342: Today we have some procedure codes which are my favorite, and I'm really just kidding when I say that, today we're going to tackle 4910, which is the periodontal maintenance code, and the 4341 and 4342 codes, which, of course, are your scaling and root planing codes.


• Fast Facts: Coding Edition - D4381: Today we're going to talk about D4381. This is the localized delivery of antimicrobial agents via a controlled release vehicle into diseased crevicular tissue and it is a per tooth code.


• Fast Facts: Coding Edition - Evaluation Codes: Today, let's talk about evaluation codes. Well, what are these codes? You will find them in the beginning of the CDT code book under the diagnostics section. Now, most of you are familiar with evaluation codes, D0140 & D0120 but there are other ones.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Dental Implants: Peri-Implant disease: This week we are continuing the Convo, talking about peri-implant disease, and if you all tuned in last time you heard about the drama for your mama around to probe or not to probe?


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Dental Implant Implications & Indications: This week we are talking about dental implant implications and indications. Essentially, why is it that you would decide to encourage a patient to move into a dental implant versus other tooth replacement options?


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Fibromyalgia & Periodontitis: The Bidirectional Link: This week we are unpacking a new research study that has come down discussing the bidirectional associations between fibromyalgia and periodontitis.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Periodontitis & Gut Microbiota: This week, I've got a "gut" feeling you're going to be very interested in this research piece. We're rolling out some new research. This comes to us from June of 2022 looking at how periodontitis may actually have an influence on the microbiota of the gut flora.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Pumpkin, Patients, and Periodontitis! OH MY!: This week we are loving up on Thanksgiving once again, this time talking about my favorite dessert and that is of course pumpkin pie. Who doesn't love it when your waistband is so stretched out from that fabulous Thanksgiving dinner and yet you still find a little bit more room for a tiny little slice of pumpkin pie.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Thankful for Turkey: What we know about Turkey & Periodontitis: This month, we're celebrating Turkey! Thanksgiving is upon us, and I'd be remiss to celebrate Turkey and not talk about what we understand about Turkey and periodontitis. Today's Fast Facts Perio Edition looks at some of the associations between the consumption of turkey or poultry and what that dietary pattern means for periodontitis.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Furcations: This week, we are going to shrink down and magic school bus into a furcation. For all my millennials out there, we all learned science with Ms. Frizzle, and today we're going to learn about the science of furcations by shrinking down and really exploring what we know about furcations.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Statins: An Adjunct to SRP: This week, I am going to unpack for you a weird fact, a fun fact that some of you might know, but I found just kind of weird. We are now starting to see some incredible data coming down indicating that in other countries, they are utilizing statins as an adjunct to scaling and root planing.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Paxlovid Mouth: This week we have a cutting edge, pun intended, episode where we're going to be talking about Paxlovid mouth. Now, Paxlovid is an interesting treatment. This is the first drug developed by Pfizer as a medication used to treat COVID-19.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Implant Maintenance: This week we are continuing the implant conversation and this time we're going to get down and dirty, pun intended, in looking at how to keep dental implants clean.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Peri-Implant Soft and Hard Tissue Deficiencies Part 2: This week, we are continuing the conversation in unpacking what we know about the peri-implant soft and hard tissue deficiencies that will eventually lead to peri-implant failure.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Peri-Implant Soft and Hard Tissue Deficiencies Part I: Today we're going to move on to looking at some interesting new findings that have come down from our friends at the American Academy of Periodontology around what we understand about the etiology of... Are you ready for this mouthful?


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Dental Implants: Peri-Implantitis: This week, we are probing deeper, pun intended, into peri-implant diseases and today's program is going to focus on peri-implantitis. Remember, dental implants have now been in the mouth long enough to develop disease around them.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Ehlers-Danlos: This week we are continuing our dialogue around Periodontitis as a Manifestation of Systemic Disease, and I'm actually really excited to talk about (I'm always excited), but I'm particularly excited to talk about this week's condition, and that is Ehlers-Danlos


• Fast Facts: Coding Edition - 2023 Change to D0210: I am going to go over D0210 today. D0210, that's your FMX code. I know that you knew it, and we were like, I know that code! It's your FMX code. You just see it on the ledger all of the time. There's going to be a change starting 2023 there's going to be a change in the descriptor of 210, and I wanted to make sure that we went over that.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Dental Implants: To Probe or Not to Probe: Today we are beginning the conversation in deep diving around how we now classify diseases of the periodontium associated with dental implants.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Hematologic Diseases: Today we are concluding the conversation around Periodontitis as a Manifestation of Systemic Disease. I know y'all, I feel like this has been such an ongoing conversation and what I love about it is how critical this conversation truly is.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Oral Bacteria Linked to Hypertension: A Study: We interrupt the normal recording of your Fast Facts: Perio Edition with Katrina Sanders to bring to you a brand new study published on March 2nd in the Journal of the American Heart Association.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Hypophosphatasia: This week we are continuing the conversation around various types of conditions that align with the classification system, Periodontitis as a Manifestation of Systemic Disease. This week we are talking all things Hypophosphatasia.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Periodontitis as a Manifestation of Systemic Disease - Cohen Syndrome: We are continuing the conversation around discussing different modalities affiliated with Periodontitis as a Manifestation of Systemic Disease.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Periodontitis as a Manifestation of Systemic Disease - Infantile genetic agranulocytosis: This week we are continuing our chat about various types of systemic diseases that will contribute to Periodontitis as a Manifestation of Systemic Disease. Remember, these are all relatively obscure, relatively rare diseases in which, if an individual experiences this disease, they will likely experience periodontitis.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Periodontitis as a Manifestation of Systemic Disease - Glycogen Storage Disease: Hi, welcome to your Coding: Fast Facts today we're going to talk about D1110 versus D4346. What are these codes? Well, they're the most common preventive codes that you're going to run into. And so let's just go over the first ones.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Non-Dental Biofilm Induced Gingivitis - Viral Origin: This week, we continue the conversation we started last week around looking at non dental biofilm induced gingivitis cases. Last week, we looked at hereditary gingival fibromatosis and patients that present with an inflammatory condition of bacterial origin.


• Fast Facts - Medically Compromised Patients & Antibiotics: This week we are looking at the 2017 guidelines from JADA, offering guidance for the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Now, while we understand that there has been an incredible evolution in the utilization of prophylactic antibiotics prior to dental procedures, we also understand that not all patients present with the same physiologic conditions.


• Fast Facts - AAP 2017 Classification System - Clinical Gingival Health on a Reduced Periodontium: On this week's episode of Fast Facts: Perio Edition, we are continuing the convo around the 2017 AAP classification system.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Non-Dental Biofilm Induced Gingivitis - Bacterial Origin: Buckle up, we're moving in to talking about non dental biofilm induced gingivitis. And this week begins the conversation over several weeks of identifying patients that can have some type of an inflammatory condition in their mouth, but it's not necessarily related to the presence of biofilm.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Dental Biofilm Induced Gingivitis - Systemic [Modifying Factors]: On this week's episode, we continue the dialog about the AAP classification system and more specifically, dental biofilm induced gingivitis.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Dental Biofilm Induced Gingivitis - Local [Predisposing Factors]: On this week's episode, we begin looking at gingivitis, beginning by looking at dental biofilm induced gingivitis and even more specifically, looking at localized or predisposing factors.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - AAP 2017 Classification System - Introduction to Gingivitis: On this week's episode, we continue the convo around the AAP classification system from 2017 and this week we are going to talk about gingivitis. Specifically gingivitis according to the American Academy of Periodontology, is now going to be split out into two major categories.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Non-Dental Biofilm Induced Gingivitis - Fungal Origin: On this week's episode, we are continuing the conversation about non-dental biofilm induced gingivitis cases.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Non-Dental Biofilm Induced Gingivitis - Mucocutaneous Disorders: On this week's episode, we continue the conversation about patients that can present with an oral inflammatory condition not associated with dental biofilm.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Non-Dental Biofilm Induced Gingivitis - Traumatic Lesions: This week, we're going to look at patients specifically who present with non dental biofilm induced gingivitis associated with traumatic lesions or hypersensitivity reactions.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - AAP 2017 Classification System - Necrotizing Periodontal Diseases: On this week's episode, we continue the conversation around the 2017 AAP classification system. And this week we're going to talk about necrotizing periodontal diseases.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - AAP 2017 Classification System - Introduction to Staging: Oh, my gosh, you guys, can you believe it? We're going to start the conversation about AAP staging Woohoo, so awesome and one of my favorite topics! So buckle up if you're in your car or even if you're not in your car, still buckle up because it's going to be amazing.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - AAP 2017 Classification System - Stage II Periodontitis: This week we talk about stage two periodontitis, and I want to be very clear when we talk about stage two periodontitis for our patients, we're specifically talking about patients who have likely been residing in a stage one periodontitis situation and have now experienced, as the Academy calls it "established periodontitis".


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - AAP 2017 Classification System - Stage III Periodontitis: Let's move into stage three. As we look at patients in which, according to the Academy, the periodontitis has now produced a significant amount of damage to the attachment apparatus. And, we also understand [spoiler alert]....


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - AAP 2017 Classification System - Stage IV Periodontitis: It is imperative to understand that this adequate rehabilitation is being done in order to preserve the remaining dentition. This case management requires stabilization or restoration of masticatory function. And of course, it's very clear that this complication for most patients is due to the sequelle of tooth loss affiliated with the activity of periodontal disease to begin with.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - AAP 2017 Classification System - Introduction to Grading: Now, this is new for us, or at least it feels new for us. However, I think many of us can agree that in the past we looked at things like grade as incorporated into how we classified our patients.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - “AAP 2017 Classification System - Current Grading Parameters: All right, everybody, get ready to roll up your sleeves as we start looking at some of the parameters that we use currently, when we're looking at grading guidelines.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - AAP 2017 Classification System - Grade A: Okay, everybody, now that you are experts in introduction to grading and current grading parameters, let's take a look shall we, at how we identify Grade A for a patient.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - AAP 2017 Classification System - Grade B: Will you “B” my favorite listener today? Today we're talking about AAP grading and specifically looking at our grade B patients. Last week we looked at grade A patients, patients that present with a slow rate of progression of the disease process.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - AAP 2017 Classification System - Grade C: You guys, we're going to talk about Grade C today. We've made it through Grade A slow rate of progression grade B moderate rate of progression in previous weeks. And this week we are talking about our patients that present with Grade C rapid rate of progression


• Fast Facts: Coding Edition - D1110 vs. D4346: Hi, welcome to your Coding: Fast Facts today we're going to talk about D1110 versus D4346. What are these codes? Well, they're the most common preventive codes that you're going to run into. And so let's just go over the first ones.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Periodontitis as a Manifestation of Systemic Disease - Histiocytosis Syndromes: This week's episode we are continuing the conversation around patients who may present in our chairs with Periodontitis as a Manifestation of Systemic Disease. This week, we are talking all things histiocytosis syndromes.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Periodontitis as a Manifestation of Systemic Disease - Chediak-Higashi Syndrome: We're looking at the manifestation of systemic diseases that relate specifically to periodontitis. Last week we talked about Papillon-Lefèvre syndrome, and we are continuing the dialogue this week, looking at Chediak-Higashi syndrome. So remember, these are all syndromes in which if the patient has this syndrome, there's some type of a chromosomal or chemotactic challenge.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Periodontitis as a Manifestation of Systemic Disease - Papillon-Lefèvre: This week we are continuing the conversation around patients who present with anyone of multiple different types of rare diseases or conditions that align with Periodontitis as a Manifestation of Systemic Disease.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Periodontitis as a Manifestation of Systemic Disease - Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency Syndrome: This week, we are continuing the conversation around patients who may present with a relatively obscure disease that would fall into the category of systemic diseases that can contribute to the exacerbation of periodontitis. This week, we are looking at Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency Syndrome.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Periodontitis as a Manifestation of Systemic Disease - Trisomy 21: This week's conversation is continuing the dialogue we began a few weeks back in discussing periodontitis as a manifestation of systemic disease. This week we are looking at Trisomy 21.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Periodontitis as a Manifestation of Systemic Disease - Familial & Cyclic Neutropenia: This week, we are continuing the conversation that we started last week in discussing periodontitis as a manifestation of systemic disease. Now, as we unpacked these diseases, we understand that these, although relatively rare, diseases, are diseases that will have a dramatic impact on the periodontium, and this week we begin the conversation in talking about familial and cyclic neutropenias.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Periodontitis as a Manifestation of Systemic Disease: This week's episode, we are going to be moving beyond the staging and grading. Remember, we only stage or grade a patient if they fit into the category of Plain Jane periodontitis. But we acknowledge that patients can have other types of displays of periodontal disease.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition - Periodontitis - AAP 2017 Classification System: On this week's episode, we continue the dialog around the AAP 2017 classification system. And this week we're going to start looking at periodontitis.


• Fast Facts: Perio Edition AAP 2017 Classification System - Clinical Spectrum of Health: On this week's episode, we begin the dialog around the 2017 AAP classification systems by talking about periodontal health. In 2017, the American Academy of Periodontology proposed that there were four distinctive levels of periodontal health, depending on the state of the periodontium itself.


• Fast Facts: Vascular Acquisition of Covid-19?: This week we're going to unpack weird facts and this is coming to us from a study from Genesis publications. This weird fact is kind of an interesting postulation, if you will. This study, entitled The covid-19 Pathway, proposes the fact that there could be an alternative route of sars-cov-2 infection.


• Fast Facts - Premedication Changes: This week, we are going to be stirring up, pun intended, a little bit of drama with regards to some of the things that we understand about premedication guidelines, particularly for heart infections. Now, I know what you're all thinking, really, Ginger, this is what we're doing this week.


• Fast Facts: AAP 2017 Classification System - An Overview: This week kicks off the conversation about taking a look at the American Periodontology and the way that their World Federation workshop in 2017 changed the way we were expected to look at, diagnose, and address diseases of the periodontium.


• Routine dental care may prevent severe COVID-19 complications, study finds: Successful control of periodontal inflammation can be beneficial to the lungs and potentially decrease severity and risk of COVID-19 respiratory problems, according to a study published by the Journal of the California Dental Association.


• Fast Facts - Prosthetic Joint Infections & Antibiotics: This week, we're going to unpack some of the things that we understand with regards to antibiotic premedication. Of note, for a long time, we have had a lot of shifts in what's been going on with regards to premedication guidelines.


• COVID-19, flu, strep or common cold? How to tell the difference.: Cold and flu season is approaching during an ongoing pandemic, At the first sign of any symptoms, you may ask yourself: “Do I have COVID-19? Common cold? The flu? Understanding your symptoms can be a challenge. Not everyone with the same illness experience the same symptoms.


• Breast Cancer and Your Oral Health: During the month of October, Coast Dental shows our support for those affected by breast cancer. We raise awareness of the disease by wearing pink, participating in runs and walks, volunteering, and donating to breast cancer charities.


• TBBJ Top Corporate Counsel Honoree - Dipa Shah, Senior Vice President, General Counsel: Coast Dental & Orthodontics proudly congratulates Dipa Shah, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, on your achievements and future success.


• Fast Facts - Supporting Bone: This week we are talking about the supporting bone, and it's important to note that the supporting bone is the bone that encompasses or encases our alveolar bone proper.


• Fast Facts - Prevalence of Diseases of the Periodontium: This week, we're going to take a look at the current prevalence of diseases of the periodontium. And you guys, I'm going to try to not get passionate about it, but I can't promise that I'm not going to get passionate about this because this is a topic that is extremely near and dear to my heart.


• Fast Facts - Alveolar Bone Crest: We are still on the anatomy train and we are talking about bone and this is a very particularly important episode because I know when we start talking about bone, start talking about the morphology, as well as, of course, the composition of bone, that it is imperative for us as clinicians to understand this morphology.


• Fast Facts - Physiologic Observation of the Periodontium: This week is the final week that we are discussing anatomy, and I'm so excited to pull all of these pieces together as this week we are going to be discussing the physiologic observation of the periodontium.


• Fast Facts - WEIRD Facts on Prophylaxis Code Distribution: So this week, we are following the information that we learned last week about the prevalence of diseases of the periodontium, and this week's Weird Facts is going to focus on the prophylaxis code distribution.


• Fast Facts - Hypertension and Periodontitis: A Causal Link: This episode is going to be unpacking new information that we are understanding about the interdependent relationship between perio and hypertension. In Hypertension editorial components, we, of course, knew for a long time that there have been links between inflammation, particularly gum disease and systemic diseases.


• Fast Facts - Periodontal Diagnostics: This week I'm so excited! We're going to be talking about some of the new concepts, in periodontal diagnostics and this is going to kick off an awesome conversation about some of the changes that we're starting to see from the American Academy of Periodontology.


• Fast Facts - Aggressive Perio: Oh, my gosh, you guys, we are back and this week we're picking up the conversation we started last week about new concepts in periodontal diagnostics.


• Fast Facts - Other Conditions Affecting The Periodontium: Part three of introducing new concepts in periodontal diagnostics. We are looking at the differences between the 2017 AAP Staging and Grading that we know today and what our previous classification system was in 1999.


• Fast Facts - SARS-CoV-2 And The Mouth: This week we're talking about SARS-CoV-2 and the mouth. You guys, a new research study that came out of the National Institute of Health is now indicating that scientists are finding evidence that SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for causing COVID-19 has been found to infect the mouth’s cells.


• Gum disease linked to Covid-19 complications: COVID-19 patients are at least three times more likely to experience complications if they also have gum disease, according to research published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology


• Fast Facts - Definition of Disease of the Periodontium: An accurate diagnosis for periodontal disease is essential to our everyday hygiene therapy services. In this episode, we look at a broad definition of disease of the periodontium.


• Fast Facts - Historical Survey of Diagnosing Periodontal Disease: The first iterations of us documenting the diagnosis of periodontitis comes from Orban in 1942, where we established two major forms of periodontitis.


• Fast Facts - Sokransky Brcterial Cluster Classifications: In this episode, we discuss the Socransky bacterial cluster classifications. In 1998, Socransky et al discovered ways in which we could better classify the bacteria associated with periodontal disease.


• Fast Facts - Green Complex Bacteria: In this episode, we discuss green complex bacteria as established by Sokransky et al in their 1998 classification system. Of note, green associated complex bacteria are considered early colonizers.


• Fast Facts - Yellow Complex Bacteria: This episode is just fascinating because we learn that there is a bacteria party in the mouth! What happens when one type of bacteria is not invited?


• Fast Facts - Orange Complex Bacteria: In this episode, we're going to talk about orange complex bacteria. Now, a few things to know about our orange complex bacteria.


• Fast Facts - Red Complex Bacteria: In this episode, we will be unpacking red complex bacteria, the late colonizers, or, as I call them, the friends that show up to the party and absolutely destroy your house.


• Fast Facts - Aggregatibacter Actinomycetemcomitans: Today, we are going to be talking about an outlier. You see, in previous episodes, we looked at the green, yellow, orange and red complex bacteria, but there is one guy who, for whatever reason, is just considered an outlier and doesn't necessarily fit in with the other complexities of these bacterium as they've been classified by Socransky, and that, my friends, is our good old friend, Aggregatibacter


• Fast Facts - The Gingiva: Today's episode begins a multi episode approach to talking about the anatomy of the periodontium and today, we're going to begin by talking about the gingiva. Now, when we talk about the gingiva and oral mucosa, we got to dial it back to hygiene school.


• Fast Facts - The Attached Gingiva: Today's episode is a part of a continuous conversation around the anatomical considerations of the periodontium. Remember last week we talked about the gingiva. We talked about the free gingiva the free gingival groove, the attached gingiva, the Mucogingival Junction and the alveolar mucosa.


• Fast Facts - The Interdental Gingiva: Today, we're going to talk about the interdental gingiva or the interdental papilla. Now we know that in a healthy situation, this interdental papilla or this interdental gingiva is going to tightly occupy that embrasure space. The goal, of course, is for that interdental gingiva to be an extension of that free gingiva.


• Fast Facts - Cells of the Oral Mucosa: This week's episode continues the conversation around oral anatomy, and for all of my dental geeks out there who love to geek out on this type of content, this episode is for you! Today, we're going to be talking about the cells of the oral mucosa.


• Fast Facts - Connective Tissue or Lamina Propria: Today's episode, we are continuing the conversation around oral anatomy and in specific today, we're going to be talking about connective tissue. Now, one thing to know is that in science, sometimes we have 27 different names, all referring to the same thing and in today's episode, while we are talking about connective tissue.


• Fast Facts - Periodontal Ligament Fibers: Today's episode is walking us through the conversation around oral anatomy and specifically today we're going to be talking about our amazing periodontal ligament.


• Fast Facts - Dentogingival Unit: Today's episode continues the conversation around oral anatomy and today, I am thrilled to discuss the conversation around the dentogingival unit. Now, I know what you're thinking ...really Sanders? We're talking about the dentogingival unit? Yes, we are and let me tell you why.


• Fast Facts - Cementum: This week, we are continuing our conversation about anatomy, moving on to looking at how the anatomy of our hard tissue supports the attachment apparatus for, of course, our soft tissue.


• Fast Facts - Acellular and Cellular Cementum: This week, we are continuing the conversation around dental anatomy, and at this point in the episode, I want you guys to know that I did propose to our producers that I'd like to shrink us all down, put us into a tiny magic school bus and actually see this anatomy for ourselves, and they said, no... I'm kidding.


• Fast Facts - Cemento Enamel Junction: This week, we are continuing the anatomy talk, but this week, you guys, I have some drama for you. Get this, there is some major drama about these Cemento Enamel Junction, and I'm so excited to unpack this drama for you this week.


• Fast Facts - Alveolar Bone Proper: This week, we are continuing the anatomy conversation, and this time we are moving into discussing the alveolar process. The next two episodes, we'll talk about the different parts of the alveolar process, but to begin, we understand the alveolar process itself constitutes the part of the maxilla and the mandible that form as well as support the sockets of the teeth, also known as the alveoli.


• 5 Tips to Keep You Smiling This Holiday Season: Cookies and candy canes, hot cocoa and pie, tins filled with fudge and brightly-wrapped sweets. We love the holidays, even if our waistlines do not. Unfortunately, the season of snacking can also affect our teeth. Here are five easy ways you can make sure you’re still smiling when January rolls around.


• 9 Big Advancements in Dentistry in the Past 25 Years: The practice of dentistry looks completely different today than it did 25 years ago. This list shows 9 big innovations to the dental industry that have helped dentists improve patients’ oral health in incredible ways.


• Dental Care Tips for Caregivers: Whether you’re caring for an elderly parent, a loved one who is injured, or a family member who is ill or has special needs, there are steps you can take to help them smile.


• How to Know You Have a Cavity: Discover what causes a cavity, how a dentist checks for cavities, and what you can do to prevent cavities. Plus, view pictures of a cavity in an 8-year-old’s tooth. The cavity was so severe, the tooth needed to be pulled.


• Periodontal (Gum) Disease: While you may think that some loss of teeth is inevitable as we age, it is actually possible for all of your teeth to last a lifetime. One of the ways you can achieve this goal is to avoid periodontal disease (“peri” – around; “odont” – tooth), which is caused by bacteria that attack the tissues around the teeth.


• The Anatomy of a Tooth: Despite their small size, your teeth are actually very complex and constantly changing as you age. In order to properly care for your teeth, it is essential to understand the anatomy of your teeth.