An Introduction to Chairside Weekly

My name is Thomas Ferguson, I am a dental hygienist practicing in Indiana. I started this newsletter to share exciting and interesting news about the latest research in oral and systemic health. As a dental hygienist I attend continuing education courses every year and learn many new things to stay up to date on the newest developments in healthcare. When I say healthcare, I don’t just mean oral health, but systemic health as well; they are connected you see. If the eyes are a window to the soul, the mouth is a window to a person’s overall health. Dental hygienists do not only clean teeth; we can also help patients achieve various health goals, whether they need nutritional guidance, help quitting tobacco use, or education on relationships between systemic diseases like diabetes and heart disease and their effects on oral health. We educate our patients on many aspects of their health, and I am here to do the same for you by bringing you the latest information from various continuing education courses and my experience in six years of being a hygienist. I hope you find these articles informative and fun to read. I have made a commitment to lifelong learning and I hope to build upon what I have learned by sharing it with you.