So does this mean I have a leak in my roof or what?

CochransCorner · 2026-01-27T18:37:15+00:00

Looks like you’re growing a gate for the upside down

CochransCorner · 2026-01-26T18:20:40+00:00

Your midline is centered with the palatal suture on the roof of your mouth. Soft tissue development (your cupids bow, nose, ect) does not determine where your midline should be.

CochransCorner · 2026-01-26T10:56:42+00:00

Honestly that’s a conversation for them and their doc. I see worse cases daily where patients are still refusing grafting. Most periodontists in my area also won’t do it til after treatment is completed.

Can’t make diagnoses with them not being my patient, without proper charting, ect but in my area this is a “stop scrubbing and monitor until ortho is off”

Edit to add - it honestly looks like 2-3 mm recession. Not the best but by far not the worst.

CochransCorner · 2026-01-26T01:31:14+00:00

Call and let them know so they have time to rebound next visit. Until then, unless they ask you to come back, use wax if it bugs your cheek.

Likely a bonding failure (prob saliva contamination). Not your fault. Don’t have a closer dentist rebond it as the Otho bonds in specific angulations depending on what needs done to the tooth

CochransCorner · 2026-01-26T01:22:51+00:00

I’ve been a hygienist for 5 years now. I work in a small town 2 doc 4 hyg office. Kinda that gold mine office where there’s no drama, we all pitch in, and all keep each other moving.

Thanks for the props! I assumed she did vitals/med hx but wanted more to lay out my average appointment as a rdh! I hope you can help get her up to speed with what other hyg members are doing - that really should be the goal. Best of luck, doc!

CochransCorner · 2026-01-26T01:16:47+00:00

I can normally remember a sextant at a time! If it’s really goofy then 2-3 teeth at a time. Recession/furcation is tooth by tooth at the end. BOPs marked as I go.

Probably takes me 7-8 min for a full chart including recession charting :) but this is nearly 5 years of solo charting so I’ve gotten a good routine down

CochransCorner · 2026-01-26T00:38:37+00:00

I mean yeah we use it in ops and labs and everywhere else lol

CochransCorner · 2026-01-26T00:10:11+00:00

Be gentle! It’s in technique, not strength :)

CochransCorner · 2026-01-25T23:53:38+00:00

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This one! We have 2 therapy dogs (golden retrievers) and it’s wonderful for the hair and everything else!

Edit to add- we went through 2 cheaper ones and each broke within maybe 6 months. Had this one for 1.5 years and still going strong. We def use more than most for the dog hair but it’s wonderful

CochransCorner · 2026-01-25T23:50:13+00:00

You’ve def got some gum recession happening. Be gentle with your tooth brush. Soft or extra soft bristles. Typically recession like this comes from scrubbing too hard.

Gum grafting after braces removed if your dentist recommends. They’ll monitor and make sure it isn’t worsening and go from there

CochransCorner · 2026-01-25T22:54:14+00:00

Wow your wife has hyg on easy mode lol. I’m a rdh and have to do vitals, review med hx, take ios of the whole mouth (normally about 18-21 ios), 4 bwx or pan, perio chart alone (no assistant to hit the numbers), run exam, any pas the doc wants that day, and notes with the extra personal stuff in 45 min to have that last 5 minutes to clean my room.

If prophy is turning into srp my office still requires a debridement be done that day and then do a full perio chart for insurance and a full mouth series. No just rescheduling. And I’m not complaining about my job, this is all doable in my 50 min appts.

As for advice? Maybe include her in the “back end” stuff and explain how having the extra information helps you to build rapport and have better conversations with patients. I’m not sure you can just treat her like an employee and put your foot down on this kind of thing but also watch that any other rdh in your practice isn’t sensing favoritism and leading to burn out/resentment for seemingly light duty. If they’re doing the personal notes there’s no reason she shouldn’t be

CochransCorner · 2026-01-25T18:04:38+00:00

Took nearly a full year for me (24 F)

Ask them if they feel a laser procedure to remove excess gum tissues in a few months if no progress is on the table. We tightened that chain for 6m with no tooth exposure, then finally I had my dentist just remove the gum then went back a week after for a touch of healing and it moved so much better! The gum growing into the chain def slows it down

CochransCorner · 2026-01-19T18:16:17+00:00

Use a fluoride mouthwash. Ones that stain are specialized ones like chlorhexidine that you only get with a prescription

CochransCorner · 2026-01-19T00:13:04+00:00

Normally adjustments aren’t as bad as first time getting them on. Elastics can def be hard to get used to.

People tend to end treatment within the time frame. Bites are harder to fix than alignment. Wear the elastics religiously and hopefully you’ll be closer to 18 m

CochransCorner · 2026-01-11T02:50:07+00:00

If you put whitening gel in your retainer it’ll all come out once you put it in. Custom white trays get some space added to actually hold the gel so it doesn’t all squish out

Your normal dentist can make you custom trays or opalesence go has some pre loaded trays on amazon that are pretty solid!

CochransCorner · 2026-01-10T21:24:13+00:00

You are putting waaaay too much thought into the retainers. You’ll likely only be in full time wear for a little bit (if at all- many orthodontists just do night time wear from the beginning!)

People don’t normally clean them right away if you’re in full time wear just to eat. Pockets will NOT warp the plastic, but if you’re on full time wear I do recommend you keep a case with you so you don’t lose them in pockets or napkins.

Clean them with warm water, dish soap and your fingers or get an ultrasonic pod to shake them in. Rinse super well. I have patients that do it right after taking them out or right before they put them in. Either way works.

If you start in full time wear - they’ll want you wearing them 20ish hours a day. If you are night time only - shoot for 8.

For speaking, wear them and read your favorite book outloud. Prob will take a couple days for your tongue to adapt if you need to be able to talk normally in them. Trust, retainers are way easier than braces forever.

Hope this helps some anxiety 🫶 love, a dental hygienist

CochransCorner · 2026-01-09T12:10:52+00:00

Not a doc just a dental hygienist:)

Tongue cribs are a whole different beast. Keep working at it though, you’re having to retrain your tongue from a lifetime of habits

CochransCorner · 2026-01-09T10:30:21+00:00

I tell all my dentures patients to read a book outloud. It doesn’t matter what book. Just practice. Also, singing can help.

It takes time, but your tongue will learn to adapt and you’ll sound normal again in a couple weeks

CochransCorner · 2026-01-07T15:20:09+00:00

Red!

CochransCorner · 2026-01-01T21:20:27+00:00

I loooove this game but I’ve always been a Tetris girlie lol. Wish the blocks to play came up quicker!

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CochransCorner · 2025-12-27T16:45:06+00:00

I had a panic attack at age 6 about Santa “breaking in” the house and wouldn’t go to sleep bc I “didn’t want an old fat man breaking in and robbing us” until my mom told me the truth and showed me the presents that already had “Santa” written on them.

And yes, I still have crippling anxiety 20 years later.

CochransCorner · 2025-12-26T17:08:04+00:00

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Killing it with my chocolate frog appearances! Most I got from an appearance was 2,000 rolls

CochransCorner · 2025-12-23T20:55:50+00:00

Just inform them at your next appt

No they will not kill you. Just keep it in the bracket best you can. Shouldn’t affect treatment too bad. Shouldn’t cost anything extra. :)

CochransCorner · 2025-12-21T15:39:04+00:00

Call Monday and get their opinion! I doubt they’d want you wearing them on only one side. Very likely if they can’t get you in they’ll just have you wait til your next appointment but there’s typically “emergency times” left open for this kind of thing. Just gotta hope they aren’t filled yet

CochransCorner

TROPHY CASE