SAVVY SUCCESS

Chapter 2: Professional Roles in Dental Hygiene

By Christine A. Hovliaras, RDH, BS, MBA, CDE

Learning Objectives

The student dental hygienist and dental hygiene professional will learn the following key objectives from this chapter:

1. Describe the seven roles that define the dental hygiene profession.

2. Identify key professional characteristics that make one suitable for a dental hygiene position within these roles.

3. Create a profile of a job the reader would like to hold within one of these roles.

4. Develop a plan for achieving a desired position after learning about the structure of the dental hygiene profession.

Overview

The dental hygiene profession is rich with possibilities and potential for those willing to research positions, tackle projects and take charge of their careers. This growing field, defined by the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA)’s six professional roles and Professional Savvy, LLC,’s seventh category, possesses a vibrancy that keeps professionals enthused about their work many years into their careers.

When “Tanya” entered dental hygiene school, she considered that she might work for someone like her uncle who ran a small-town, family dental practice. During her education, she completed a rotation in an elder-care center. It opened her eyes to the oral healthcare needs of the elderly population and to her natural ability to relate to older people. She could put them at ease quickly once in her care. After graduation, a nursing home that was familiar with Tanya’s work approached her about joining their full-time staff. It was an easy decision for the new graduate to make.

Dental hygienists who only ever consider private practice as their primary role miss the depth of roles found within the profession. With such a variety of positions, it is a challenge for the dental hygienist to select only one that suits his or her work ethic, employment needs and goals for the future.

Trends in Dental Hygiene the Past 10 Years

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of dental hygienists is expected to grow 36% through 2018, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.1 This is in response to increasing demands for dental care and the greater utilization of dental hygienists to perform services previously performed by dentists.

Attitudes toward entry-level positions in dental hygiene have evolved in the last 10 years. New entrants to the field want to make the same amount of money as a seasoned dental hygienist. They want benefits, bonuses and all the amenities of a full-time job – luxuries that seasoned professionals may have worked toward for 10 years and have yet to realize.

Counselors in the profession advise new dental hygienists to learn their clinical position and prove their worth in the work place first. New entrants to the profession must establish best-business practices such as maintaining the patient schedule, reviewing medical histories, conducting clinical assessments, planning treatment and then providing clinical dental hygiene services, using new technology, recommending products for home use and working as a team with dental practice colleagues. These duties ensure foundational work ethics, help dental hygienists prove their worth in the practice and lead to various job benefit rewards.

With a focus remaining on disease prevention, the past 10 years have seen an expanded scope of practice for dental hygienists in some states and the development of the Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioner (ADHP).

The expansion allows dental hygienists to work under general supervision versus direct supervision, conducting activities such as administering local anesthesia or nitrous oxide. Clinicians provide care in nursing homes, assisted livings facilities, long-term care facilities and many settings where they have become the front-line care giver.

It is literally a great time to be a part of this profession.