Hygiene Temping With Cloud Dentistry

I recently had a hygiene bud announce in a group forum that when they are scheduled to temp, they will be charging the office for a minimum of 6 hours on that day. No matter if the day falls apart, or if they have a large break in the middle of the day, a minimum of 6 hours of payment is required. They started creating this policy as so many offices were canceling or reducing the hours of temp jobs the day before. Some praised the hygienist, while others threw digital tomatoes. 

This friend was fed-up. They had too many offices taking advantage of them as a temp. They were making themselves available with their valuable time, and then the day before the job was cut short or canceled completely.  They also reported that some offices wouldn’t pay them their original payment agreement. How do we work together to solve these issues? 

Remember when you temp that, YOU are valuable, and YOU are needed. Otherwise, the office has to cancel thousands of dollars in production.  They need you to be there!

We here at Hygiene Edge are always looking for new and cool things to make hygienists’ lives easier. We recently found a digital platform called Cloud Dentistry that helps to solve the issues that many of us face when temping, just like the ones my friend was dealing with. 

Cloud Dentistry allows offices to book you for temporary jobs via their website or app. You set your availability and the hourly fee. One of my favorite parts is you can message directly with offices through their app.

To get started:

1. Create a free account with them at www.clouddentistry.com 

• Put your info in, list your skills, and upload a professional photo.

2. Update your Schedule

• They have a short video that explains all the details. You can mark yourself available for several days or just the occasional temp day. 

• If you are sent home early, you are eligible to be paid for the number of work hours booked, minus one (If you were booked through “real-time matching”). 

To have a system like Cloud Dentistry to work to its full potential, having more hygienists register will help! This helps find temps when you need one, and helps you find temp jobs. 

Cloud Dentistry understands that they need all of us to work together to build this network. So they offer an ambassador program that you can join once you have created a profile. They give you a kick back for 4 years on dental offices that sign up through your special provided code. Mine looks like this: https://mbsy.co/Czc7g. 

If you’re looking to have people in your area sign up for Cloud Dentistry, here are a few tips to try:

1. Network with all of your hygiene buds in the area and encourage them to sign up. The more the merrier. 

2. Go around to offices and state, “I am a dental hygienist who temps in the area. You can book me through the app or website called Cloud Dentistry.”

You can even hand them a business card with your LinkedIn (for your resume info) and custom ambassador link. When they use your link to sign up, and they purchase a monthly plan, you get a commission for 4 years on that plan. 

3. You can even post about it on other social media platforms to encourage others to sign up with your ambassador link. 

Cloud Dentistry values dental professionals. They know that if we work together to set the bar high then we won’t be taken advantage of, and that temping can be a good experience for both parties. Check out their website for all the details at CloudDentistry.com.

Oral Hygiene Education Kit How To

Remember back in Dental Hygiene school and your assignment of making an oral hygiene education kit full of handouts and samples? Remember how you made it and never used it? Well, I’m going to encourage you to either pull it out or make up a new one! Especially if you temp regularly or are looking for a new job or your first job. Here are a few reasons why to brush off the dust off your old portfolio:

If you ever talk to Candi, she ALWAYS takes her OHE kit with her to temp days. I actually started to use mine again because of her! She would always get compliments from offices about how she took the time and cared for patients by bringing extra little things to give them. They definitely notice that you care for patients and aren’t there just to get through another day. She, and now I, have had several job offers from temp days by just showing we have cared about patients and their oral and overall health.

Patients notice and love stuff. When you go to a convention or an appointment, do you love getting samples? It’s human nature to love free things to try out. Your patients love it too. Giving them something physical to take home and try out will help remind them of the education you talked about during the appointment as well.

What does an OHE Kit look like?

It’s hard to stay exactly what it should look like. A system that works for you is definifely the best! I persoanlly have mine in an occordian style folder, with dividers to organize papers and producits in sections, such as Diabetes, Children, Pregnency, etc. I’ve also seen binders with page protectors to organize papers, as well as a file folder box with divided areas. Whatever you have space for or can carry is the best for you!

Now that you’re ready to remake your portofio, what should you have it in? First, look at your population that you serve. If you work in pediactrics, obviously your hand outs and products should be taylored to your little ones. If you work in a high caries risk area, make sure you have several sampeles and flyers all about decreasing caries and fluoride recommendations. Here are a few general idea you could add into your kit:

1. Xylitol Lollipops- These are my favorite to have on hand! They’re perfect to open a conversation about xylitol to parents (and have our Hygiene Edge handout to give to parents if they have any questions). They’re also amazing to have when parents bring their children to their appointment, especially when temping since a temp day is already stressful! Once they start to get wiggly, I’ll pull them out to give to the child to help them make it through the hour. I personally like the flavors of Xyloburst's lollipops.

2. Brushing/Flossing Calendars- These are always a fun motivator for both adults and children. Not many people hand them out, so talking about brushing habits and enforcing the habit with a calendar can make an impression on patients.

3. Plain Blank Index Cards- If I’m temping, I love to have some blank cards on me to make notes for the patient about OHE recommendations that we talked about during the appointment. They’re ok looking, and a lot more professional than a Post It Note. If you work at an office every week, look into having a simple paper made up with your office logo at the top. Slip this paper into the patient OHE bag to help reinforce habits at home.

4. Samples from Conventions- Floss, brushes, denture cleaner tablets, anything! It is definitely temping to use all the samples from a convention yourself (and I’m not going to lie- I use and test out most of them!) but saving them for patients is always nice. Slip them into a pocket of your OHE folder to give out to patients in practice at a later date.

5. Coupons- Again, having something tangible of a product you recommended is always great to remind the patient what exactly it was you talked about. Knowing and talking about which stores in your area that they product can be purchased at it always helpful as well.

Where to find OHE Materials to Add to your Kit

1. Colgate has some great resources for kids. These are also great to have on hand to give and chat to kids both when they’re your patient in your dental care or if they come along with their parent or grandparents appointment.

2. Listerine has some great facts sheet about how diabetes and oral health are connected. 

3. Of course, our Hygiene Edge Shop has many free downloads of hand outs for both you and your patients. Plus, we try to regularly add new ones, so keep an eye out!

4. RDH Companion is an online resource for hygienists. For a small monthly fee, you can download and print lots of OHE resources. 

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Let us know how it goes! What works for you with highlighting the importance of home care? What is your favorite way to organize your OHE materials?

BECOMING AN UNFORGETTABLE DENTAL HYGIENE TEMP

I chose to exclusively temp for 1.5 years due the flexibility with starting a family.  I’ve temped for 16 dentists in 11 offices and have thankfully been invited back by each of them.  

--BEFORE YOU GET NERVOUS ABOUT TEMPING--
 

• 1. Remember this is about  “BECOMING” an unforgettable dental hygiene temp (you don’t have to already be  one). Watch This short video here about “Becoming”
• 2. Watch This short video on how to not be nervous but excited about dental hygiene.  
• 3. Read below the 7 practices I’ve implemented that have been GAME CHANGERS!

 At first temping was very challenging and I had some REALLY difficult days … but as I kept doing it and applying the things that I’m going to share I began to receive comments Like “The dentist loved working with you and he normally doesn’t like anyone” ,  or “We’ve never received so much positive feedback from patients from a temp before” .   I just recently received a hand written letter from a dentist thanking me and it said “You’re such a good hygienist”  I would have never received a letter like  that in the beginning!! 

 I believe there are 7 points to becoming an unforgettable dental hygiene temp.

 TIP 1- HYGIENE NOTEBOOK 

My #1 tip is to purchase a temping notebook!  I honestly believe success is in this notebook.   The shortest pencil is better than the longest memory,  The notebook is where I put all of the pertinent information   (as far as computer commands, staff members names and anything unique the doctor or office likes)

I often get comments how fast I mesh into offices and I honestly believe its because I have everything written down so I don’t have to ask the same question and over.    When I come back to an office after awhile I can easily step back in, remembering how the particular office runs, computer commands and staff members are always impressed that I remember their names.  


TIP 2-RUN AHEAD

Running ahead starts before the patients ever get there by getting to the office early and learning as much and writing down as much as you can before your first appointment. 

I usually try to be to an office 30 minutes early.  

I walk in and immediately introduce myself to the office manager.  I will usually jot down her name with a description in my notebook.  Such as “Jana – office manager-blonde”.  As the office manager introduces me to other staff members I try to quietly do the same- “Tara-assistant- glasses” (I always avoid descriptions of size because you never know who will see your notebook!)

I immediately take a mental note of how the room is set up.  Where the slap wrap is placed and so on.  I  start opening drawers to see where pt bags are located, prophy paste etc….

As soon as possible I will ask an assistant to show me how to get on the pt charts and how to take radiographs/retakes, how to get into my notes, and the probing chart.  

Every command the assistant does on the computer I write down and draw a little picture when I can.   For instance to take radiographs at the office I work at now.  I would put :

x-rays = LR circle (and I would draw the picture of the circle with the squiggly in the middle of it on the Lower Right of the computer) ->new exam-> Schnick Smile exam 

On the next line I would put "retake= double click"

After I’ve written all the pertinent info I will then make sure the air/ water is on and see how the chair is operated.  (NOTHING is worse than trying to figure out how to operate the chair with a patient in it!!).. I locate patient bags, gauze etc.  

 TIP 3- BUILD RAPPORT  

There are two keys to building patient rapport:  Be sincerely interested in the patient and Compliment.

Recently I was temping and by the end of the appointment this older cowboy was excitedly showing me pictures of his saddles, horses and cows while we waited for the dentist.  He knew that I was interested not only in his oral health but in him as a person.    Also, never introduce yourself as "the temp." Pretend that you have been working there for 40 years but if they ask where their "usual" hygienist is I say something like, "they have the day off but I will be taking excellent care of you today." 

The second step is to COMPLIMENT, COMPLIMENT, COMPLIMENT.  Every office has something special about it. Nothing makes a patient feel more secure with their choice of office, and an office more happy than hearing you pointing out something great about their office.  I’ve said complements to the patients like “I LOVE how nice and friendly the staff is here”, Or “Wow I’m super impressed how up to date the doctor is on the latest technology and products” .  Or isn’t this such a beautiful office if I can’t think of anything else.?

TIP 4- BRING VALUE TO THE OFFICE


Add value by leaving the office/patients with a new idea or product.

No matter what the previous hygienist does- give the highest standard of care.   Cancer screening and probing, patient glasses (I used to bring my own sunglasses, xylitol samples etc.) and so on. This means that you are recommending fluoride and electric toothbrushes.  Recently I was in an office for two weeks and was able to introduce MI past to their office as a product and showed the DDS how he could offer it to his patients for white spot remineralization. The office manager ordered it and we went through two boxes while I was there, which increased their production and gave them something to offer their patients when I left.  


Bringing value means staying on time.  This is difficult when temping but having the notebook helps avoid having to ask too many questions and will speed you up!  If I’m running a bit behind I will walk my patient to the front and have the front office manager schedule his/her 6 month appointment.  

Bringing value also means that you are constantly looking for ways to contribute, not just production wise, but to the actual office by always staying busy.  It means that if you have time, you help break down the doctors rooms, and if your patient cancels, that you are scrubbing baseboards. I heard from a temp agency that a lot of doctors kept calling and requesting the hygienist that cleaned baseboards and windows if her patient cancelled.  

TIP 5:  LEAVE WITH A BANG

At the end of the temp day individually thank the DDS and each staff member.  And let them know that you would love to come back.  If you are temping for an extended period of time bring cookies or treats for your last day.  It’s something small but I will say it goes a loooong way!   I  also heard from a temp agency that the dentist kept requesting the hygienist that ordered the office pizza for lunch.  That is a small expense for all the temping work she got from that gesture.

 TIP 6: REVIEW:
When the temping day is over, spend 5 minutes in your car and write down anything unique to the office for next time, and any questions you would ask when you return.

 TIP 7:BECOME THEIR FIRST CALL:  

When the dental office calls you to come in again and you can’t, make sure that you help find them someone who can.  This not only helps your dental hygiene friends but they will always call you because they know if you can’t help them out that you will find someone that can.