The Power of Cross-Training in the Hygiene World

Check out this great article below by Dr. Courtney Lavigne, D.M.D. She is a Spear Education faculty member. Spear Education provides general and continuing education for the whole dental team. Check them out HERE. 

In the past, most dental offices considered hygienists responsible for cleaning teeth, and not much beyond that. Over the last decade, hygienists have increased the number of procedures they are routinely responsible for, from tooth whitening to delivering local anesthetic. It’s my prediction that this trend will continue, and in the coming decade, hygienists will play an even broader role in the dental office.

One of the greatest points of stress I hear from hygienists is the schedule. If the schedule isn’t full, many doctors panic. Some offices may have hygienists leave early or clock in or out at different hours based on the needs of the schedule. This can be frustrating and financially burdensome. One way to decrease the turmoil surrounding the schedule is to increase your abilities beyond hygiene.

Each state has specific rules and regulations for what a registered dental hygienist can and can’t do and what kind of supervision is required. Even if you’re in a state that limits your abilities clinically, increasing your skill set within the office you practice in can be incredibly helpful to your team and your doctor, and ultimately give you increased personal fulfillment.

Here are three things you can do within your own office to be a better team player, a more valuable asset and find a more rewarding role.

1. Give dental anesthetic.

Even if you are in an office that doesn’t require you to administer local, think about expanding your ability and getting licensed. It can be extremely helpful to have hygienists administering anesthetic, and not only when scaling and root planning is on the schedule. In my own office, we often book patients for restorative work following their hygiene visit. When this is the case, my hygienist will anesthetize my patient for me, decreasing the patient’s chair time and increasing the predictability of the doctor’s schedule. You may be surprised that even if you’re in an office that doesn’t have you administering, one day when the doctor’s schedule is jammed and you’ve got a free moment, the doc may take you up on your offer to help!

2. Learn how to set up doctor rooms for common procedures.

If you know how to break down and set up a room for your fellow team, it can be extremely helpful in those times where the schedule seems to be falling apart. If fillings and crowns are common procedures, start there. If you have five minutes before your next patient and you know the doctor is running behind, it can go a long way to get them ready for their next patient without it affecting your own schedule!

3. Become competent on the phone.

There used to be an invisible barrier in most offices between the administrative side and the clinical side. While some offices continue to operate the two departments quite independently of one another, if your office allows the opportunity, being comfortable in your phone skills can go a long way when things get backed up at the front checking patients in and out and handling finances. If the phone rings and there’s no one to answer it, but you’re free, it increases your office’s level of customer service to have a warm voice on the other end of the phone rather than a machine. Sometimes it may be to simply say you don’t have the answer the patient is looking for, but you know who does, and you can have that person call the patient back. It lightens the load of your teammates and increases rapport with your patients.

There are countless other ways you could increase your skill set in your office. Maybe it’s learning how to package up lab cases, take impressions, or fabricate whitening trays. Whatever it may be, start looking for opportunities in your own practice and talk to your doctor and your team about your interest. I know in my own practice, little could impress me more than a team member showing interest and taking initiative in a way that supports the entire office!

Student Feature- Fantazia -Future Dental Hygienist

We love you students! We were there once and we know how hard dental hygiene school is. We are always excited to hear what you are up to. We recently networked with a hygiene student and fellow You Tuber Fantazia. 

She is currently attending Atlanta Technical College and so far what she likes the best about school is, " clinic is my overall favorite; being able to meet so many different people and change someone's confidence with a dental cleaning free of charge is the best feeling!"

Her favorite subjects are oral embryology & dental hygiene lecture. Which, by-the-way Fantazia, I have been teaching embryology for the last 5 years and I love it too!

In school, she likes, "an instructor who is able to break down each topic and have an open discussion, and help hygiene students think outside the box."

When she graduates she would, "like to first start off as a Temp for a few years and also during that time travel with Global Dental Relief to different countries and change the lives of individuals who may not have access to dental care, it would be an amazing experience. Once I finish that phase of my life I want to work in a private practice, and be able to help my local community as well."

When asked if she had any funny stories from hygiene school her response was, "I’ve had SO many funny hygiene stories, That's the main reason I’ve felt like I have been able to make it through the program. My classmates are amazing people!" 

Her great advice for those hygiene students just starting out is,

"start strong, stay strong and finish strong!"

If you want to learn more about Fantazias' dental hygiene experience check out her YouTube channel HERE. Also, as a side note, we all have to budget our way through hygiene school, so check out her side job of providing hair extensions for others at FantazyExtensions.com 
 

Check Out This List of "EWWW" Things Our Coworkers Have Done

Now don’t take this article the wrong way,  dentistry is a very respectable profession but sometimes our human selves get in the way and can make things VERY interesting around the office. Check out the list I compiled, as reported by hygienists, of crazy things our coworkers have done at the office.

1. Dipping loupes right into in the ultrasonic to “Clean” them

2. Checked mobility with the end of the mirror, then 1 min. Later used that same end to itch his nose-eye area.

3. Sucked on the high-speed suction (like siphoning) to clear a clog.

4. Used a wrench from the toolbox to unscrew something in the patient's mouth.

5. Used the demo Sonicare to brush his beard

6. Eating their lunch out of the mixing bowl with the spatula.

7. Clip their toenails and gather them on the desk between patients.

8. Warmed up their bagel in the sterilizer. 

Have you witnessed crazy actions like this in your office? I have, and I always make sure to give a reminder that we work in a health profession and that infection control is very important. It doesn’t hurt to bring it up in a staff meeting for review as well. I would recommend that at least once per your office do an infection control review. Bring in research and reminded everyone about standard precautions and OSHA saftey. 

Spear Education: Trade the Lecture for Oral Health Coaching

Here at Hygiene Edge, we are collaborating with Spear Education for our continuing education. You can see from my screenshot below that I was watching Trish O'Hare's lecture called, "Trade the Lecture for Oral Health Coaching." 

I loved the tips she gave on how to get patients to better their oral hygiene by changing your interviewing techniques. I certainly have some work to do on asking open-ended question.

I also appreciated her words about being a coach, who wants the patient to win at their home care, versus a lecturer who can easily over-educate.

She said that we as dental professionals are oral health coaches. Which is a new label that I could get used to!

Spear Education is very interactive, as you can assign lessons to other staff members and join discussion about the topic with other dental professionals. You can take quizzes at the end of the courses that will count towards your CE's. 

Spear Education Winner

Congrats Nicole! Please email us at hygieneedge@gmail.com with your contact information so spear can get you started. 

Clip Mirror by DH Essentials Giveaway Winner

Congrats Elizabeth! Please email us at hygieneedge@gmail.com with your contact information.

Stay tuned for many more giveaways coming soon!

2018 Hygiene Edge Survey

It's 2018! We are definitely excited for this new year. We know it's going to be a great year for you, for us at Hygiene Edge, and for dental hygiene! 

To make this the best year, we'd love to get your opinions and advice. We have a simple survey for you to be heard and to help tailor our information for this upcoming year. And as a thank you for filling it out, you can be entered to win a prize pack from our shop.

Thank you for taking the time to help us improve! 

To fill out the survey, click here.

Hygienist Spotlight- Sarah Lawrence

Name: Sarah Lawrence

Where/when went to dental hygiene school: Wichita State University, 2007 Graduate

What are you up to now? I currently work at a pediatric dental office as a dental hygienist and also a Myofunctional Therapist. I work with children that are tongue-tied, have incorrect swallowing patterns, mouth-breathing habits and an incorrect tongue resting posture. When a child can breathe and swallow properly, it not only benefits their facial and dental development but it can positively impact their overall health as well. It is my hope that all dental professionals will start to become more educated about the overall impact that the lack of sleep and proper breathing can have on adults and children. When I’m not doing clinical dental hygiene, I am also a Clinical Representative for YOUNG Dental. I represent the wonderful dental hygiene products that YOUNG offers to make the lives of dental hygienists much better by offering high-quality products for the patients but also ergonomic products for the clinician. I attend component meetings, trade shows, and dental hygiene schools to represent YOUNG. I have always been the kind 

person that knew I couldn’t sell or represent something if I didn’t believe in it. As soon as I put my hands on the YOUNG handpiece, I knew I had made the right decision to represent the company and it’s been a wonderful experience these past few years. It’s a great company to work for and they are always so encouraging and supportive of dental hygienists. In addition to my clinical roles, I have recently started writing. It’s something I have always enjoyed but I never pursued it due to the fear of not being good enough or being rejected. I had this idea in my head for many, many years that nobody would ever care about what I wrote or that I wasn’t “good enough” to be published. One day, after being encouraged by some of my supportive friends, I decided it was time to put fear aside and give writing a try. I had two articles written within a couple of days and the words just kept pouring out—it was a wonderful feeling! I decided that I would contact the editor of a large dental hygiene magazine to see if they would consider publishing the articles. To my surprise, they accepted both articles to be published! One of will be published in the February 2018 edition of RDH Magazine and the other one was published online. I hope that it’s just the beginning of my writing career because it’s proven to be a creative outlet for me and hopefully will benefit other hygienists in their career. I want others to know that everyone has a unique story to tell and everyone offers a different perspective that is valuable. If you’re interested in writing, don’t let the fear of failure stop you! In November of 2017, I launched the Molar Report with a wonderful friend, Catrina Houston. The Molar Report is an online resource for people in the dental industry that are wanting to share their story and tell more about what they are doing to to make a difference in the dental hygiene profession. We conduct LIVE interviews of our guests via Facebook and encourage viewer participation. It is our plan to be able to attend dental conventions and go “behind the scenes” to showcase the new products and services at each convention, offer product reviews and continue interviewing the pioneers in dentistry. We have interviewed some wonderful people so far that are literally changing the lives of so many of their patients. It has been fun meeting so many new people and getting to hear their unique stories about how they transitioned for a “traditional” dental hygiene role to something outside of the box. We are currently most active on our Facebook group but we are launching our website very soon. I’ve recently started assisting a company with digital marketing. It’s been a great way to challenge my mind and to get creative with wording. I’ve always been interested in logos, branding and the psychology that goes into the marketing of a business. It’s a new area for me but I’m having a blast so far!

How did you get into working outside of the traditional clinic? A few months after I graduated, I started to get slightly bored with clinical hygiene. After four intense years of continually studying, learning, and challenging myself, I found myself wishing I was still in school again. I love learning—it was one of the reasons I went into dental hygiene. I knew it required continuing education to keep up my license and I looked forward to that. I started looking online to see what other options there were for a dental hygienist. I came across some information on myofunctional therapy and after sending some emails, I connected with Sandra Coulson from The Coulson Institute in Denver, Colorado. After attending her internship, I knew that myofunctional therapy was in my future. Sandra has been one of the most influential people in my career. She has done so many amazing things to promote myofunctional therapy over the years and has paved the way for the profession. I also later attended the Neo-Health Services training with Sandra Holtzmann and it was also a wonderful, highly-valuable course. I have learned a lot from various therapists throughout my career and have learned the value in asking others for help when I needed it. I didn’t utilize my myofunctional therapy training right away. I was still working for the same office that I worked for when I graduated and I continued to work there for almost six years only doing dental hygiene. After landing a job at a pediatric office as a dental hygienist, I started utilizing my training in myofunctional therapy and have been doing it part-time for the past four years. Just like any new endeavor, it takes time to implement a protocol, new scheduling and to communicate the message to patients.

What's your favorite thing about dental hygiene? My favorite thing about dental hygiene is the fact that you can choose so many different career paths! When I first graduated from college, I truly thought my only option was to do clinical dental hygiene and possibly do some sales when I got older and my body started to age. I had no idea all of the possibilities that could come along with dental hygiene! Sales, consulting, writing, speaking, marketing, educating, coaching….just to name a few. One of my favorite things about working in the pediatric office is educating not only the patients but also the parents. For a patient to be healthy in the long-term, they must know how to make the right choices on a regular basis. We must invest the time into demonstrating proper brushing techniques, review dietary habits and be a support for the parents when they need help. We must work as a team with the parents and offer advice in a non-judgemental way. As most hygienists know, we are developing relationships with our patients, not just scaling their teeth. We are in a unique position to be able to connect on such an intimate level with our patients and we need to respect that relationship.

Any funny stories from practice? Working with children gives me the opportunity to laugh daily! They are a joy to work with and they are always so willing to be brutally honest. I love it!

Any advice for a recent DH grad? Don’t be so hard on yourself. When you graduate, this is just the beginning of a long journey. You are just taking the first steps into the outside world and it can be a scary place. Be nice to yourself. You will question your abilities, you will lack self-confidence and compare yourself to your dental hygiene friends and co-workers….please don’t. It’s not a healthy habit to get into and it does nothing but set you up for disappointment in the future. You’re not going to please every patient and you might even get some negative feedback from time to time. That does not mean that you are not a wonderful hygienist, it just means that you can’t be everything to everybody. It’s hard to not internalize those negative things that people might say but you must know your worth. You have proven your clinical and intellectual abilities and you are now a licensed healthcare professional. With that title, you also have some pretty big responsibilities. It’s your responsibility to be ethical, stick up for people that are being bullied in your workplace, and to continually strive to be a better dental hygienist by continuing to learn. Most importantly, surround yourself with good friends that truly want what’s best for you. Don’t get caught up with people that are there to keep you down and to see you fail. Your friends should challenge you to be better and offer support when you need it the most. If you can’t find anyone in your circle that can offer those things, reach out to epople on social media. There are many positive Facebook groups that will support and encourage you when you need it most. Just remember, friends are about quality, not quantity.

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Thank you Sarah for being spotlighted on Hygiene Edge! For our friends, she's designed an amazing dental phone wallpaper for you to download! Yay!

New Year, New White Teeth

For some reason, a new year brings a flood of questions from patients about whitening. What's the best product? Is it damaging? What do you personally like? Of course, we could talk about whitening for an hour with our patients, but who has time for that? We've created a quick guide for you to print off and give to your patient, all about the different types of whitening on the market, average costs, time it takes, and how much it will work. 

Download the newest free hand out today! And keep an eye on our shop- we'll have lots of new downloads coming soon!

Spear Education Giveaway

A few months ago, I was out for a walk and ran into my neighbor down the street. She is the mom to two little ones. She expressed to me she was tired, which makes sense! However, she mentioned that her little boy, who is 2, was a horrible sleeper. He woke up in the night crying, moved around in his crib all night, was irritable during the day and wouldn't nap. Being a new mom myself, I didn't have any advice for her which I felt horrible about. She had been to her peditrition and they had no solution as well. I casually mentioned if he'd been the dentist yet because hey, you never know.

Fast forward to a few days ago. This friend gave me a call to tell me all about her son and the updates with his sleeping. Turns out seeing the dentist was just what he needed. She scheduled an appointment with a local dentist, and on examination, he saw large tonsils and a blocked airway. A referral to an ENT occurred, surgery happened to remove his adenoids and tonsils, and his sleeping has vastly improved. I was in shock and so impressed that they checked his airway and found the root of his sleeping problem. I unfortunately didn't know much about airway problems in children and felt horrible! As a hygienist I should've known and been able to give more advice to help with my friend's child inability to sleep.

Lucky for me, Spear Education reached out to us at Hygiene Edge and asked us to try out their education system this month. They offer live events, on demand CE courses, and a community of dental professionals to talk and collaborate on cases. They have an amazing course on pediatric airway, how to screen patients, what questions to ask parents, and what do to next if you suspect airway issues which I learned so much. I'm excited to talk to my office about adding screenings for airway issues to our regular hygiene visits and helping people like my dear friend!

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Want to try out Spear Education for yourself, and up to 10 others in your practice, for 6 months? Enter to win by commenting below on what your favorite CE topics to learn about are. 

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Contest Details: Winner, and up to 10 others in your office, will receive 6 months of the Spear Education online access. Winner will be announced on the blog our social media outlets by January 26, 2018. Winner will have 30 days to claim the prize.