Oral Hygiene Education- Tiny Habits

Asking a patient to go from never brushing to brushing two times a day for two minutes seems impossible to both you and them! When we have patients that need a huge habit change, we actually start with tiny habits. BJ Fogg tells how to start tiny habits, and soon they will become big habits. It's worth a try it for some patients!

Oral Hygiene Education Week- Questions

After a great introduction and the patient is seated in your operatory, there are a few rules to follow to make a great connection and have education run smoothly throughout the appointment.

1. Start with the 1 minute rule. Build rapport in the first one minute of the appointment. Talk about anything positive that isn't related to dental hygiene or health, like if they have summer plans or what they like to do for fun. Try to ask open ended questions to keep the conversation moving and natural. If you're seeing a new patient, ask any question that doesn't talk about religion, politics, or controversial current events. If it's an established patient, look back at notes from last appointment and follow up with what was previously talked about.

2. Next, move onto home care questions. Again, ask questions that don't have a "yes" or " no answer. For example, try to avoid asking "How's your brushing?". Instead, ask "How many time's a day have you been brushing?" or "What do you use to clean in between your teeth and how often to do you use?" We find that while taking radiographs is a perfect time to ask this questions so you have a sense of what your patient may present  intraorally. It also will give you insight on how much the patient knows or even cares of what going on in their mouth and overall health.

3. While probing is a perfect time to talk about inflammation and the disease process that may be occurring subgingivally. One way of doing this is explaining what probing is before you start, and what the numbers mean. Also mention that greater than 5mm pockets and bleeding means there's a disease present. Disease is a huge motivating word for patients. That's exactly what it is, so we might as well be honest! Then as you probe, call out the numbers, even if you chart them yourself. This will let the patient know exactly where their level of disease is. The majority of the time if a patient has pocketing, they'll ask what needs to be done next as soon as the charting is complete, or even after the first deep pocket is called out. 

Now that the ground work is in place for your OHE, we can get into the actual education part!

Don't forget to come back each day this week! We'll be talking about products, habits, and much more!

Oral Hygiene Education Week- When Does OHE Start?

One of the questions that often gets brought up is when oral hygiene education should be started. Should it begin after the probe depths are recorded, after the diagnosis has been made, or after the prophy appointment is almost complete?

Our answer to this question is:

OHE starts in the waiting room!

What does this mean? From the very first second that you meet your patient, OHE has technically started. The patient determines from the first few minutes of meeting you if you are trustworthy and educated, or if you are just there to "polish" their teeth. This first few introduction minutes are critical to gain credibility with the patient. So make those minutes count! Make sure you are wearing clean scrubs, clean shoes, and your hair is off your face. Make sure jewelry minimal. And make sure you are wearing a white lab jacket! We'll talk more about lab jackets this week, but they can make a huge impression on patients. Second, no cattle calling in the waiting room. Treat the patient like a person. If you have never met a patient before, look up their photo or their birthday so you know generally who you will be looking for in the waiting room. Approach them, smile, and shake their hand. Direct them back to your operatory instead of running away from them and hoping they follow you along.

These little steps will help your oral hygiene education and will show your patient that what you are educating them on will help their health.

Do YOU have a favorite method of bringing patients from the waiting room to the op? Let us know below!

Stay tuned for more OHE tips throughout the week!

Oral Hygiene Education Week

We loved being able to talk to Hygienists at our Continuing Education course last week. We loved it so much, we wanted to share it every dental hygienist. For the next week, we'll be posting little tips and tricks to help your oral hygiene education practice in your offices. And to kick off the week, why not start with a giveaway? We'll be giving away 3 of the sample packs that were given away at the meeting!

Packet includes: 1 Orabrush, 1 package of Xyloburst mints, Xyloburst lollipops, Xyloburst gum samples, Closys sample package, and 1 Xyloburst oral rinse.

To enter, tell us in the comments below your favorite Oral Hygiene Education analogy you tell your patients, or your favorite product to recommend. 

Don't forget to check each day for new tips to improve your OHE!

Dentist in the Lions Den

A few weeks ago, the news feed on my phone showed the title, “Dentist Kills Protected Lion.” Of course, I was saddened by the loss of Cecil the Lion but found it very interesting that they used the word, “dentist.” Why not put man, or person instead? On the American Dental Association's website the first sentence stated is, “The dental profession holds a special position of trust within society.”  We as dental professionals have an obligation to uphold this code of conduct in all aspects of our lives. Obviously a person who holds a position of trust in society makes for a more appealing headline.  Many have spring-boarded off this topic to create a platform for bigger issues at hand, such as border control and abortion.

I  too am jumping on the bandwagon and am saying that there is an oral health care crisis in America, folks. Yes, dentists make lots of money; that is the healthcare system that we live in. High quality care at a cost. Dentists do put in the time and money to provide a specific skill set and they should be awarded proper compensation for such. However, while dentists are making money on those who can afford it, there are many out there who don’t have access to care.  Have you seen America’s Dental Care Crisis video on PBS? If not, check it out. 

Another recent article called "Why Are Dentists So Darn Rich” brought up some interesting points about the dental system in America. It mentions the different models that are up and coming in the dental field. Letting the public know about them creates more acceptance for them. This is the way of the future. It is happening.

Daily, I see comments on Dental Hygiene Facebook groups from hygienists stating that the market is flooded, and so many new schools are opening. Jobs seem scare, but what about all of those projections that this is a fast growing field and one of the top careers to choose from?

Systems are changing in every level of health care to increase access to care making it more affordable and available to all. One shift occurring in the dental hygiene field is expansion of hygienists supervision, roles and duties. I always see a place for us in the traditional dental office but, in addition, I see our future in independent practices, such as in Colorado. I also see us being hired by hospitals and nursing homes to provide preventive care. This means JOBS. The process of change is long but we have to start somewhere. Get involved in your local chapters to start, and become a member of the American Dental Hygiene Association.  Help get laws passed that will help bridge the gap in this crisis. As baby boomers are aging, our communities will start to see the need and changes WILL be made.

Cecil's death was a great loss but as a result, it has opened the eyes of many to other issues surrounding us, one of those being letting Americans know that people deserve to have better access to quality dental care. Where do you see the future of dental hygiene employment?

Xylitol Giveaway Time!!

We love recommending xylitol products to our patients. Since we love xylitol so much, we are giving away a bag of our favorite xylitol lollipops from Xyloburst! To enter, head over to Facebook HERE, join our Hygiene Edge group, and check out the post there to win!
Xyloburst not only makes lollipops, but mints, gums, and jams all made with xylitol. They even sell a toothbrush with antimicrobial bristles! They also are giving our Hygiene Edge friends 25% off their first order! To check out their products head on over their site HERE  and enter FIRSTORDER at check out!

Building a Great Dental Hygiene Resume

We would like to welcome guest blogger Doug Perry, dental hygienist resume coach, from the website gethiredrdh.com. 

Creating an awesome dental hygiene resume that grabs attention and holds it can seem overwhelming at first. There are lots of considerations and most hygienists simply don’t know where to begin. 

But in the several years I have been creating them for hygienists, I’ve found a really good formula that gets results for my clients.

 It’s really pretty simple and is made up of usually just five sections of content: a Header, About Me, Experience and Skills, Work History, and Education History. Sometimes, if there’s room, we can include some additional complimentary information.

Header
The most important content on a resume is your name and contact information, right at the top, in a section I call the Header. Make your name bigger so it really stands out (24-30 pt font). Add some color and graphics (possibly your picture) to really make it pop.

About Me

Most people begin their resume with an “Objective” section at the top, beneath their name and contact information. I prefer to re-label it “About Me” and then tell them about you – your personal brand.  

Keep this section really short, just two (maybe three) short sentences that describe who you are, your ability to represent the office to patients, and your knack for blending in with existing staff. Think of it as a written elevator pitch.

Experience and Skills

Generally, there are three different formats for resumes: Reverse Chronological, Functional, and hybrid of the two, sometimes called a Combination resume. The key difference between them is in how you showcase your skills and experience, which usually appears below the About Me section.

The most common type of resume used in other industries is the Reverse Chronological format, which means listing your work history starting with the most recent. Then beneath each job, you would list the unique things you did for that job.

However, most clinical dental hygienists are doing many of the same things from job to job and so to use the reverse chronological format means repeating the same list of duties and skills for each job – that’s just a waste of space and too repetitious.

A Functional format resume works better. Rather than repeating those items, you simply create a section, beneath the About Me section, that displays your skills and experiences all together. This comprises quite a large section of the resume so that you can thoroughly describe (in bullet point format) how great you are at many of the different dental hygiene duties.  

Ideally, you will be able to include several bullets of results, too. Things you accomplished or goals you helped the office obtain. Real results are more meaningful to employers – they want to know what kind of performance to expect, not that you simply know how to do things.

Work History
The next section, (Work History) is where you list your employers. Start with the current and then go back in time. It’s okay to list dental assisting or other non-dental hygiene jobs to help establish and show you have a work history. You can even use them as a tool to show you have advanced and acquired skills along the way that are useful to dental hygiene (ie patient relations).

A couple things employers look for in your work history are longevity at jobs and if there are any “gaps” or periods of time you were not employed. The further you can remove yourself from those experiences by recent displays of longevity, the better. But you should come to interviews prepared to explain them as employers may ask.

Education History
The next section is your education. This, too, should be listed from most recent to oldest and include the name of the school, the degree you obtained, and what year you graduated.

If you got your dental hygiene education then, years later, went back and received significant other training (I'm mostly thinking of anesthesia), then you should add that too.

Additional Information
If you still have room at the bottom, you can create an additional section called Community Service or Related Participation and Recognition. In this section you would list any volunteer service, including association or community service or any awards you have received.

Wrapping it Up

Using a Functional format for your dental hygiene resume is a great start, but there are other things you can do to stand out, including creating a great design, using color, and choosing the right words and phrases.  

There’s also other materials to consider using that will compliment your resume and strengthen your appearance to employers, including cover letters, testimonial sheets, CAR sheets, LinkedIn profiles, professional websites, and even resume videos.

And before you interview it’s a good idea to review potential job interview questions and review dental hygiene salary averages for your area. 

But it all comes down to doing things different, being different. Employers notice and tend to hire dental hygienists who are unique and so as you search for a job, begin to think outside the box and it won’t be long before you land a great dental hygiene job.

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Doug and Tracie Perry are authors of the book Landing a Great Dental Hygiene Job and provide dental hygiene job coaching tips and services to thousands of dental hygienists. You can get a free copy of their book and free weekly tips at their website at www.GetHiredRDH.com

Thrive in Hygiene School- Our Best Study Tips and Advice

This article is written in 2 parts to help both hygiene students and practicing hygienists find more balance in their life and help with lifelong education.

PART 1- BALANCE:

The idea of having balance in hygiene school might sound like a mythical idea, right up there with "unicorns" and "unlimited free-time." I'm here to say it can exist, it just might look a little different that you imagined. The keys are 1. Priority Management and 2. Efficient Study Skills

Priority Management:

Time blocking is crucial to your success in hygiene school and it must be done in the right order, which is:

The Essential -> The Necessary -> The Nice- To- Do

Essentials:

Make a list of the ESSENTIALS or your highest priorities/values. These are the things that you need to be functioning at your full capacity. Yours are unique to you, but some common essentials are God, relationships, personal growth, and health (exercise, diet, sleep).

Plug your essentials into your calendar first.

I can already see your panic followed by, "But you don't understand! I don't have time to do ANYTHING else." Here is the truth: You don't have time NOT to.

The ironic thing about hygiene school is that often times people neglect the very things that would make them perform far better, more efficiently, and most importantly, avoid burnout. Here is the secret: It's not the amount of time you invest, but the consistency of living your values.

Get creative and don't budge. It doesn't have to be all or nothing, just be consistent. If you absolutely can't do the 45 minutes you wanted at the gym, do 5 minutes of exercise at home. You're building a habit. I personally like an idea of the MTO approach to setting goals. (Check it out HERE.) I also found the book "The Miracle Morning" by Hal Elrod to be life changing. You can even listen to it on your way to school if you need to.

Get creative and think outside the box to live your highest priorities. Listen to audiobooks on your drive to school. Have your spouse join you at the gym so you not only squeeze some exercise, but a date as well!

NECESSARY:

Now budget the necessary things into your calendar. These could be study time, grocery shopping, going to class, study groups, ect.

NICE-TO-DO:

Add in the activities that are fun to do. Movies, your favorite television show, or social media could all fall into this category. You know what they are, but they should NEVER come at the expense of your necessary and especially not your essentials.

PART 2- EFFICIENT STUDY SKILLS:

Getting starting with studying:

Even with your time budgeted, it is sometimes hard to get started studying. Here is a truth I learned from Tiffany Peterson (productivity expert):

PROCRASTINATION = OVERWHELMED

If you are procrastinating, you are probably too overwhelmed to start. The antidote to help with procrastination is "chunk it down into bite sizes so small that there is no way they can be overwhelming." For example, unzip backpack, put arm in bag, grab book, open book, read three lines, read another three lines. Seriously, are any of those tasks individually that big of a deal? Nope!

Another method that has proved to be highly effective is to set a timer for 15 minutes and just get started. When the timer goes off, you have the choice to stop but at least you have started! Let's be honest, starting is the hardest part.

PRACTICAL STUDY TIPS:

I noticed something very interesting in hygiene school: the amount of time put into studying did not necessarily equal high grade or an awesome score on the board exams. I found this perplexing until I observed THE KEY DIFFERENCE between those that put a lot less time and had great grades and those that put in a ton of time and struggled. The students that did well learned the material inside out before moving onto the next page. Meaning, they could explain what they just read. Try it! After you read a page, explain it out loud (or in your head) to yourself.

Other that struggle spent hours going over information but not really learning the material. They were left recognizing everything and KNOWING nothing. They were left fooling themselves that they would do well because "they put in the time".

REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW

After you know the information, it is critical to review. Not just review, but also review at the right times. Follow the 1-1-1 rule. For maximum retention, one should review 1 hour after learning new material, within 1 day of learning, and again in 1 week.

STUDY TOOLS:

A lot of students love making flashcards. I'm a fan of flashcards if they are executed correctly. The problem with flashcards is that sometimes you only learn the information one way (the way you wrote it on your note card) and when it's asked differently on the test, you are stumped. The other problem with flashcards is students tend to shuffle their cards over and over going over cards that they already know. There are two remedies for these that have been super helpful for may students I've helped- q-cards and note-card-stacks.

Q-CARDS:

You ask and answer the question on both sides of the card. For example:

Side 1: What vegetable is high in potassium?

Side 2: Which mineral is prevalent in sweet potatoes?

NOTE-CARD-STACKS:

Go through all of your notecards and sort them in 2 categories: 1. DID know the Answer, and 2. Did NOT know the answer. Go through Pile 1 again. If you get the correct answer again, discard. If you do not get the correct answer, place the card in Pile 2. Then, pick up Pile 2 and sort through again. Keep going until you confidently know each card.

Hygiene School is a lot of work, but with "priority management" and effective study habits, you don't have to just survive.. it's possible to thrive!
 

Winners!

Thank you to everyone who entered our last TWO give aways! We are loving this summer of giveaways and love having everyone involved!

The winner of the Dotz is:

@myia_fehl

The winner of the American Eagle Double Ended Gracey is:

@krfoutz

Please email hygieneedge@gmail.com with your information for so we can sent you your prize!

How to Read Two Periodontal Probes

Need help with understanding a periodontal probe? Sometimes everyone needs a little refresher on how a probe works and what the lines mean. Shelley goes over how to read the UNC perio probe and the Marquis perio probe with these two helpful videos.