A Letter to the Dental Hygiene Class of 2022
To the Class of 2022
Welcome to the best profession. And we’re not going to lie, can be one of the hardest.
This is definitely an interesting time to start hygiene school. Honestly, no one has ever started school at a time like right now. There have been lots of changes to your program, updates in protocols, and new ways of doing things that no many people have done before. Lots are for the better. Some you may not love, but that’s ok. We’re all trying to navigate the longevity of these changes.
Here is some advice as you embark into this new world of dental hygiene school.
1. Get a great planner or utilize Google Calendar like crazy. There will be lots of assignments in the first few weeks that will have due dates weeks out. Write then down immediately on the date they are due. Having them written down gets them out of your head and feels so much more manageable to see them on a calendar.
2. Be patient with your instructors and professors. This is the 1st time they’ve had a class start in the middle of a pandemic, and they’re getting new information from your institution, administrators, and the government each day. They may change policies in the middle of the semester or even after the first week, which isn’t want they want to do. Changing things last second is no fun for anyone! As changes come, you’ll be feeling them and it may be frustrating. But, please, be open minded to these changes and roll wit the punches.
3. Stay healthy! We know there is so much going on- reading, watching videos, study groups, and practicing instrumentation. However, it’s going to be so important to stay healthy, especially this semester. Make sure you’re drinking tons of water, sleeping as much as you can, and taking your vitamins. It’s going to be so important to be healthy to stay activity engaged in your classes and in clinic.
4. Stay positive. It’s so easy to go to class and feel everyone’s stress or negativity. We as instructors can totally feel it. And it spreads like wild fire. I remember in school, I didn’t feel to stressed at home in the evenings or on the weekends, but my stress was through the roof when I was around my classmates. Strive to be the one who sees the positive in each situation, learn from each failure, and keep things light when you fine your classmates start thinking or talking with negativity.
You’ve got this! We’re rooting for you and want this to be the best experience for you. Have a question, or need some support? Watch our videos and reach out to us. We’re here for you.
With so much love from some seasoned RDHs and instructors,
Jessica, Melia and Shelley, the Hygiene Edge Team
Oral Cancer Foundation
We’re excited to be taking part in the Oral Cancer Foundation Virtual Walk this month to help raise funds and awareness for oral cancer. You should join us! Join our team and let us know when you walk! Let’s keep the conversation open about oral cancer, and the important screenings we can perform each day on each patient. With patients less likely to go to their family doctor for well checks, and probably being outside more with everything going on, this is the perfect time to add in oral cancer screenings and take the best possible care of our community.
Head over to the link below to sign up and join our team. All the money collected goes to the Oral Cancer Foundation to help raise awareness about oral cancer and help with cancer research.
https://donate.oralcancer.org/participant/hygiene-edge
Introducing The Vera® Splatter Guard®
Have I ever told you how much I LOVE it when companies create products for the Hygiene department? That is just what Young has done, they created a prophy angle with a splatter guard. This helps to reduce prophy paste from flying into unwanted places. Next time you are in the market for prophy angles be sure to consider these. Check it out in action in our latest video below.
What You Need to Know about the Dental Hygiene OSCE
With all the changes happening right now (and honestly- lots for the better for our public health and wellbeing), dental and dental hygiene school was greatly affected. One of the biggest culprits of change? The live patient clinical board exam. So, to change with the times, an OSCE was put in place to test students skills, let them get their license to practice, and keep both the student and patient safe. Instead of taking a 1 time live patient exam, many states allowed a written exam with clinical questions.
As a side note-the implantation of the OSCE exam was also state by state. Here in Utah, our state allowed it this year. However, to this point, California is not accepting it. You’ll definitely want to check with your state to see what changes they’ve implemented, and if they’ll be going back to a traditional patient exam over the next few months.
We asked a few dental hygiene recent grads about their experience with the exam, how they studied for it, and any advice for someone else about to take the exam and compiled all of their advice.
How did you study?
“I studied for about 2 weeks and I used the student RDH OSCE study packet for $55! What helped me was that I had just studied for months for the NBDHE. So I had a lot of material on my mind.”
“I would tell people to just use the National Board Package (on StudentRDH) to study for the OSCE because the OSCE study packet didn’t have enough information.”
How was the test administered?
“The test was taken on an iPad it was 107 questions (if I remember right) it took me around an hour to take, but you are given 2 hours to complete the exam, I would definitely go through the test twice because I found that some questions I was more confused about were much easier the second time through.”
What was the content like?
“All the questions are extremely applicable to clinical practice, things you are going to run into more commonly than questions that you'll see on the NBDHE.”
“Know the information for Nationals, plus h knowing facts about whitening and the latest on the 2017 AAP classifications”
“All the questions are extremely applicable to clinical practice, things you are going to run into more commonly than questions that you'll see on the NBDHE.”
“Honestly, the thing that helped me the most was just being familiar with everything that goes into an appointment... from medical conditions and what you would do of a patient presented with a specific condition, to periodontal disease diagnosis”
Any advice?
“What took me off guard honestly was the questions. They were worded way different then NBDHE or what we see in school. It was a lot of critical thinking. Most of the questions were easy and straight to the point. Then you would get a random question.”
“Honestly, clinic experience and studying for NBDHE is the best thing for this exam.”
“There were questions on whitening which I wasn’t expecting.”
“It definitely focuses on clinical dental hygiene, and things you’d see in an office regularly.”
“Working in private practice for a few weeks before the exam really helped with my critical thinking during the exam.”
Did you take the OSCE this year? What was your experience with the exam?
If your state is only accepting live patient exam results to get your license, you’ll definitely want to check out our “Tips for Passing Clinical Boards” Ebook, full of helpful hits and videos to make the most of your time.
Tips for Finding a Great Dental Hygiene Clinical Board Patient
My sister in law has been a dental hygienist for over 12 years. She’s had kids, moved to a different state and different country in the time, and they’ve now settled in California. She’s ready to get back into the hygiene world and work clinically in her town. But because it has been a bit since she’s taken WREB, she’s back at it again this month. With taking the test comes finding a patient. I’ve been teaching students and assessing patients for the exam for years, but being back in the spot of actually finding a patient has been tricky and is taking me back for when I took the exam, both a few years ago and when I graduated! Here are a few tips and tricks for finding a great patient over the years that we’ve been using to find the perfect patient.
Post about the exam and your need for a patient on local Facebook Groups. However, once you post it, many times they’ll be deleted in a short amount of time, depending on the group. Once you post it, watch your post to see who responds or messages, and get the conversation going right away. If not, the post may be deleted, and you’ll miss who responded. Also, keep an eye on your “other” message folder to see if anything messages you but it gets hidden.
Get your prescreening questions ready. When talking to a potential patient, make sure you ask a few screening questions beforehand to make sure they’ll qualify for the exam. Here are a few I like to ask: Are you allergic to anything? Any medical conditions such as heart disease or diabetes? Are you available on (insert test date)? Do your gums bleed when you brush (don’t include flossing. It’s pretty common for people’s gingiva to bleed if they rarely floss. If they’re a regular brusher with no bleeding, however, they may not qualify for the exam).
Ask other students, past students, or your senior who graduated the year before you for a recommendation. They may have a great lead or two you could follow up with. Sometimes the patient they used didn’t get the rest of their mouth treated and it may qualify, or the patient has a family member or friend to refer to you.
Reach out to surrounding offices. Sometimes, these offices have patients come in that qualify and cannot afford periodontal therapy. If they have someone like you to refer them to, it would definitely help both you and the patient.
Don’t get overwhelmed. I know, this is the least helpful advice. But for some reason, when someone puts in the work, it all works out! I’ve had student’s patients end up in jail the week before their exam, patients that go into early labor before, patients that have gone completely MIA. And for some reason, it all works out how it is meant to be.
There may not be a “perfect” patient. I know, this article is supposed to be all about that. However, sometimes someone that doesn’t seem “perfect” may work and it’ll all work out! Even if you have to treat quad 1 (my least favorite) or you have to treat a few teeth from a different quad, you can do it! You’ve been getting ready for this test for years as a new grad or as a seasoned hygienist
How did you find your board patient? What are some of your tips to finding a great patient for your clinical exam?
Electric Toothbrush Recommendations with Oral-B iO
Recently, we attended the Oral-B iO Virtual Launch Event, and they shared interesting research about patients and their perceptions of electric toothbrushes. Right now, patients think that oral health and overall health are related. However, they don’t necessarily think that oral health prevention is a key to keeping them healthy overall. And interestingly, they often see an electric toothbrush as something for patients that have a problem, instead of an instrument to help prevent oral diseases like carious lesions or periodontal disease. But, the more I thought about it, the more it makes sense. Let’s compare it to going to the hairdresser. If I was getting my hair done, and my stylist mentions I should be using something to prevent dryness, I would agree and forget about it. Later at the store, I’ll remember she mentioned something, I’ll head to the hair care aisle, and be completely confused on what I should be getting, what’s the best product to prevent dryness, and end up not buying anything. Our patients are doing the exact same thing!
Here are a few tips to help you educate your patients on electric toothbrushes.
Be specific in your recommendation, naming a brand they should purchase. You might also want to mention a specific brush head and store to buy it at. This takes away all the guesswork, making it easier for your patient to act on your recommendation.
Give a short demo in your op. Show the patient what they’re missing out on. If they’ve never felt or seen an electric toothbrush in real life, they might be hesitant to invest in one.
Come from a place of love & not the place of a salesperson. When you’re talking about a product, make sure you’re not coming at it as a salesperson, but as a product the patient needs.You know your patients, their needs, and have insight into their life. Make recommendations based on this context and what would best benefit the patient.
We’re excited for you to start talking more about electric toothbrushes if you don’t love to right now! Or, if you do and your office sells them, what do you usually tell your patients about them?
A big thank you to Crest+Oral-B for inviting us to the Virtual Launch of the Oral-B iO! We loved learning about this new product, hearing the updates and new technology, and meeting with so many amazing dental professionals at the same time. Some of our favorite features of this brush are
The new screen. This screen makes it easy to make sure you or your patient is brushing for the full 2 minutes, and gives an instant smiley face reward when they do.
The new linear magnetic drive system. It delivers concentrated energy to the tips of the bristles where it’s needed most, allowing the brush head to glide tooth by tooth for a smooth, quiet cleaning experience.
Digital Bitewing Tips
Headed back to work? Review your digital BWX skills with our latest video.
Getting a Dental Hygiene Job in a Pandemic
Congratulations to the new 2020 dental hygiene graduates! This is definitely an odd time to graduate with all the PPE changes, patients expectations, and nervousness with being so close to people. However, this is a great time to be part of the profession! We’ve been able to rethink the way we work, the way we treat ourselves and our patients, and to brush up on the latest research and needs when it comes to infection control and PPE.
So, you’re found yourself with your new degree and new license in hand. Now what? How should you be looking for a job, especially now that walking into an office with your resume is a bit out of the question. Here are a few ideas of how to spread your reach in the dental field, and network for the next step in your career.
1. Get on your local Dental Networking Facebooking group. This is the perfect place to connect with other dental professionals in your area, and see who is hiring. Especially if you’re new to the area, this is a great way to see what’s out there, what the job market like, and temping opportunities.
2. Create an online resume website. How awesome would be to see a job posting online, and be able to send your resume right away, without having to stop it by the office. Having an online portfolio will make you stand out since it’s different than a regular Word Document resume. You can include photos of yourself in scrubs/professional headshots, skills you know and have mastered, volunteer opportunities you’ve taken part of with photos included, etc. Most professions have these online portfolios, why not us? This is especially great right now while meeting face to face is tricky. Show your character, strengths, and abilities through a simple and clean online portfolio.
3. Be part of a local study club or your local ADHA chapter. This is the perfect way to network and get the word out that you’re looking for a job. You’ll meet other dental hygienists in all areas of their careers. They may not want to go back to their job after this pandemic is over, and they could definitely recommend you or lead you to potential job opportunities.
4. Learn as much as you can while you’re off. Keep up your skills by of course watching and practicing along with our Hygiene Edge videos, but learn about different topics you may not have talked about in school on webinars. There are many free ones going on right now with all the down time, and you’ll definitely keep your skills and mind fresh with all the learning.
We are so excited for you and what’s next in your career! If you’re a new grad, have you been looking for a job? What’s working for you? What isn’t? We’d love to know!
Jessica on the ADHA Podcast
The Official ADHA podcast just released this week’s episode, which features our very own Jessica! She’s chatting to ADHA President Matt Crespin. Hear it today!
Have you listened?
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-official-adha-podcast/id1510670243?i=1000474312679&fbclid=IwAR2YFMTJYX03oSSwOEB2mBUYrTO3qsbuz--iy3QJpvOrCHgFypoyK0WybZk
Being #hygienistproud
Dental hygiene has not only been our careers, but so much more. It has impacted us physically (as you all can relate to), emotionally, mentally, pretty much every aspect of our lives. We love what we do, even with the changes and tough times it goes through, and we are so proud of being dental hygienists.
From classroom to career, Crest and Oral-B are dedicated to continually supporting dental hygienists, so that we can continue to make a difference in the lives of our patients. We’re so grateful for Crest and Oral-B’s Hygienist Proud platform and celebration for the RDH profession. Today, we’ll be sharing some defining moments of our careers and what makes us #HygienistProud!
Shelley:
I am #HygienistProud as my career and dental hygiene has had a huge impact on many aspects of my life. One of the greatest impacts is that of being a better communicator. I remember my husband coming in my second year of dental hygiene school. The dentist came over for the exam and I was discussing my husband's treatment plan with him. After the dentist left my husband looked up at me and said, “I have never heard you talk so professional like that before.”
That was a defining career moment that helped me realize the positive impact this career was having on my life. I recognized that effective communication in my personal life would be key to a happy life and that in my professional life it would define being able to make a difference in my patients lives.
Strong communication skills help patients modify behaviors, accept treatment plans and purchase product recommendations. I am #HygienistProud, and am grateful for a career that has helped me learn and apply professional communication.
Jessica:
There I was sitting at my friends kitchen table during our state’s board of trustees meeting. The topic of discussion was who was going to run for President-Elect for our state association. I sat there and it became evident in my mind and heart that I could throw my hat in the ring. I was terrified, felt inadequate and then… I looked around the table. I wouldn’t be alone. Dental Hygiene has given me the opportunity to be in the arena, to grow as a person, clinician, educator, advocate, mentor, business human, it has helped ME be better. This has all been possible because dental hygiene has introduced me to other hygienists and they have made all the difference.
Melia:
When I think about my career (so far) in dental hygiene, I definitely think about opportunity. Now, I’ve had many people say to me “Doesn’t dental hygiene get repetitive?” “Is there any room for growth in your career?” “Do you ever get bored?” I’m not going to lie- yes I have been bored, and yes, at times it felt like there wasn’t room for growth in an operatory. But, pushing myself to see past these questions and opening up myself to new opportunities and experiences has definitely created so much more opportunities. I’ve been lucky enough to help on the legislative level in our state to change our practice act to allow dental hygienists to start working in alternative practice settings. I’ve been so lucky to work in education roles both in formal education and for companies, spending hours each day talking about a topic I love so much- dentistry. I’ve been able to meet some of the smartest, kindest, and hardest working people I know through this profession. And I’ve been able to expand my knowledge and creativity with Hygiene Edge. So yes, dental hygiene can be repetitive, but only if you let it. I’m so grateful for our profession and how much we can learn from it and each other each day.
Crest and Oral-B’s Hygienist Proud platform was created to ensure that dental hygienists are confidently equipped with the resources and tools needed to transform your patients’ smiles. Hygienist Proud has so much to offer -- including free CE courses, information on new products, and a community of 100,000 RDH peers on the Crest and Oral-B for Dental Professionals Facebook page.
Why are you #HygienistProud? Have you had a defining moment in your career, or a reason why you go into your operatory each day? We want to know!
A huge thank you to Crest and Oral-B for sponsoring this post and letting us share a big part of our careers and why we love it so much!