What emotion begins to well up inside you when someone asks, “What’s the difference between a dental assistant and a dental hygienist?” Perhaps the answer to the question doesn’t matter as much as it highlights the need for stronger communication with the general population as to a hygienist’s scope of practice. In this article, I want to look at that idea more closely. I also want to challenge my dental hygiene peers to take part in an effort to define who we are and make our "brand" known to the general public.
The dental hygienist "brand"
In my own life, I am both a hygienist and a businesswoman. At first glance, any similarity between my two titles of RDH and CEO seem unlikely—or so I thought. While one credential represents a service to patients and the other the selling of a product, both depend heavily on effective branding. Let me explain further.
Branding is an important and powerful concept in business. I dedicate a considerable amount of effort to building my company's brand, with some efforts bearing fruit and others not. (It builds character, as my mother might say.) Put another way, I invest a great deal in the process of discovering the “personality” of CordEze, my company's product line. Branding involves components such as design, marketing, creating value, and building trust with customers.1 Recently, I started thinking about branding as it pertains to my life as a hygienist. I thought to myself, "Who is responsible for discovering the identity of the RDH brand?"
The obvious answer to that question might be the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA). After all, the ADHA is the national representative association for dental hygienists. It would seem the ADHA should be taking the lead in delivering a clear and consistent message to the general public as to the quality of care one can expect from an RDH.
However, in thinking about this further, I realized that achieving an impactful branding campaign would require a combined effort between the ADHA and dental hygienists themselves. This is because branding exists in the minds of customers (or in this case, patients and the general public) and not in a company or organization.2 If this is true, then all who make up the RDH brand must take steps to help promote who we are and what we do, whether it’s through media or through daily face-to-face interactions with our patients and good old John Q. Public.What would the RDH brand include?
The role of RDHs is expanding, which many in the general public do not know. As dental hygienists, we are prevention specialists who have the opportunity to bridge the gap between primary care providers and the dental industry. State advocacy committees are working to create new opportunities for dental hygienists outside traditional dental practices. For instance, Arizona’s HB2058 was passed, which allows "affiliated practice dental hygienists," as they are termed, to supervise dental assistants and work under the general supervision of a physician in a hospital setting.3 As midlevel providers, dental hygienists are positioned to be an integral part of the whole-health approach to medicine.
Brand awareness is the driving force behind moving professions to the next level. Stewart Gandolf, chief executive officer and creative director at Healthcare Success, puts it this way: “Instead of passively waiting and hoping for a good reputation to develop over the years, you can actively mold and shape your reputation now, through purposeful branding."4
One way hygienists can immediately start to establish a strong RDH brand is by asserting that we are licensed dental providers—specialists in the field of prevention. To do this, we can start to use polished jargon (pun intended) in places of employment and online social platforms to foster respect and credibility. The words “regular” and “cleaning” should be replaced with more accurate descriptors, such as “semiannual,” “hygiene appointment,” and “check-up.” Furthermore, encourage the managing dentist and office staff to support the hygiene department with this initiative. It may help to remind dentists that their profession did the same with changing “cap” to “crown.” The procedure’s perceived value was increased by simply changing the term.
Words have power. As the saying goes, what is said about one applies to all. It is important to post information and speak about colleagues with good intentions. You just never know who is paying attention. Social media posts, even in closed groups, can be read by others outside the dental industry. It could be people who may be forming opinions about the preparedness of hygienists regarding autonomy and who vote on an issue, such as legislators. Let’s join together to lay the groundwork for a stronger brand in 2020 by keeping public commentary about hygienists supportive, positive, and constructive in nature. We define who we are, and we decide how we grow.
Get involved
If you’d like to contribute to a public service announcement and branding campaign for dental hygienists, please answer in a few words, “Who is RDH?” and email your response to [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you!
References
- Why is Branding Important? Strategy Marketing and Technology Solutions website. https://strategynewmedia.com/why-is-branding-important/. Accessed July 1, 2019.
- Hagee H. 25 branding stats & facts that will change your life. Lucidpress website. https://www.lucidpress.com/blog/25-branding-stats-facts. Published June 19, 2017. Accessed July 1, 2019.
- Sate of Arizona. House of Representatives. HB2058. https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/54leg/1R/laws/0253.htm. Updated May 25, 2019. Accessed July 01, 2019.
- Gandolf S. Creating a powerful, differentiating brand. Healthcare Success website. https://www.healthcaresuccess.com/blog/healthcare-marketing/branding.html. Accessed July 01, 2019.
