by Anastasia L. Turchetta, RDH
A hygienist who is currently practicing solo hygiene will face challenges each day with each patient concerning what service can be accomplished within the time allotted. This choice can affect not only how a patient views the hygiene appointment but also why the patient's oral health may not be improving. Whether it is the type of service performed or screenings provided, today's total patient care places hygienists in a transitional stage from working solo to choosing the assisted hygiene protocol. Assisted hygiene is literally a team-focused, patient-centered program, whose success has three key components: doctors, dental hygienists, and dental assistants.
Complete support from the doctor pertains to acceptance of services or screenings to include within the hygiene appointment. For example, the top five oral health screenings that should be a standard for patients are: blood pressure recordings, comprehensive periodontal recordings, oral cancer screenings other than conventional, caries risk assessments for caries protocol, and malocclusion assessments.
Leadership from the doctor is required for arriving at an effective time management plan per hygienist in addition to compensation according to the daily productivity goal, based upon the assisted hygiene potential within the practice. An example of potential may be taken directly from the top five screenings thus recognizing their layers of value.
Dental hygienists who now have the doctor's support for a patient centered approach must now have the ability to accept the dental assistant's legal scope of practice. Hygienists may nurture this team member's proficiency to enhance both current and future vision of obtaining quality patient care.
Dental assistants must also embrace the ability to take on the responsibility required within the legal scope of practice and continue to provide it with success. It is imperative to acknowledge this position as it is more involved than setting up a room and developing X-rays.
Views on scheduling and designated roles of team members vary as each practice and hygienist are different. For example, I recently implemented an assisted hygiene program into a practice with two dental hygienists. Both hygienists had a slight variance in reference to their preferred or ideal hygiene schedule, which was not previously accommodated due to a one-size-fits-all solo hygiene format. Now, they have a schedule that is unique to each of them, working smarter, not harder, and enjoying the stress-free atmosphere both physically and mentally as some things did indeed get missed when practicing solo hygiene.
The success of this program relies on appreciation and recognition from the three key components of doctors, hygienists, and assistants. No one, whether a dental hygienist or dental assistant, should feel like they are the "cleaning person" or the "set-up/tear down person" — thus the concept of team-focused, patient-centered care within the entire practice.
Anastasia L. Turchetta, RDH, has been a practicing clinical hygienist for 19 years. She earned both dental assisting and dental hygiene degrees at Allegany College. Speaking both nationally and Internationally and maintaining memberships with NSA, ISN, SCN, ADHA, and ADA (American Diabetes Association), Anastasia has written for several professional publications and newsletters.
Upcoming courses include:
PDHA: Contact Linda Moore at [email protected]
October 12 ~ Full Day Course ~ Senior Moments
October 13 ~ 1/2 Day Course ~ Twice as Nice: Assisted Hygiene
November 9th ~1/2 Day Course ~ Know Pain; Know Gain ~ NC Dental Society
