Classroom to Clinic: Tips for Starting Your Dental Hygiene Career

Graduation is over, and the celebrations have started to wind down. You’ve received your board certification and constructed an impressive resume that you’ve used to apply to multiple job openings. A few interviews are down, and you’ve accepted an offer! You are ready to enter the workforce. Now what?

Understanding that you still have so much to learn is a great place to start. Do not expect to start your first job without any hiccups. Competency comes with time and experience, and it may take a while to feel comfortable in your new position, which is ok! 

I have compiled a list of advice and reminders for the new hygienists leaving the classroom and entering the clinical work field. Remember, we all started where you are today and felt the same insecurities and fear of the unknown as a new, inexperienced dental hygienist. 

Learning Comes with Experience

While dental hygiene school provides an excellent foundation, there’s no substitute for hands-on experience. I’ve learned much over the years by working with different dentists and seeing a variety of patients. As a new dental hygienist, it’s essential to be patient with yourself and understand that it takes time to build your skills and expertise.

Attend as many CEs as possible and dive into hands-on workshops to master your skills or to learn a new skill. Do not be afraid or embarrassed to ask questions. No one is expected to know everything, especially in the beginning. Lastly, network with hygienists or those you work alongside and ask them to mentor you in navigating the dental world. Hygienists are a tight-knit family of dental professionals who strive to help one another. It is a quality I admire tremendously in our field!

Your First Job Will Not Be Your Last

Your career goals and aspirations may change over time. What you thought you wanted out of your career when you first started may not be what you want 5, 10, or 20 years later.

You may discover new interests or passions or decide to pursue furthering your education or training. Switching jobs can help you to gain the experience and skills needed to achieve your evolving career goals. Working in different environments with different teams can also help you learn new skills, build your network, and gain valuable experience.

Changing jobs can also help you find financial benefits. As you gain experience and skills, you may be able to negotiate higher salaries and better benefits packages. So don’t feel guilty if your time has ended at your current job. Do your best to leave amicably, and don’t burn any bridges. You never know how someone can help you in the future. You will not be the first employee to seek other opportunities outside that office, and you won’t be the last.

Time Management

The biggest shock to a new hygienist’s system is going from a 3-hour prophylaxis appointment to a 1-hour (or sometimes even less) appointment time. You have a full day of back-to-back patients with little room for time management errors. You are going to struggle a bit in the beginning. Everyone does! Do your best and keep going until you get into the groove. Hygienists have learned a few tricks to help keep a timely schedule. 

Pre Audit your charts

Whether you set time aside the day before or the morning of, audit your patient’s charts. Determine what patients will need that day and plan accordingly. Determine which type of films your patient will need, and be aware that a FMX can take 15 minutes to complete.  Every patient 18 and older needs a full periodontal chart once a year, and patients who are periodontally involved need a periodontal chart every three months. Collecting a comprehensive periodontal chart can take five to eight minutes, depending on the information dictated. Each of the services the patient needs during an appointment should be listed in the appointment book. This list will enable the team to assist you if you run behind. 

Set up ahead of time

Set your operatory up ahead of time! Premake your trays for the day with all the instruments and supplies you will need. I make sure my goody bag drawer is stocked with already premade baggies with the essentials. I also ensure my X-ray sensors are plugged in and ready to go before I bring my patients back. Suppose they usually take home prescription toothpaste or teeth whitening gel. In that case, I find a drawer or cubby in my operatory to store these items to cut the hassle of running in the back supply closet. If they are due for a new medical form, I preemptively have the forms ready for them to fill out in the waiting room while they wait for their appointment to begin. A complicated medical history can take upwards of 5-8 minutes to complete! 

Small shortcuts make a huge impact on how smoothly your day runs. 

The 20-minute rule

It is not a prophy if you’re scaling for more than 20 minutes. During the first 20 minutes of the appointment, the medical history, oral cancer screening, periodontal charting, and films should be collected. This will allow you to determine if the patient is a gingivitis patient, periodontally involved patient, or healthy. Then you can determine the treatment plan accordingly.

If the patient arrives 20 minutes late, the appointment time should be used for an assessment. The patient should be called back in for hygiene therapy. If they’re 20 minutes late, you’ll only update the medical history, oral cancer screening, periodontal charting, and films. 

It’s essential to focus on the things we can control. Implementing these time management skills will reduce your stress in practice. When you show up less stressed, there is room for more confidence. Not only do our patients love confidence, but so do our employers.

One of the biggest things I wish I had known before starting my career is the importance of understanding pay compensation expectations. When I started, I didn’t fully understand how much I should make and what factors could influence my salary. It’s important to research and find out what other dental hygienists are being paid in your area with similar levels of experience and qualifications. This will give you a benchmark to compare your salary and ensure you’re being paid what you’re worth. Factors that can affect your pay include location, experience, education, and the size of the dental practice. DentalPost’s Salary Survey is a great resource to begin your research. It is updated annually, so you can be sure it is current!

Know Your Worth

Do not feel intimidated to negotiate starting pay, benefits, and future raises! Being upfront about your expectations for growing your role, responsibilities, and future compensations is best. During negotiations, I recommend discussing how often reviews and pay increases will be discussed. Is the conversation expected yearly? Or expected every couple of years? Whatever is discussed and agreed upon, ensure to have it written into your contract to make it concrete. 

How to Answer “Are you new?”

The first couple of years after graduating, patients constantly asked the question, “Are you new?”. Patients commented about never seeing me before or how young I looked. I felt insecure, judged, and put on the spot to defend my qualifications and experience.

The best way I learned to answer this question was to keep it short and professional. A great answer is, “Yes, I am new to this office, but I have been practicing dental hygiene for X years and am well-trained to provide you with excellent care.” This will help reassure the patient that you are qualified to perform your duties and give them confidence in your ability to provide quality dental care. Remember, even though you are a new graduate, you have a couple of years under your belt working on patients during hygiene school. Count this towards your years of experience when asked!

Like any other career, there are learning curves to overcome and skills to be learned, especially in the first few years in the workforce. Embrace your inexperience and use it as motivation to grow professionally and personally. Mold yourself into the kind of dental professional you always wanted to be. Take advice from those who want to see you succeed, too. You’ve got this!