ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES – HYGIENIST

Considered the primary patient educator of the practice, your role is to help patients learn how their oral health impacts their overall health and what steps they can take to improve it. You are accountable for informing the patients about all the problems you see, the potential consequences if the issues are left untreated, and what solutions the Doctor is likely to propose. By helping to uncover a patient’s Personal Motivators, you create value and increase the patient’s motivation to choose treatment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Understand what constitutes a “Healthy Mouth,” and compare each patient’s mouth to the standard using the “Healthy Mouth Baseline” tool.
• Update patients’ medical history, record blood pressure, and uncover new conditions.
• Perform a comprehensive periodontal evaluation, including probe depths, bleeding points, recessions, mobility, furcation, etc. Use “Standards of Care” and “Healthy Mouth Baseline” as guidelines. Chart any progress/decline and advise the patient.
• Identify failing dental restorations, decay, and/or open contact.
• The intraoral camera is used on every patient, and the photos educate patients about their oral health.
• Perform oral prophylaxis, polish, and educate patients on home care instructions.
• Perform Oral Cancer screening.
• Periodontal treatment is performed on all patients as needed based on “Standards of Care” guidelines.
• Discuss any unscheduled treatment with patients, and use visual tools and verbal skills to educate and motivate them.
• Help uncover patients’ “Personal Motivators” during the visit and record them in their charts. Summarize your findings to the patients and educate them about the potential consequences if their condition is left untreated. Educate the patients regarding the next steps that the Doctor will likely recommend. Uncover any issues or concerns that the patient may have and alert the appropriate person (i.e., Treatment Coordinator).
• Advise the Doctor when a patient is ready for an exam. Inform the Doctor of the patient’s periodontal score, what was completed during the visit, any unfinished treatments, recall intervals, and any medical/personal concerns the patient may have. Include their “Personal Motivators” as appropriate.
• Make hygiene recall appointments.
• Take after pictures and celebrate patients for completing their treatment.
• Schedule patients for a future continuing care appointment, emphasizing the need for continuous care and the recommended next appointment interval

Other Duties:

• Log in to all practice programs in the AM (i.e., Emails, Dental Intel, and Lighthouse)
• Perform a “Trust Transfer” to the Scheduling Coordinator or Treatment Coordinator.
• When available, assist in the cleanup and setup of treatment rooms.
• Sharpen hygiene hand tools and instruments and recommend when pieces need replacing/reordering.
• Participate in the Morning Huddle by reviewing patient charts before meeting and identifying scheduling concerns, unfinished treatments, patients who are challenging to work on, etc.
• Assist in asking “A” patients for referrals and reviews.
• Assist in building a “Trust Factor” with all patients.
• Assist to uncover patients’ “Personal Motivators”.
• Cover other areas within the practice as needed and when needed.
• Serve as Patient Referral/Review Liaison.

Expectations:

Meet daily production goals for the Hygiene schedule. Use an intraoral camera on all patients to highlight problems/concerns/issues or the patient’s healthy mouth. Use the “Standards of Care” as a guideline for the treatment required and the “Healthy Mouth Baseline” as a comparison. Assist in identifying treatment required for patients and monitor the results.