The hygienist is a KEY team member in educating patients.

by Joanne Schultz RDH

We were in the clinic on the second day of our Hygiene course and one of the hygienists said to me, “You are to me like Dr. Dawson is to the doctors!” Besides being one of the best compliments I have ever received, it also underlines a real need in every practice. The need for team members to understand occlusion as much as the doctors do.

Dr. Dawson would be quick to point out that it is imperative that a hygienist be able to recognize the causes of occlusal disease and realize a need for treatment (I know because I was a hygienist for Dr. Dawson). A hygienist is a dentist’s best referral source once they are trained to know what to look for. The result of training is a knowledgeable hygienist able to answer patients’ questions, affirm their decisions to proceed with required treatment, and to recognize the signs and symptoms of occlusal disease.

The more the hygienist understands about the harmony between teeth, muscles and joints the more integral they will be in creating and maintaining a “Complete Care” dental practice. A team member’s understanding that every component of the masticatory system from the anterior teeth, the posterior teeth, muscles, and temporomandibular joints are of equal importance and must function together is crucial to the success of a practice.

Our dental hygiene ce programs at The Dawson Academy are designed with the goal to educate the hygienist in understanding what complete dentistry encompasses and emphasize their important role throughout the process. The programs also educate the hygienist on how to provide all patients with Complete Dentistry and keep their patients’ natural teeth for a lifetime, free from all oral diseases.

The Hygienists Role in Complete Care Dentistry was developed to help the dentist by giving their valuable team members the knowledge and clinical skills necessary in providing excellent patient care. It is our hope that you will make the effort to enable your team to expand their knowledge, and in turn, improve your practice.