FAQs from Dental Hygienists
Recently, we asked on our Hygiene Edge Instagram page about any questions that dental hygienists or dental hygiene students have right now for us. And we had some of the best questions! Since they only last a day, we wanted to talk about them here, just in case other RDHs have a similar question pop up in their practice.
Q: About to start my last year of dental hygiene school! Any advice? Studying? Boards?
A: Start looking for a clinical boards patient right now! Is it ethical to make them wait until the spring to have treatment? Probably not. But now is the perfect time to get looking for one if you’re doing live patient this year. Don’t shy away from a boards prep course. They definitely help narrow down what you need to study and prepare for.
Q: New Grad! What are some helpful tips to manage a full schedule?
A: Look through the day at the beginning of the day to see what radiographs each patients need. Don’t spend time taking them if they aren’t due! If you’re feeling super overwhelmed and they have a full healthy perio chart within the last 6 months, spot probe today and record a full chart at the next appointment. Let the dentist know you’re ready for an exam right after taking radiographs. Then, you’re not waiting for 10-30 minutes after finishing for them to come, putting you more behind then we like to be.
Q: Tips for test anxiety? I failed boards and am retaking it soon!
A: While you’re taking the test, take a break, take a breathe, and then go back and focus on the question. It’s ok to spend a second a regroup before moving onto the next question. Make sure you surround yourself with people who love and support you no matter what. And just remeber- you can totally do this!
Q: What inspired you three to form your company? We really wanted great content for our students! There wasn’t anything available to teach and connect our students with easy to understand ways to instrument or to do injections. And it just grew from there! We definitely know there was/still is a need for great, helpful tips and tricks in dentistry to make our lives easier.