Some Unexpected Dental Hygiene Advice From… Jillian Michaels.
I attentively watched the television screen as Jillian Michaels (an athletic trainer from the show “Biggest Loser”) barked orders at a lady to move faster and push harder on the treadmill. This was at the beginning of the season and the contestant was very out of shape and looked… well..miserable. She was sweaty, red and breathless as she made uncoordinated movements between her legs and arms. Jillian then said something very profound to this women,
"You have to get uncomfortable before you can get comfortable.”
I was caught off guard to hear such sound advice from a reality television show. But Jillian Michaels was absolutely right. This lady had to put herself in some VERY uncomfortable situations over and over until….. one day she could just jump on the treadmill and run miles without giving it a second thought.
This idea has become one of my personal mantras in dental hygiene. In Dental hygiene the list of ways to get uncomfortable are endless:
· Learning to help out in the front office
· Helping the dentist on his side
· Using new dental software
· Using a new type of instrument
· Substituting in a new office
· Performing a procedure you don’t have a lot of experience in
And the list could go on and on. But, just like the out-of-shape contestant, the more we push ourselves out of our comfort zone the more these once uncomfortable, momentous and overwhelming tasks become second nature and we are able to comfortably make large contributions to any dental office.
This theory was confirmed a couple months ago when I contacted a hygienist with over 30 years of experience last minute to fill in for our hygienist. This hygienist was able to get there just as the patient was showing up. She walked in confidently, asked all of the right questions, and then proceeded to go through her day like she had been there forever. The patients were happy, she meshed with the staff and even offered a hand in the front. This hygienist had undoubtedly gone through some uncomfortable and stretching experiences in the last 30 years and it had paid off.
So get out there and plan on getting uncomfortable because the sooner that happens the sooner you can get comfortable.
Dental Hygiene Analogies
Using analogies to explain to the patient their current health or treatment can really drive the point home. Here are a few examples to try in your practice of dental hygiene to relate to your patient and increase case acceptance.
1. Periodontal Disease- To explain periodontal disease, relate it to a coral reef. Just like fish with a coral reef, a mouth has many different kinds of bacteria. The coral is like calculus and the animals or bacteria live around or in the coral. The only way to get rid of the bacteria is to get rid of their ecosystem or remove calculus. Calculus is hard just like coral so it has to be professionally removed by a dental hygienist.
2. Bridges- Many patients with bridges say that their bridge is so tight that they don’t need to clean underneath it. You can relate a bridge to walking on the beach with shoes on. No matter how tight you tie your shoes, you will still get sand in them. Just like the shoe example, you’ll get bacteria around bridges no matter how tight they seem.
3. Home Care- When explaining how important home care is after periodontal therapy, relate it to taking care of a large cut or wound. If your patient had a large cut, doctors would require them to clean it and the bandages daily. We require the same thing- keeping the affected area daily with brushing, flossing, water pick, interproximal brushes, ect. Without that daily maintenance anywhere on the body, the area will not heal properly and cause infection.
What are some analogies you use in practice?
How To Answer Illegal Questions During Your Dental Hygiene Job Interview
Before you get all worked up by the title, thinking that a potential employer is out to get you, I want you first to keep in mind that the interviewer is probably just trying to genuinely get to know you better as a person. They are trying to read your body language and see if your personality is a good fit for the office. If they ask improper questions it is most likely that they don’t even realize that they are doing so.
So, what are some of those most common illegal questions that you may get asked in an interview?
Illegal: Do you have any children?
Legal: Do you have any impairment that requires special accommodation?
Illegal: How old are you?
Legal: Are you 18 years or older?
Illegal: Are you married?
Legal: No legal version to this question.
Illegal: What religion are you?
Legal: No legal version to this question.
Illegal: What is your national origin?
Legal: Are you a citizen of the United States, or what languages do you speak, read, and write?
Some of you may not be concerned by having one of theses questions asked to you, but the reason that they are illegal is because they could cause the employer not to hire you based on the following:
Race
Color
Sex
Religion
National origin
Birthplace
Age
Disability status
or
Marital status.
These topics could potentially cause the employer to discriminate against you, a.k.a. not hire you because of your religion or because of your age. We don’t think it makes a difference but, it can, and that is why there are certain protections and rights set up for us. I knew of a dentist who didn’t want to hire anyone recently married because it was thought they were just going to start a family and quit. I have also heard of an office that didn’t want someone who is "old" taking care of patients. They wanted a “young fresh face.” (Not a place I would want to work!)
Once again my purpose for this article is just to make you aware that it happens and how to prevent it from happening to you. I would recommend that, before you interview, you review the questions above so you can be prepared to answer how you choose. If you are concerned that you may be discriminated against, on one of the above topics, then prepare your answer ahead of time by following some of the options below.
Option 1- You could state, “That is not an interview question I feel comfortable answering.”
With this type of of an answer you are sure to turn off your future employer which may prevent you from landing a job at an amazing place. See some of the better options below.
Option 2- Simply answer the question. If it doesn’t bother you then shrug it off and maybe even ask them the same question back. You don’t have to elaborate on the subject, but if you are proud that you have 3 children by all means, let them know.
For example, you could state, “Yes I have 3 wonderful children, do you have any children yourself?”
Option 3- Answer the legal version of the question.
For example, maybe you have a dark complexion and you are asked what nationality you are. You could state:
“I’ve actually lived in many places, but I am legally allowed to work in the U.S., if that’s what you’re asking.”
Option 4- Relate the question back to your employment.
For example, if you are asked if you are married (illegal), you could say:
“You know, I’m not quite there yet, but I am very interested to know more about how you like your hygiene department run. Can you tell me more about that?”
Another example is, what if they ask what religion do you practice (illegal) you could say:
I have a strong belief set and I have great respect for all religions and beliefs. I promise that I will treat your patients with the utmost care and consideration.
_______________________________________________
Interviewing is always stressful. Practice, practice and practice some more, with friends and family, so that your interview will be successful. Best of luck!
Finding Patients for Dental Hygiene School
If you ask any Dental Hygienist what the worst part of school was, most will say "Patients!" Finding patients, having them show to their appointments, and meeting the proper clinic requirements is hard. Here are a few tips for finding patients in your area.
1. Ask for referrals. If you have a great patient in your chair, either with great calculus, friendly, shows up on time, or is a requirement that you need for that semester, ask for referrals! Their family or friends are usually in the same periodontal health. Plus, you’ve already built a great relationship with this patient and they are likely to refer their loved ones to see you.
2. Sometimes after a long appointment, patients just want to get out the door and don’t have anyone to refer to you. One thing you can do is call your patient that evening or the next day to check up on them, find out their pain level, and answer any questions they may have. At that time, mention that you have openings and you are looking for patients. Sometimes being in a different setting will spark an idea in your patient on who needs to been seen by a hygienist.
3. Have fliers or cards printed with some basic information and always keep them on you. If someone shows interest in being a patient, get his or her information. Then you can contact them to make an appointment instead of waiting for them to call you.
4. Whenever you schedule a patient, ask if they can come in last minute. You never know when you’ll have a cancellation, so having a list of patient who can come in with a few hours notice will make the mad rush of phone calls less stressful.
5. As you are scheduling, tell patients that their services will be free if they bring you 5 names and phone numbers of people that are interested in being seen at your dental hygiene school. You'll end up paying for their services out of pocket that day, but they could give you a great patient pool to call and schedule.
What did you do to find patients while in hygiene school?
Dental Hygiene Coloring
Feeling stressed with work or school? Adult coloring is a great way to destress. Download our FREE Dental Hygiene themed coloring page, just for you HERE!
If you're having a hard time with indirect vision, try to color this coloring page by looking in a mirror. It's a great exercise to help practice using an intraoral mirror while you're at home.
Cone-Beam Computed Tomography
Cone-beam imaging is becoming very popular for its 3D visuals. Check out out latest video to see one for yourself.
Gracey Basics
Graceys are hard. However, if you give them a chance, you'll grow to love them. Our latest video gives some tips to help with adaptation and instrumentation with a gracey.
What are your favorite instruments for periodontally involved patients?
Dental Hygiene Goal Ideas for 2016
Hygiene can be repetitive and, let’s be honest, boring over time. Are you feeling this in your career? Set some professional goals to get out of this rut!
If you need some ideas on a goal you can set, here are a few:
1. Improve your head and neck cancer exam. Did you know that more people die from oral cancer than from skin cancer? When we are busy in our appointments, this critical exam can be skipped. Instead of just checking the tongue, spend an extra 2 minutes and check the patient’s entire head and neck for possible lesions. You never know whose life you’ll save this year by working on this goal.
2. Watch online or go to a Continuing Education Course once a month. There is nothing like a great CE meeting that will upstart your love of dental hygiene. You’ll meet new people in the same profession, refresh a skill you have, or even learn a new technology. Check out your local ADHA Component for in person meetings, or you can watch hundreds of webinars on www.vivalearning.com. This will also prevent the rush of finding CE’s when renewal time comes around.
3. Focus on your OHE. Find one new product or one new technique for each patient in your chair. Make it a game- ask open ended questions to your patients about their current habits and see how you can slightly tweek their technique to help their health. You don’t need to overwhelm them with several new products and change their flossing and brushing all in one appointment. Stick to one change at each recall appointment.
4. Stretch between patients. Do one small stretch between each patients to help you feel reenergized and to help your body. As you are walking up the waiting area to greet your next patient, stretch your wrists, arms, back, neck, whatever, and take a few deep breaths. We have a new stretching video that’ll be up in the next few weeks!
What is your idea for a New Year’s goal? Let us know below!
Periodontal Probing Refresher
If you find that your probing technique is lacking, check out how to probe in this Hygiene Edge video. Maybe improving your technique could be your New Year's Resolution for your clinical practice?