Real talk about the value and future of the dental hygienist

In this episode of "The DrBicuspid.com Podcast," Editor-in-Chief Kevin Henry and Rachel Wall, the CEO and founder of Inspired Hygiene, discussed the value of dental hygiene and dental hygienists as the end of 2024 approaches. We addressed the rising cost of the dental hygiene department and the increasing salaries for dental hygienists.

Wall emphasized the importance of dental hygienists understanding and helping patients grasp how their oral health affects their overall health. Additionally, we discussed the tension between hygienists and dentists, as well as the expanding role of dental assistants in some states. Wall highlighted the need for hygienists to embrace new technologies and stay current with industry changes to remain relevant.

You can watch our entire interview below. It is one that is very timely as we enter into the fourth quarter of the year and so many dental practices are planning how to end the year strong in the hygiene department.

Podcast takeaways

• The value proposition for dental hygiene is shifting from scale and polish to focusing on oral health and its impact on overall health.
  
  
• There is tension between hygienists and dentists, and some practices are finding solutions to the shortage of hygienists by expanding the role of dental assistants.
  
  
• Hygienists must embrace new technologies and stay on top of industry changes to remain relevant.
  
  
• Both hygienists and practice owners have a shared responsibility to ensure the delivery of high-quality care and to adapt to new standards of care.
  
  
• The hygiene department should evaluate its clinical standards and ensure they align with the practice's core values and patients' expectations.

Quotes to know from Rachel Wall, RDH

"The value proposition for the hygiene profession going forward is really all about being aware and helping our patients be more aware of how their oral health is affecting their overall health."

"Certain states are expanding or looking to expand the role of dental assistants to address the lack of availability of hygienists."

Next steps

For more information, visit Inspired Hygiene.

To learn about the upcoming virtual forum from Inspired Hygiene, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYkd-yhpzsvGtxqDuGl0uMBZ0iXr31zQ9g3#/registration.