| |
CONVENTIONAL
DENTAL HYGIENIST |
*** PROFESSIONAL HEALTH-DEDICATED HYGIENIST *** |
| PRODUCTION POTENTIAL |
$100 - $200 per hour |
$100 - $400 per hour |
| DIAGNOSTIC ROLE |
Dentist and dental hygienist adopt a "wait and see" philosophy and put off treatment and/or referral of periodontal diseases |
Dentist and professional health-dedicated hygienist complement each other in performing a comprehensive medical, periodontal and restorative exam; have adopted guidelines for referral to a periodontist |
| TREATMENT PLANNING |
Treatment based on what insurance will cover; recommendations are outdated and ineffective, resulting in disease masking from inadequate debridement of root surfaces; residual calculus may contribute to additional clinical attachment and bone loss |
Professional health-dedicated hygienist functions as co-therapist with dentist and client; follows a detailed periodontal care path based on client risk assessment and sound scientific principles |
| CASE PRESENTATION |
Insufficient knowledge and skill in humanistic periodontal care by dental hygienist and dentist; lack of effective communication and client involvement results in inadequate client treatment plan and acceptance |
Case presentation by dentist and professional health-dedicated hygienist is well scripted in advance and based on diagnostic criteria founded on a modern classification system |
PATIENT
CARE |
Dental hygienist provides traditional prophylaxis techniques with no demonstrated scientific therapeutic value; dental hygienist has basic instrumentation skills that exclude advanced and high-tech instruments
and equipment |
Professional health-dedicated hygienist believes learning is continuous and self-directed; welcomes acquisition of new skills in advanced periodontal instrumentation and adjunctive therapy, including periodontal endoscopy, ultrasonic instrumentation with thinly designed inserts, and local and systemic antimicrobials when necessary |
| BUSINESS SKILLS |
Dental hygienist relies upon employer or office manager for department recare system; has no knowledge or interest in evaluating and increasing productivity |
Professional health-dedicated hygienist uses customized scheduling in order to maximize daily production while monitoring department production on a daily and ongoing basis |
