6 Thoughts All Dental Hygienists Have While On the Job

Dental hygienists don’t get enough praise. Spend just a few months in the profession, and you’ll quickly see how wild it can actually be. You deserve a hug.

While every dental hygienist may have their own particular style, there are some common things we all find ourselves thinking on the job.

1. “Did you say you floss regularly?”

When a patient has a mouth full of blood while we’re flossing between their teeth, we can only shake our heads.

2. “I need a massage. Like, right now.”

Cleaning teeth takes a toll on your neck and back. We’re all thinking about that comfy arm chair around 4:00pm every day.

3. “Can you bite down for me? No… with your back teeth.”

We love when our patients listen to our instructions while we’re cleaning, but a throbbing finger is never ideal.

4. “Just keep smiling… just keep smiling…”

Let’s be honest: nobody said dental hygiene would be easy. We love what we do, but when your first patient of the day throws up on you, it takes a special level of patience to keep your cool.

5. “Let’s focus on good hygiene before teeth whitening.”

There is little worse than explaining a patient’s periodontal disease in great detail and having the patient respond with a question about teeth whitening…

6. You: “Can you keep your tongue still for me?”
Patient: *attacks tool like a snake*

It feels like 95% of our patients lack any sort of tongue control.

Dental hygienists, you are a special breed of professionals. Your commitment to our industry is keeping the world smiling. Is there anything you would add to this list? Let us know on Facebook!