You could try temping, either through and agency or drop off resumes at offices in your area. That would allow you to get some experience with adult patients without the pressures of starting a new job. Good luck in your search. Stay confident:)

I agree with Kara, your pay should be based on production, not the number of patients.

I think it’s interesting how some hygienists have bought into the notion that somehow our years of experience should dictate our salaries. If we were getting paid directly by patients or insurance companies (like dentists do), we would all get paid on the services/procedures we provide and not based on how many times we’ve performed said procedures. Dentists who recently graduated are not subjected to a reduction in pay simply because they are new at the job.
That said, hygienists should know their production numbers so that they can bring factual data to a meeting where her/his value to the practice is being determined by the owner.

You are the dental hygiene expert in your office! Feel confident giving recommendations on treatment and the reasons to back it up. If you respectfully assert yourself, dentists will defer to you for hygiene diagnosis because most will acknowledge that prevention education and experience is limited in dental school.
If you find that, indeed, there are only 1-3 teeth that need NSPT in a quad, then use the ultrasonic or prophy angle to remove biofilm (de-plaque) on the remaining teeth in the quad. This does not take a lot of time and does not involve subgingival scaling. Best of luck.

Alicia, the dentist should never undermine your effort to build trust with your patients by going over your work on or in front of them. Remember, you are now a LICENSED PROVIDER, just like the dentist:) The dentist is not there to grade your work.
I agree with Kara, an hour is not enough time to do every assessment, HH, screening, IO pics, radiographs, etc. etc., while keeping a focus on perio charting and Dx needed therapy. That said, you will get faster as you further hone your skills. Also, having a talk with the dentist about overall time management expectations, on both your parts, might help to clear things up.
In my experience I’ve found, new grad dentists are equally as unsure of themselves as new grad hygienists. Hopefully, your dentist will keep that in mind and give you the time you need to hit your stride.
Best of luck and stay confident!

You can reference the US Dept. of Labor or your state’s equivalent for statutes regarding equal pay or wages in general. People can file claims against employers who break laws or discriminate.

Why are you taking responsibility for this inept office? From scheduling, to check-in, to time management on the dentists part, it sounds like the office is a complete disaster! You’re a skilled, knowledgable hygienists. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t have written your post.
Stop doubting yourself and protect your license, your sanity and your patients. I would definitely bring this to the dentist’s attention. If the dentist (I’m assuming s/he owns the practice) doesn’t take steps to correct the problem, you should refuse to temp there. I’m sure that reporting the dentist has crossed your mind. Maybe it’s time for a wake up call to all of these dentists and office managers who perpetuate patient neglect.

I don’t come across many patients that fit the criteria for D4346. My hope is that hygienists don’t misuse this code to placate the dentist. If NSPT is indicated, it should be diagnosed and provided.

I would add that the insurance companies are not in the healthcare industry, they are a for-profit business working with a focus of increasing their revenues. I recommend to my patients they call their insurance carrier and find out why they will not cover the necessary treatment to keep them healthy. Also, depending on the patient, it may be less expensive to be a cash payer instead of paying high premiums for dental “insurance”.

I agree with Kara’s comments. I would add that talking with the hygienist might be a good idea – get history on the patient that might have been inadvertently left out of the chart or clinical notes.