Go to dentalcare.com and take some online courses. They’re fairly easy but also convenient as they are all online. I take one if I have a pt. no-show or a little extra time, it’s nice to have a cushion. Plus they email the certs to you. I keep mine in a file in my email so I can access them from anywhere.

In my opinion if a patient requires a NG they should be getting a full hard NG. I am a patient myself that suffers from bruxism, I have used a soft NG (which I feel increased my grinding), a hard shell with a soft liner NG(in 6mo I ground two holes through it and cracked it in half), and the hard thin invisible retainers (I wear one on my Mandible only and in about 1 year I’ve also ground through it and cracked it in half along the occlusal plane while still wearing a full thick upper hard NG in conjunction.) The only guard that I feel is best for bruxism is the full thick hard NG, the others just don’t hold up or last as long, and considering the cost a NG should last a few years. I know they’re the least comfortable and take the most determination to get used to, but I think the overall quality and lifetime of the appliance is far superior. This is all just based on my personal experience as well as clinical patient observations.

It’s tricky, Offices and areas vary. I work in WA on one of the Islands up here and my pay is 60/hr w/ health ins, PTO, and paid holidays. When I graduated I was making 43/hr, I changed offices and then made 47/hr, and my last change put me at 60/hr. I’ve always left offices due to ethical issues in patient care and staff treatment, not because of money. That being said, I’ve gained a lot of experience with each office and feel comfortable asking for compensation that I feel is worth my skills and excellent patient care standards.

Masks are single use. They are also only effective for 20 min and should technically be changed. It states it on the box. It is not a suggestion or recommendations, it is a fact stated on the box. It is also against OSHA/WISHA regulations. As a healthcare provider you are entitled to the proper PPEs for your protection and your patient’s. If your employer cannot provide that they are in violation of those regulations and you should contact your OSHA/WISHA person for further clarification for your boss.

I picked hygiene my junior year of high school. I had never worked in an dental office and had no idea what I was getting myself into. I love this career! I had no idea that as a 17 year old with no knowledge of the field how perfect it was for me. I work 3 days per week, and can afford a comfortable life- House, car, dog, my husband doesn’t NEED to work. Some things to consider: you will very likely develop back, neck, shoulder, wrist, or another type of pain- RDHs have a 98% chance of developing musculoskeletal pain, I didn’t know this until AFTER I was in the program and now being 3 years in, I definitely have the upper back pain and neck stiffness- take care of your body! In regards to patients, in a pedo office, my experience was an RDH is typically used for restorative rather than cleanings- which means numbing and placing fillings. Remember RDHs can be expensive to employ for pedo offices so they’re going to use you for higher production tasks. I personally work in a rural area with a lot of geriatric patients and see the occasional kid- I love it! Geriatric patients are amazing, less sensitive and are very patient. In general don’t be afraid to treat adults and patients from all age groups, you’ll get a lot more variety and it will likely keep you more interested and less likely to get burn out. Good luck!!

For me, I follow the same steps I would with a Prophy. However I know that with a PM there is typically more anatomy to work with- Exposed roots, deeper pockets, typically more calculus because of the irregular surfaces. My PM appt is: Cavitron all teeth, HS all teeth, Explore, Touch up scaling prn, Polish, Floss (use the floss as a secondary explorer really feel those teeth with the floss), and then look at the entire mouth before doing an exam to be sure the mouth is free from polish, and debris. Also- Gracey curettes wouldn’t be a bad addition to the PM set up.

From what I recall, it was only required that I pass the humanities with a 2.5 GPA or higher. In fact, I didn’t pass one of my math classes at that level- I was .11 points off, I emailed my instructor and asked if she would consider giving me the 2.5 since she knew I had tried really hard in the class and participated and was very active in my education and honestly just had a difficult time understanding the material(it was an online math class-yikes!). She agreed and gave me the 2.5. hat mattered for my program were the biology and chemistry courses- which I got 4.0s in. I wouldn’t stress the class as long as you got the minimum required GPA. I also later found out students with much less impressive GPAs were accepted into the program.

Their genders and sexual orientation is irrelevant. And so long as their behavior at work remains professional and objective I’d stay out of their personal life outside of work. That being said as a hygienist, I will not work for offices that have married couples working in it. Too much bias and favoritism. But unless you notice a change in the professional environment, I’d mind my own business. Also, if the fact that they’re women influences you in a negative way, maybe simply find another office.

I didn’t realize, I didn’t mention where to aim, I aim towards the height of the vestibule superior to the tooth I am infiltrating.

I put the needle 3mm-6mm deep into the tissue depending on what tooth I’m anesthetizing. If I contact bone, I will typically pull out <1mm and deposit. I don't insert the needle into the mental foramen when I administer a mental injection, I'm typically just superior to it and deposit, I then follow with extra oral pressure to force the anesthetic into the foramen.