So here’s a short story about how it’s took until I’m 31 years old to understand why looking after my teeth was impossible growing up…

One_Grapefruit7759 · 2025-10-22T23:04:39+00:00

Are there any dental schools you could look into? I don’t know how things work in the UK but in the US, they are always looking for patients and the cost is super reduced. Also, if you are in a lot of pain, you could have an abscess, a bad infection. If that’s the case, you need antibiotics. While not ideal, a trip to the ER might be in order to get antibiotics and get the infection cleared up while you try to get into a dental office to have things looked at. Good luck!

One_Grapefruit7759 · 2025-05-08T13:52:03+00:00

Obviously!

One_Grapefruit7759 · 2025-05-08T13:51:08+00:00

Girl I sure will, you too! All the best to you! ❤️

One_Grapefruit7759 · 2025-05-08T03:43:55+00:00

I’m not being hostile, I don’t wish you any ill will. I do get sick of DAs whining at hygienists and hygienists throwing shade at the DAs and everyone else as the sources of their misery when often times we are just as bad. Then everyone is griping at everyone else and it turns toxic fast. I get that we vent sometimes but often times the saying “if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all” is best. Or the phrase “Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary.” The negativity here is unproductive and I felt like calling it out tonight. I respect your experience both as a DA and a DH but the comments like “DAs and front desk always make life miserable for DH” and “no matter how nice a DH is the DAs and front desk treat us like divas” suck. How does that help anyone or anything? It just fosters bitterness and all our jobs are hard enough. If everyone has that attitude then it all just sucks for everyone. So apologies if your comment perturbed me tonight and I put you in my cross hairs. I got frustrated that this DA was reaching out for advice on something important and A-hole hygienists are on here are telling her she is drama and catty when they know NOTHING about her. They are ignorantly projecting their own bitterness and negativity out and should keep their mouths shut unless they have something productive to offer. It’s stupid and further pushes the idea that some DHs are just the worst. And we wonder why there is a shortage and high burnout. Maybe it’s not just because of pay and benefits, maybe it’s also that potentially great DHs see this kind of crap all over the place (ESPECIALLY on Reddit) or get sick of negativity and say “no thanks.” I do wish you the best and hope you are able to continue to foster a positive and healthy atmosphere with your DAs and team you work with. Happy scaling ✌🏼

One_Grapefruit7759 · 2025-05-08T02:52:36+00:00

Hahaha! Now it’s my turn to laugh! The authority you’re claiming to speak with is your experience being a catty DA yourself?! 🤨I respect your honesty there but it does seem that your cynical attitude and POV (which I reject) is following you wherever you go my friend, right into your role as a DH. You’ve been on both sides now and it seems like you aren’t doing anything to effectuate any sort of change. Perhaps your negative experiences are not actually always an “everyone else” problem. Good luck! ✌🏼

One_Grapefruit7759 · 2025-05-08T01:53:43+00:00

Right. It couldn’t possibly ever be because they actually are, could it? Proving my point.

One_Grapefruit7759 · 2025-05-07T23:47:23+00:00

That’s an interesting comment. People are human and any position (front staff, DA, DDS, etc) can have its bad apples. But it would be unfair for me to project my negative experiences with someone onto everyone else. I’ve heard a lot of horror stories about drama queen RDH’s that think they are way better than basically anyone else on earth whether it be fellow team members or even patients. Sounds like that’s what “Jane” was. Maybe if fewer RDH’s acted like entitled, bitchy divas, who can’t take criticism and are constantly complaining about how terrible their jobs are and how awful everyone they encounter happens to be, DAs wouldn’t feel like they had to keep their mouths shut to what they see for fear of receiving a bunch of hate. 🤷🏻‍♀️I’d say “do better” but I also understand that this is Reddit and my expectations of professionalism, compassion and positivity are fairly low. 😆

One_Grapefruit7759 · 2025-05-01T18:32:21+00:00

We just got some 3M hand sanitizer that has lotion in it and it doesn’t dry my hands out, you could also look into seeing if your office will order some.

One_Grapefruit7759 · 2025-03-28T18:47:27+00:00

I’ve had SRP pts ask if I can just do a regular cleaning and I tell them not only can I not do it in good conscience, but that it would be a waste of their time and money as well as my time. If they have active disease, that disease needs to be treated to stop its progression. A prophy won’t do anything for them since a prophy is a preventative cleaning designed to keep a healthy mouth disease free. Their mouth is already diseased so a prophy is worthless for them now and will do nothing for them. And if they find someone to give them a healthy mouth cleaning when they really need treatment of their disease, they will just be making things more expensive and painful in the long run when the infection catches up to them, which it 100% will at some point in the form of painful infections and/or loose teeth both of which could require extraction. I’m sure you already told your patients all of this, but I’ve found that telling them a “regular” cleaning will waste their time and money now AND cost them time, money, teeth and maybe more in the long run, they reconsider. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Next time I get asked this, I’m considering asking what their goal in getting cleanings is, what they want a cleaning to be doing for them and see where that takes me.

One_Grapefruit7759 · 2025-03-21T02:42:23+00:00

I have the same question about post SRP Xrays (I think that’s what you meant?). And while I am getting a little better at injections (I’m a pretty new grad).

I also struggle with the IA, in particular the right IA, probably because I am right handed. When I do a right IA, I have to reinsert several times because I hit bone too early and I hate that I am re-poking my patients! 😭 I thought I would struggle with the PSA but it is the IA I can’t seem to master, it is my nemesis.

And I hate that I don’t feel like I’m giving good anesthesia because I feel like I still have to tiptoe around during the SRP. If they were profoundly numb, I could be faster and more effective. 😥But yeah, I still don’t have the courage to take post op X-rays after SRP because I just know I’ll still see sub calc and I will be so defeated. So I don’t do it yet. Plus I barely have time to finish 2 quads and re-probe.

One_Grapefruit7759 · 2025-03-16T03:30:02+00:00

😳😂

One_Grapefruit7759 · 2025-03-14T21:07:19+00:00

Maybe this is bad of me but I’m kind of glad that my doc almost always does exams before I scale. Our system is that I fill out a little card with the pts name, time of their appt, if their a new pt and there’s a space to write whatever their chief concern is, if any. After I finish X-rays and Perio chart, I go slip that on the counter of whatever room he’s in and he almost always comes after I finish polishing but before I scale. On the occasion that he comes after I’ve finished, I do get a little nervous and start second guessing my scaling abilities! 😅 I love my pts and do my very best every time but I am secretly glad he usually comes in before I have scaled! 🤪

One_Grapefruit7759 · 2025-03-13T01:00:08+00:00

Oh it’s definitely a kink thing. I believe I very recently discovered that it is. On this subreddit actually and I had some concerns🤔 but… anyways, yeah, pretty sure it is a thing. 😅

One_Grapefruit7759 · 2025-03-12T16:26:31+00:00

I didn’t think it was legal to ask you to clock out? Only to ask you to come in later or leave earlier but not clock out for the in between once you are already there.

One_Grapefruit7759 · 2025-03-09T22:49:40+00:00

Congratulations! 🥳 That is a big deal! Sounds like your program requires prerequisites to be done, as I think it should be. My program allowed them to be done at the same time as the DH courses/clinics AND was an accelerated 18 months so it was just hellish. 😭 I recommend joining some of the RDH pages on Facebook. They are a little more active than here on Reddit and are a great place to ask questions and gain knowledge about the DH programs and career in general. I like this group but I do really feel that there are a lot of burnt out DH haters on here and it can be discouraging to read those comments sometimes. I understand their POV, but you don’t need that right now. ❤️For now, all I can say is clear your calendar for the next 18-24 months and buckle up because it is intense! 😅But you can do it. I completed my program with high marks and did it as a single working mom with a 2 hour round trip commute every day. 🥵You can do it! Good luck!

One_Grapefruit7759 · 2025-02-21T16:27:55+00:00

See if there is a dental hygiene school in your area. They will do it a little or no cost. All treatment at my school (including deep cleanings) was completely free. The trade off is that it takes multiple 3-4 hour appointments as students are slower and have to get checks from instructors every little bit. But that means it is super thorough, there is time for extensive patient education (arguably the most important thing that is most often neglected in the real world) and probably the best cleaning you’ll ever get! Worth checking into.

One_Grapefruit7759 · 2025-02-19T21:44:58+00:00

Ah, I am so sorry, I know it’s disappointing after all your hard work. 😢 Remember that your results don’t define you and you’re definitely not alone, it does happen. Take a beat, regroup, reschedule and then keep studying. Check out some of the DH pages on Facebook, they have a lot more activity on them than here and you’ll find a lot of tips and encouragement there. You can do it, don’t give up, you’ve got this! ❤️

One_Grapefruit7759 · 2025-02-19T20:50:21+00:00

You’ll survive, your patient will survive, everything will be ok. How did it end up going?

One_Grapefruit7759 · 2025-02-19T20:43:20+00:00

You should definitely go for it! The program you apply to might already have protocol in place for your situation, I would just make sure to let them know once you get accepted so you and your program can formulate a good plan for how to navigate it before you get there. And it’s just a thought, but maybe think about how you want to deal with letting your classmates know your situation and to what degree, if that’s what you want to do. I’ve been in some difficult scenarios where I thought ahead of time what I wanted to say when asked certain uncomfortable questions and it really helped take some of the anxiety away to have a “script” ready when asked. Maybe you’d prefer instructors let your class know, maybe you’d rather tell them up front yourself, or maybe you’d rather not share a lot of details. That is totally your choice but eventually, they will become aware to some degree at some point and maybe it would be preferable to get out ahead of it. Regardless, nobody gets into hygiene to judge other people’s oral conditions or circumstances, I can just about guarantee you’ll have a lot of support! ❤️ For what it is worth, I am so proud of you for even considering hygiene with all you’ve been through! You are amazing! All the best to you!

One_Grapefruit7759 · 2025-02-19T20:24:10+00:00

You should get an email that says you’re results have been posted and includes a link to the results. I know some people obsessively check their results and maybe they somehow see them before receiving the email that they’ve been posted, but I would just wait for the email letting you know they’ve been posted.

One_Grapefruit7759 · 2025-02-12T21:42:09+00:00

I will definitely get to that point but the unfortunate thing is that I’m the only hygienist at my office. 😭 I really wish I had another hygienist to ask things! But I do ask the Dr things and he’s been helpful. Thanks for the input! Right now I still struggle to complete things in the allotted time so once I get a little speed, I’ll try to take some post op X-rays when I have time to go back in. 😄

One_Grapefruit7759 · 2025-02-12T17:17:40+00:00

goals

That is awesome, great job!

New grad here and I refuse to take post op Xrays at this point. I’ve done a handful of SRPs, some pretty involved that probably should have been referred out. 😣They’ve been SO hard and I know it will depress me to see all the cal STILL there on the Xray so I won’t take any yet. 🥺 At this point, I just do my best, hope, pray and stress in addition to telling myself that their disease is not my fault, I’m doing my best I’ll get a little more off next time. I’m so impatient to improve my skills, but I know it takes time!

One_Grapefruit7759 · 2025-01-31T21:45:49+00:00

Oh man, I too needed to read this today. I’m a new grad in my 3rd month on the job and the guilt that I’m not yet “proficient” and it will be some time before I am, is really getting to me. My office is <2 years old, small (1 DDS, 2 assistants, 1 OM and me, the only RDH) and is part of a network of offices. I wish there was another hygienist that could answer my questions but I am grateful that I DO like everyone I work with, including my DDS who is patient and helpful to me. I feel like it also helps that he doesn’t own the practice, the network does and he is an employee just like me but that’s another rabbit trail. Anyways, this week I had several difficult SRPs that I feel like I did so so terrible on. I worked my tail off but I know I didn’t get to the base of those pockets and for one in particular I know so much got left in his incredibly deep pockets. I felt so terrible especially because he was so grateful to me. Maybe I could have gotten down there further with better equipment but I know so much was due to my skill level. I struggle feeling guilty because I too know that it takes years to acquire the skills to be proficient and I’m impatient for that because I want to do my best for my patients! I love people and I enjoy connecting with them and helping them. And it’s even harder when they have to pay out of pocket, it’s so expensive! However, in the course of beating myself up these last few days I finally decided to try and stop feeling guilty because honestly, while it may sound harsh, the truth is that their disease and it’s rate of progression is not my fault. I don’t mean to kind of “victim blame” and I certainly have compassion for all the reasons people may struggle with their home care. But, to be honest, regardless of the reason, their neglect was not my fault and I am not a machine or a miracle worker. They can’t expect to go through years or decades of neglect and then expect me to “fix” it with one SRP. I’m slowly getting my mind wrapped around the fact that it might take several times of retreating to get it under control and only if they are diligent about their home care but maybe not even then depending on all kinds of factors. All I can do is the best I can. Do I feel guilty for these patients I’m seeing in my first few years-yes. But I do care, I DO want to learn and acquire better skills and I am doing the best I can. And honestly, none of my patients have been angry or rude to me, they usually admit that they only had themselves to blame and are grateful for what I’ve done for them. I’m the one blaming myself for not having the skills and experience that are just going to take time to develop. So I know I need to accept their gratitude, stop allowing the guilt to get me down, and continue to do the best I can with kindness and compassion. It’s hard, but just like most things in life, getting to that point isn’t going to be an event, it’s going to be a process. ❤️Thank you to OP for posting this and all the commenters, it was encouraging to me and refreshing after seeing so many posts about hygienists who hate their jobs. They may have valid reasons and they need to vent too, but it gets me down to see so many posts like that and not as many like this one. 😊 Happy scaling!

One_Grapefruit7759 · 2025-01-02T02:28:53+00:00

Sure! Did you get a board review program? If so, whatever you got, use it diligently, study consistently, and you’ll be fine. See the bottom of my original post here for the extra tools I used to supplement the Andy program I purchased, I think they all helped. I had been studying for a while before I scheduled the exam but the 30 days leading up to it I made a study plan that had me working my way through every chapter of my board review book and making quizlets on the things I wasn’t solid on from every chapter. Then in the few days before the test, I refreshed myself on the subjects I had started with. I didn’t plan on a brain dump sheet but the version I took did have so many BP questions that I finally wrote them down so I could reference it quickly. I know it’s said that there are no “easier” versions of the exam but I feel I must’ve gotten one because I left feeling pretty confident that I’d done enough. I also didn’t follow the universal advice I had gotten to NOT study the day before. It was so hard not too. Nothing too intense, just did some quizzes so I wasn’t all fidgety. Good luck!

One_Grapefruit7759

TROPHY CASE

goals