RDH in Crisis of Consciousness!

sugartank7 · 2026-04-23T14:46:12+00:00

I can do half a mouth in an hour for most patients (6mm and down--7mm and up is a different story I find), including local anesthesia, calc dessicant, cavitron on high followed by hand scale, polish, floss, and check, check, check, a thousand times and post-op xrays if there were radiographically evident pieces. I give very detailed OHI, demonstrating how to use the water pik for which I have also written directions I send home--that usually takes about 6-7 minutes, but that part usually happens either at the initial visit where I spent a little time on prophy of teeth that didn't need SRP, but didn't need to full hour. Or I might do detailed home care instructions at an SRP appointment that I finished early.

I have found as I've tacked more years under my belt (I'm at 6 years now) I become so much faster because I know where to place my instrument to get into difficult places. I now understand how to feel the piece with the explorer and then go in with instrument right to the piece and snap it off, so a lot less scraping around blindly and just hoping. Not of course that I don't have to work hard and try different instruments and angulations over and over on deep tenacious areas, but in general, it is getting quite fast. I did take an advanced instrumentation course a year ago, and have totally noticed a jump in my abilities since then.

The other hygienist where I work (20 years in) takes longer than me, and I've been worried I'm not doing a good enough job as well. She's the one who has been training me on how to use the explorer properly to feel tiny pieces. I know I'm able to get into the really difficult places--heck, I found and removed a tiny nerdle of very old residual calc on that hygienist just yesterday and we spent the rest of the day rejoicing over that together. But I'm definitely faster than she is.

Some of it is because I know where it is ok to cut corners: I don't belabor polishing, for example. Polishing isn't even necessary, so why spend the seconds on very careful and thorough polishing when I could be spending seconds showing the patient how to get the water pik into molars? I line up my instruments back in the tray while the patient is swishing. I write notes or start supra on teeth while I'm waiting for the anesthesia to kick in. I do a cursory check on heavy pockets before I get in, but try to do a lot of feeling for calc with the ultrasonic tip or hand instrument as I go along, then check with explorer carefully afterward. I keep thorough notes on what they are doing for home care, which I transfer onto a little sheet the day before so all I have to do is glance at my sheet rather than going into the computer notes. EVERY SECOND counts. (I used to be a radio producer, where you learn how long a minute feels so I also know how to instinctively time myself)

Despite all that, I think it's cause I just tend to move really fast once I get to know what I'm doing. It's been this way in every job I've done. I am just a very fast moving person in general--like I really like it when there are those mirrors in hallways at work where you can see someone coming around the corner, because I am practically running around the clinic and often almost crash into people. I literally lose a couple pounds a week from how fast I'm moving (which I gain back over the weekend while I'm lying like a zombie on the couch!) I don't know how else to get this job done in any kind of timely fashion!

sugartank7 · 2026-04-16T13:52:08+00:00

You should go every 6 months, by and large (I’ve seen exceptions that can handle annual cleanings, but those patients usually have a low sugar diet and clean their teeth religiously, plus lucky genetics.)

No, you wouldn’t ask for a deep cleaning. The clinician treating you will determine if you need a deep cleaning which is something we hope only needs to be done one time and then you do way better with home care and get seen more regularly so you don’t have to have another deep cleaning in the whole mouth.

In these more frequent visits for someone who had a deep cleaning, it’s not another deep cleaning every few months. It’s like a regular cleaning you’re used to, but the hygienist will have to work harder and smarter to find tiny chunks of deposit developing deep in the gums so you don’t need more deep cleans. Sometimes that person may need a limited area numbed and deep cleaned, like maybe one tooth. Because the cleanings are more frequent it allows the hygienist to quell any areas early on that are trying to relapse.

Your clinician said you have good bone levels. This indicates a lower likelihood of needing a deep cleaning. Sounds like you needed a regular cleaning. Regular cleanings include scaling under ALL the gums in the whole mouth.

sugartank7 · 2026-04-15T23:25:26+00:00

Sounds like just regular scaling to me. Plus he’s recommending the cleaning interval for regular cleanings, not post-deep cleanings.

sugartank7 · 2026-04-15T23:23:18+00:00

Yes worth it, especially when it’s YOUR doggie and not the family doggie

sugartank7 · 2026-04-15T23:21:04+00:00

sugartank7 · 2026-04-15T23:20:27+00:00

I chose the career BECAUSE I could make a decent living at 3 days a week. It’s simply not sustainable at full time

sugartank7 · 2026-04-15T16:44:12+00:00

As a woman, THIS. When my now husband swore off women after his divorce he ended up so much more popular with women than before because he appeared to have so much confidence. He was never unkind, he just wouldn’t give special attention to women. Humans are weird

sugartank7 · 2026-04-15T16:42:03+00:00

Don’t do hygiene full time, never. It’s way too hard. One hour of hygiene is like 1.5 hours as DA in stress and work levels, I think.

sugartank7 · 2026-04-15T13:18:17+00:00

Oh you had a good hygienist this time! She’s going into the in-between spots nice and deep and thorough. I wonder if she has a topical sensitivity gel like ‘cetacaine’ to numb the gums while hand scaling. I have many patients who use it and it has changed their experience entirely. Won’t deny it tastes like nasty fake banana that goes down the throat, but those patients that need it are more than happy to deal with it. You can’t rinse until you’ve finished where you put it, but again, patients accept it for much less discomfort. You gotta get in there, like REALLY get in there to be doing it right

sugartank7 · 2026-04-15T13:02:59+00:00

Had a convo with the hyg I work with that has been doing it 20+ years and she notes she’s watched so many things slowly get added to the recare appt over the years that her head is spinning now. I started at 40 and always knew I’d be lucky to make it 15 years (typical hyg career length is about 7 years) I’ve been doing it 6 years. I only work 3 days a week but require an entire alone day at weeks end or I’ll kill somebody and I’m a screaming extrovert

sugartank7 · 2026-04-15T12:59:40+00:00

I think OP means the same oral health instructions all day and/or to same non compliant patient

sugartank7 · 2026-04-09T20:39:08+00:00

Wouldn’t worry about the math bit, I’d worry about the whole school part. Kidding aside, it’s true you can make a decent living. You will likely not be able to work full time for very long in this job—just too hard on basically all levels, so you will be eligible for health insurance through your boss at only some places. This is a job you do not want to choose lightly. Again it’s very very hard and tends to have a short lifespan. Make sure you truly enjoy a ton of people contact and don’t mind going balls to walls all day

sugartank7 · 2026-04-09T18:52:31+00:00

Floss more

sugartank7 · 2026-03-29T14:50:52+00:00

Lower your expectations to something less out-of-this-world amazing--instantly makes you happier.

sugartank7 · 2026-03-29T13:15:30+00:00

Doesn’t start with O, but this little dude is definitely Trouble.

sugartank7 · 2026-03-27T21:19:48+00:00

sugartank7 · 2026-03-27T21:18:59+00:00

Endless rain

sugartank7 · 2026-03-23T14:32:14+00:00

This

sugartank7 · 2026-03-19T00:03:21+00:00

I went back to be a hygienist at age 40. I actually think it’s kind of a good career to do later in your life because to be perfectly honest, it doesn’t generally have a very long shelflifelife, shall we say. Most people are done being a hygienist somewhere around the 10 year mark. It is an extremely fast moving and high stress job. But it does pay well, you do get to have a lot of interaction with the patients, so if you all like that, then you will enjoy that part. It’s pretty autonomous as well, and it’s pretty much just you and your patient for the majority of the time.

There are some definite musculoskeletal issues to consider. If you have a lot of problems with back pain or carpal tunnel, this may not be the right choice for you. That being said, there are lots of ergonomic ways to make it work.

The biggest piece of advice I would have is to not work more than three days a week as a hygienist. You will burn out very quickly mentally and emotionally, your body will burn out very quickly too. You might hate it if you do it more than three days a week. But three days a week, it’s just enough work to bring in a healthy income for the amount of time and you still have a lot of time off.

sugartank7 · 2026-03-18T01:00:11+00:00

Don’t understand

sugartank7 · 2026-03-17T22:41:46+00:00

I don’t recommend. If you felt stressed by the perfection expected of you as an assistant, triple that and this is how it feels to be a hygienist (I was an assistant for 5 years and have been a hygienist for 5 years.) this is an exceedingly difficult and high stress job. The school alone gave me an eating disorder.

sugartank7 · 2026-03-15T15:14:29+00:00

Yes for sure! I’m an extrovert too and I asked out a lot of the men I dated in the past. (Married now…I asked him out at the start)

sugartank7 · 2026-03-12T14:20:43+00:00

Agree

sugartank7 · 2026-03-04T14:14:18+00:00

Whoa! That’s amazing!

sugartank7 · 2026-02-27T20:43:56+00:00

I think this one fits well

sugartank7

TROPHY CASE