Maximizing the Potential of Dental Hygiene with the Dental Hygiene Process of Care

摘要

It's no secret that the last few years have been tough ones for anyone working in a dental practice. A report from the American Dental Association indicates that dental practice income started to decline in 2006; two years prior to the great recession. During this time, many clinical dental hygienists have seen their jobs eliminated or days reduced, and the questionable practice of asking people to 'clock out' became commonplace. At the same time, the opportunity to provide dental hygiene services in nontraditional settings grew. Between 2008 and 2014, the number of states that allow a dental hygienist to initiate patient care in a setting outside the private dental office without the presence of a dentist (direct access) increased from 28 to 37 (Figure 1). Minnesota and Maine each allow some form of a mid-level dental hygiene practitioner, and since 2012, six other states (Connecticut, Kansas, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Vermont and Washington state) have proposed legislation allowing for a dental hygiene mid-level provider.