Dental hygiene (DH) is a multi-disciplinary profession which involves embodying the DH competencies and linking our knowledge of oral health and connecting it with overall health and social determinants of health (SDH).(1,2)

Known publicly for “cleaning teeth,” fulfilling our role as primary health care providers goes beyond debriding, polishing, and fluoride applications.(3) For myself, being a primary care provider means considering all factors including SDH, health history, medication history, extra- and intra-oral findings to guide evidence-informed decision making. As a DH, my role is to maintain or improve health statuses through prevention. In my own practice I intend to follow practice resources and scope of practice to guide rationale and determine next steps. Dental hygienists have the advantage of seeing clients roughly every six months in private practice, or advocating for community health. Because of this, we have an advantage over other HCPs because we are able to identify changes quickly and collaborate inter-professionally. Throughout my experience in the UBC DHDP I have learned how all aspects of health and socio-economic status ties together in the mindset of a primary care provider. As an advocate and leader of the DH profession, I hope to be part of the movement removing “cleaning” from our role, and replace it with terms such as: assessments, DH comprehensive care, preventive/supportive periodontal care; that reflect our competencies and wide range of skills.(3)

References

1. Canadian competencies for baccalaureate dental hygiene programs. Ottawa, ON, Canada: Canadian Dental Hygienists Association; 2015. 41p.
2. Government of Canada. Primary health care [Internet]. Government of Canada; 2012 Aug 23. [Cited 2019 April 5]. Available from: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hcs-sss/prim/about-apropos-eng.php#a1
3. Woodall I. Let’s get rid of the ‘C’ word in our vocabulary. RDH. 1997 Aug:6-7.