If you do tomorrow what you did today, you will get tomorrow what you got today
-Benjamin Franklin
My definition of Primary Care Provider relates to our role as competent oral health care professionals. Dental hygienists are eligible for a spectrum of roles: educator, administrator, resource person, researcher, advocate and clinician.(1) This puts dental hygienists as in a prime position to detect diseases, gaps in health literacy and knowledge, and provide support. With the plethora of services that dental hygienists can provide, it is important to have a systemized approach towards issues. With my education, I have learned to incorporate the Dental Hygiene Process of Care model to almost every case I have been presented with.(2) Using the proper steps from assessment to evaluation ensures that the care provided to the client or client population is tailored, with no information overlooked. Finally, the complete diligence of any health-care provider is the most essential component to aiding the client population in the most helpful way. Benjamin Franklin chimes in regarding diligence, and it is with continued competency that I as a dental hygienist can provide optimal primary care.
- Canadian Dental Hygienists’ Association. National dental hygiene competencies for entry-to-practice. Oct 2008 (4). Available from: https://www.cdha.ca/pdfs/Profession/Resources/NationalCompetencies_EN.pdf
- American Dental Hygienists Association. Standards for clinical dental hygiene practice. 10 Mar 2008. Available from: https://hshs.csi.edu/dental_hygiene/pdf/adha_standards08.pdf