My clinical rotation this year may have looked different than others. I decided to give myself a clinical rotation (shadowing) experience every Tuesday of the spring semester that I had available before my night clinic patients. I started the semester by shadowing Amanda Castle, a former UNE dental hygiene graduate, at Gentle Dental in Biddeford. The second office I shadowed was 207 Periodontics, which I will discuss more. The third dental office I shadowed was Dr. Kathryn Horutz Family Dentistry, where I also shadowed a former UNE dental hygiene graduate. Today, I shadowed multiple dental hygienists at Gorham Village Dental who graduated from the UNE dental hygiene program. I chose to shadow multiple practices and hygienists because I wanted to get a feel for the real-life hygiene world and what it offers.
For this assignment, I will discuss my experience shadowing at 207 Periodontics. The clinician I observed matched the expectations of working in a periodontal office. In periodontal offices, there is much more work, time, and energy going into each patient appointment when compared to a regular hygiene appointment. Typically, more work and energy goes into these appointments because the hygienist is trying to stop the disease from progressing to more significant damage. People referred to a periodontist typically require more frequent appointments and greater homecare routines to help promote good oral health. In terms of working in this office, I am still determining where I stand. In the future, as I get more experience as a hygienist, working in this periodontal office may be fun to switch things up. As a soon-to-be UNE dental hygiene program graduate, I would not pick this as my first office of choice straight out of school. If I did that, I might start rethinking my career choice; however, it may be a good idea when I need a change of pace or something different. I have also considered doing part-time as a hygienist in general practice and part-time as a hygienist in a periodontal office. Again, I would only do this after graduation, but it is something that I have considered a potential option for my future. I did ask many questions to the hygienists, dentists, and periodontists I have shadowed, sometimes leaving the office wishing I had asked more questions. When this happens, I write down the question(s) and ask the next office I shadow if the same questions apply. I have enjoyed my experiences shadowing at various offices, and it is something that everyone should do. It opened my eyes to what a good practice may look like and what a not-so-good practice may also look like.
Reflective Response
A healthcare professional that I aspire to be…one of my favorite prompts to answer. I want to show others that helping people can make the most significant difference. Enjoying what you’re doing is one thing, but enjoying what you’re doing while positively impacting the lives of others makes the world a better place. It brings joy to so many people. As a dental hygienist, I want to inspire others, I want to educate them, I want to advocate for change, and I want to be a support system. It may sound as simple as “cleaning your teeth,” but it is much more than that. Helping others is one of the most rewarding things a clinician and patient can receive. An article titled Becoming a Confident Clinician describes a confident clinician as “a state of perpetual growth: confident that you can change and grow; confident that you can continue to learn without compromising your core values.” The world is constantly changing, so naturally, as humans, we need to do the same. I will continue to learn. I will continue to ask questions. I will continue to put my best foot forward.
Edney, C. (2024). Becoming a Confident Clinician. Dental Health, 63(2), 15–17.
A UNE dental hygiene learning outcome that resonates with who I aspire to be is that a student must “commit to advocacy leadership, scholarship, and life-long learning to respond to an ever-changing healthcare environment and growing profession.” As I mentioned above, the world is constantly changing. To provide my patients with the best care possible, I need to be able to adapt to new research in the healthcare setting. Another dental hygiene learning outcome that summarizes the hygienist I want to state that a student must “provide the public with compassionate and competent dental hygiene care founded on evidence-based scientific knowledge as an essential component of comprehensive interprofessional health care and community-based health care.” To stay true to myself as a hygienist and uphold my ethical responsibilities, I must provide my patients with the best care while staying on top of the latest scientific research. It is essential to always care for the patient. Now, let’s help people!
