DH Philosophy of CareBrandi Rens

My mission as a dental hygienist is to provide a safe, respectful, and friendly

environment in which all patients will receive personalized care based on their individualized

needs and concerns. I will provide preventive and therapeutic treatment to each patient to the

best of my ability. My goal is to have each patient leave feeling confident in their ability to

perform proper self-care and motivated to improve their oral health. These are the basics of my

philosophy of care and I hope to find an office that supports these. Additionally, there are a few

other things that are important to me in an office, such as a friendly and supportive dental team

that works well together and is open and motivated to learn from each other, as well as staying

up to date on the latest research and technologies. It would also be ideal for me to work

somewhere that has a system in place to help those in need of dental treatment that cannot

afford it, either through volunteering or offering reasonable payment plans.

First and foremost, a safe environment for both myself and the patients is essential. This

includes practicing proper infection control techniques as well as ethical office procedures. A

respectful environment between practitioners and patients is necessary to attain and maintain

rapport. No one is going to feel comfortable coming into an environment that does not revolve

around friendliness, understanding, and respect. It is important to remember that dental visits

are high stress for several people and that doing everything we can to make patients

comfortable will benefit both the patients and the office.

Prevention needs to be emphasized in an office, I believe that this is the most important

part of our job as dental hygienists. Whether it be patient education on self-care and primary

prevention such as fluoride use and sealant placement to prevent the onset of disease, or

educating patients with caries and periodontal disease on treatment and arresting of the

disease process to prevent further damage. I want all patients to feel educated and motivated

to improve their oral health, and I would like them to feel fully informed and confident in their

treatment plans and care. It’s my goal to be able to sell dentistry with assurance that the

patients will be happy with my recommendations and to see patients grow in their knowledge,

health, and confidence in me and the office that I work for.

A professional team that works collaboratively and respectfully with each other has such

a positive impact on the overall atmosphere in any environment. I understand that not

everyone’s personalities are going to be compatible, but I know that I do not want to be in an

office that circulates negativity and conflict. I want to work with a dental team that is focused

on motivating each other and working together to treat patients to the best of our knowledge

and ability.

Lastly, I would like to work somewhere that provides some type of help to the

community and those in need of dental care that cannot afford it. I understand that a dental

office is a business and that this aspect is not always possible. However, I have been in

situations where my family and I have thankfully been provided this type of assistance when we

really needed it. I would like to be able to “give back” in a sense. Reasonable payment plans

and “free dentistry” days are great ways to provide help to people in need of care. If I do not

find this in an office, I will fulfill this on my own through volunteer opportunities.

In closing, I would like to acknowledge that I would gladly bring my philosophy of care to

an office lacking in some of these areas if they were willing to let me be a part of implementing

positive changes. At this point I would be ecstatic to be offered a dental hygiene position

anywhere, but I don’t feel as though I would be happy long term if the office’s philosophy

varied greatly from my own. Ethically I could not waver from some things, and lack of others

would not provide the motivation to perform at the best of my ability,