4. They are constantly battling against the clock
What dental hygienists have to do during every appointment is quite daunting. They go over a patient’s health history, take their vitals, discuss concerns, and take several different measures to monitor gum health such as gum recession, tooth mobility, pocket depths and bleeding points. They screen for oral cancer and other abnormalities, clean the teeth, polish the teeth, educate on the status of gum health and answer questions. They also have to write chart notes and disinfect the room for the next patient. All of this has to happen within a certain time frame.
It’s no wonder that although they do their best to stay on time, it is not always possible. Unforeseen circumstances can put them behind schedule such as when a patient shows up late. Patients may also need more treatment than expected. Perhaps they have a toothache that requires extra x-rays or has more deposits than normal due to lack of home care.
Dental hygienists can’t just leave out certain things to get the treatment done on time because this could affect the health of a patient. Say, for instance, cancer screening was left out because a patient was late and it was only caught six months later. Each patient has to receive thorough and comprehensive treatment, despite the fact that the next patient is usually waiting before the previous patient has been treated.
This is why dental hygienists may work through lunch hours and stay late. Working against the clock is not as easy as it may seem. No matter how much they try to stay on schedule, sometimes it is just not possible. They often go to work early to start preparing and reviewing patient’s charts. The work is very detailed, and they want to make sure that when they start something, they finish it, even if it means sacrificing some personal time.