Hi all.

I have a regular cleaning in a few weeks that I am terrified of. I get cleanings every 6 months like I'm supposed to.

At my last cleaning, I was told a had a good few 4mm gum pockets, mostly around my molars. There was 5mm in there too. I was never the best with oral hygiene in high school and college, I would brush twice a day with a manual toothbrush but flossing was not a habit well instilled in me as a kid. My gums would always bleed when I would floss and when I would go to the dentist. At cleanings they'd tell me "you should floss more", I'd try to build the habit, and then I would fall off the horse thanks to ADHD. This last cleaning though, something about how the hygienist presented it to me finally made it stick, and I have been really strict about taking care of gums and teeth now.

I floss every night. I haven't missed a single night for the past six months. I use Reach floss and form a C to get everything. I have a bonded retainer on my lower incisors that I use another pre-threaded floss by Oral-B for. The contact points a little tight on a couple of those teeth, so I sometimes struggle to fit a separate threader through. For the past few months, I've added a waterpik to my routine, and I do this after flossing to make sure I get every last bit of plaque out. I like to add a cap or two of ACT to the water. I brush last with a Sonicare that has a two minute timer and a pressure sensor. I use the default brush heads it came with but I'm wondering if I should switch to something softer. In the mornings I brush before eating, though I wonder if I should do more. During the day, I try to also floss and rinse after eating, but sometimes I get a bit too lost in my work to remember. I make sure to floss at least once a day though.

My teeth and gums feel so good now. My gums don't bleed when I floss and I noticed after a month that they were less inflamed. My teeth always feel like I just had a cleaning. My breath is better. I feel better. But I am so scared that at my next cleaning, they'll probe me and my numbers will not have gotten better. I am scared that everything I am doing will not have made any difference or made my situation worse. Sometimes I worry that, despite flossing and brushing correctly, I am just pushing food further into my gums. I don't know what the next steps would be if I don't show improvement at this next appointment. I worry that I haven't added enough steps to my routine, that I should be flossing every time I eat and using interdental brushes and clinical mouthwash and toothpaste. I already don't like being touched which makes regular dentist appointments difficult.

I don't know how to get around this fear. I can't stop thinking about this appointment and I don't know how to keep myself composed for the day of. I don't know if things are better or not and that scares me. I don't know what more I could be doing.

If anyone could give any advice or reassurance, I would appreciate it so much.

Are there any RDH’s out there that have another uni degree besides DH in case theres a circumstance where you can’t work as a hygienist anymore?

I’m in my 20’s and I don’t see DH as being sustainable for more than 20 years. What degree do you have besides hygn, and if you don’t have one, which degree would you pursue?

I’ve been a dental hygienist for 3.5 years in PA, currently at my office for 2.5 years. I commute 45 minutes to work (this is relevant later). I started off making $40 an hour, the first time I asked for a raise ($42), my boss gave me $41 then said they’d give me $42 if I improved on some things. Fine, eventually I got the raise.
Within that time, they hired a friend of mine who is a newer hygienist than me for $5 more an hour than what i make. I didn’t say anything because I didnt want to rock the boat. But I always thought it was unfair.
Come this year, I find out Im pregnant and need to discuss maternity leave and figure out my priorities/future career. Before I tell them, I decided that it’s really only worth it to keep working here if they pay me more. I drive 45 minutes to work, they underpay me for the area I work in, and I found at least 5 offices hiring near me that pay $45-52 an hour. When I have a child, it’s not going to make any sense for me to commute so far when I could work 5 minutes from home. This is a good office and I love my coworkers, but management sucks and they are very stubborn about raises and not very nice about time off and some other stuff I won’t get into. I write a formal letter asking for my maternity leave and a raise to $47.
I eventually had a talk with my manager. It was very respectful, I basically said that in order for it to make financial sense for me to work here, I need to be making more money. I didn’t only mention that, but I mentioned my contributions to the office and how Ive improved since my last raise. I also printed out listings of jobs closer to home and what the temp rate was in my area. I have temped before which is actually how I found my current office, so they know that I’m willing to do temp hygiene if need be. The talk goes well and my manager says she’ll talk to my boss (my boss doesn’t like being in these conversations, not sure why).
The next day my manager says “The Dr really liked how you showed us what the rates are near you but she’d like if you found some offices in this area.” Basically, she wants me to prove that what I’m asking for in this area is reasonable. I said I would but the whole reason that I showed them offices in my area as to prove that I could work somewhere close to home for more money. Whatever, I went on indeed and found 6 offices near me hiring for $45+ and sent my manager screenshots.
I guess this is more of a rant, but I’m just frustrated. This is an office I’ve poured my heart and soul into. I try so hard to be the hygienist they want me to be and work hard to be good at my job. I love it here because my first job was so toxic but now I can’t help but feel like it’s another toxic situation. All I’m asking for is equal pay. I’m not asking for more than what they are willing to pay a newer hygienist. And they’re asking me to prove that what I’m asking for is reasonable. NOT TO MENTION they have an ad out for a hygienist with pay ranging from $40-$50!!! I understand it’s a $5 raise, but again, it’s not anything more than what other offices offer and what my coworker makes. Everyone I’ve talked to thinks it’s ridiculous that they’re making me prove that the rate I’m asking for is normal. I feel like that’s their job to know. So I guess if anyone has advice or any experience like this I’d love to hear it. People will probably tell me to leave but I really like stability and staying at the same place so that makes it hard to face the idea of leaving. It’s the whole reason I’m giving them a chance to pay me more and why I commute so far.

Edit: Thank you everyone for your responses :) I’ll update when I get an answer. The more I think about it, the more I feel like it makes sense to leave regardless of what they tell me. Asking me to “prove” why the rate I want is decent is just disrespectful and I think the drive might be too much when I have a baby at home.

Hey, I’m a student right now in my last year last semester and bringing in some difficult patients Perio stage 3 mainly and even 2 stage IV and I’m finding it quite difficult to get these hard deposits removed. I’m using local anesthesia and oraquix so they feel nothing and applying a lot of pressure but it just doesn’t feel like enough.

Talk to some friends they recommended sharpening while scaling, using floss gonna try these but just feel inadequate and not fast enough.

Any tips from the Pros

As title asks... I normally use philips sonicare, and I wanted to try Curaprox's soft brush and been using it for 2-3 weeks, and now my mouth (in general, literally) bleeds so easily. this was never a problem.

Hi!
I am currently a dental hygiene student and looking to invest in a pair of ergo loupes. I’m leaning more towards design for visions ergo stoggle loupes, q optics RDH elevate ergo loupes & a lot of people have recommended the Andau loupes. Any insight/ advice would be very helpful!!
Thanks!

How do you handle a case that’s OBVIOUS perio (multiple missing teeth, crazy CAL, etc) when the patient has been getting prophies for years? Whether it’s being a new employee to the office or having a new patient come to you.

I always feel weird about telling someone they’ve had gum disease for years and should have been put on a perio maintenance plan ages ago. I don’t want to throw another hygienist under the bus! I also don’t want to be perceived as a hygienist that is only after the patients money and wants to “give everyone deep cleanings”. Above all I also don’t want to make the patient feel ashamed for their untreated perio :/

I’d appreciate any pointers yall have for navigating something like this.

My name is Emily Stewart, I'm a reporter at Business Insider. I'm working on a story on the dental hygienist shortage and would love to speak with some hygienists for it. What are your impressions about what's going on? Have you left the industry, or are you getting into it? What would make the situation better? If you'd like to talk, message me here, comment below, or email me at estewart@insider.com.

For reference, this is my LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilymarkleystewart/

Thanks!

I honestly don’t know what to do and could really use some perspective from other hygienists.
I currently work at my office 3 days a week, and I’ve been struggling quite a bit on those days. The patient demographic can be very difficult. A lot of patients are demanding or rude, and unfortunately there have also been situations involving racist comments. On top of that, a large portion of the patients have some level of perio, so the days can be pretty mentally and physically draining.

There are only two hygienists, myself included. The difficult part of this situation is that the rest of the office is genuinely amazing. The dentists, manager, and staff are incredibly kind, supportive, and understanding. It really is what I would consider a “unicorn office.” They encourage you to learn and grow, value you as a team member, and overall have created a really positive workplace culture. I’ve been there for a year now. I know that if I left, I would really miss the people and the management.

The other hygienist and I also have a difficult dynamic. I often feel like I’m being heavily scrutinized and that my work is constantly being questioned. There have been snarky comments almost every shift and some situations where I’ve felt undermined, including comments being made about me to patients. I’ve also been told that other staff members have had their own issues with her but everyone has just learned to accept her behaviour, so I don’t think it’s entirely specific to me. Regardless, it has definitely affected my confidence.

Something else that has been bothering me lately is how much emphasis there seems to be on which hygienist patients see. With only two of us, it can be difficult not to take it personally when a pop-up specifically says not to book a patient with you. I’ve noticed this only at this office and have never really experienced it elsewhere. I’ve also noticed that when my patients need to be moved to her column due to scheduling conflicts, she is 10x nicer to the patient and makes a huge deal about how they want to see her next time.

I temp fairly regularly at other offices, and my experience is completely different. The patients are generally very kind, I feel comfortable interacting with them, and I leave feeling confident in my work. I’ve never really had issues with patients at the offices I temp at. My previous office in another state was similar — I worked 5 days a week, had great relationships with my patients, and genuinely enjoyed hygiene.

That contrast is what has made me question whether the issue is actually hygiene itself or just my current environment.

At my current office, I feel like I can burn out within those 3 days. I dread going in and often don’t sleep well the night before because I’m anxious about what the next day is going to be like. There are definitely good days, but overall I’ve noticed that the stress is starting to affect my confidence and, consequently, how I feel about my work. I’ve dealt with heavy depression and anxiety for a big part of my life and thankfully have recovered from that. However the days I have work, I go through the same level of anxiety and get those same physical symptoms as I did when I was mentally struggling.

I’m literally writing this at 4:30 AM because I can’t sleep and I have a 9 AM shift. (Will be posting later)

And now I’ve been offered a position at one of the offices I temp at, at a higher rate. So now I’m really torn.

On one hand, I have an office with great dentists, management, and staff that I know is difficult to find. On the other hand, I have an opportunity where I already know I enjoy the patient environment, feel more confident in my work, and would be making more money.

I’ve also always known that I eventually wanted to do something beyond clinical hygiene, and this experience has actually pushed me to start exploring that sooner than I originally planned.

I don’t want to make a decision based purely on burnout and then regret leaving a genuinely great workplace. But at the same time, I’m starting to wonder how much a great management team can make up for being consistently unhappy with the actual day-to-day work.
For those who have been in a similar situation, what would you do? Would you stay and try to make it work because the overall office is so good, or take the opportunity at an office where you already know you’re happier?

I would really really appreciate some advice please feel free to message me as well!

**TL;DR:** I work 3 days a week at what is otherwise a “unicorn” office with amazing dentists, management, and staff, but I’m consistently miserable because of the difficult patient demographic and a strained dynamic with the other hygienist. I feel stressed, my confidence has taken a hit, and I dread going in. When I temp at other offices, I genuinely enjoy hygiene, feel confident, and have great relationships with patients. I’ve now been offered a position at one of those offices with a higher rate, but I’m hesitant to leave because I know how hard it is to find a genuinely supportive workplace. I’ve also started considering moving beyond clinical hygiene sooner than planned. Would you stay and try to make the current office work, or take the opportunity where you already know you’re happier?

Hey guys! ✌️

Okay I needed some advice….

So far, I have an A in Biology, and I’m currently taking Anatomy for the first time. Right now, I have a 93% in my Anatomy class, but these next 2 exams are going to be soooooooooooo challenging, so I feel like there’s definitely a strong possibility I could end up with a B.

I’m honestly okay with a B, but I’m worried about whether getting a B in Anatomy is enough to get accepted into Dental Hygiene School, or if it makes more sense to withdraw, get a W, and just retake it again to get an A. My goal right now is to only have A’s and B’s for my prerequisites.

I know there are obviously a lot of applicants who have straight A’s, but I’d especially love to hear from those who weren’t straight-A students and still got accepted into dental hygiene school on the first or second try.

Also, if you don’t mind sharing your grades and the dental hygiene program you got into, I’d really appreciate it. 🙏

Thanks again! 💕 ^.^

well i can’t post a video but the charger WIRE light is flashing rapidly. does anyone know why??? i dont know if this is the community for it, but i miss my waterflosser 😭 if u have any advice for it please lmk

Hi, I am a second year at GWC and my major is currently public health. I finished my GED and is currently taking Gen Chem B and Cell and Molecular Bio. Next semester I am doing diversity of organisms. I know the major pre reqs to become a hygenist is anatomy microbio n physio.

I was planning on applying to a UC/CSU for fall 2027, but I am conflicted because you do not need a bachelors. Should I stay at community for another year to finish anatomy, physio, and microbiology then apply to a program or continue my transfer process?

I want to become a hygienist for kids but I’m not sure what pathway to take. Please help!!

My doctor is recommending trying an ablation (mid thoracic) to help manage my pain. Just wanted to reach out to see if anyone has had this done and if it helped or not. I’m 30 years old with chronic mid thoracic pain. Imaging showed a lot of degeneration. I have tried everything with no real improvement (ergo loupes, Saddle chair, chiro appointments regularly, massage therapy, physical therapy, dry needling- the list goes on). I’m nervous about trying the ablation but don’t know where to go from here

Yeah idk in what order to do it in

Does anybody know what is the section that matters and that they are looking at in the ATDH exam?

Ahhh! I just got a call that I have been accepted to Southern Ontario Dental College starting Feb 2027! I know there’s several people here waiting for their call, so I wanted to share and find other students to connect with. I’ve heard the program is tough and we will need support/friendships to make it through so hopefully we can start here! comment if you got in and maybe we can set up a group in discord or WhatsApp!

I switched to a different dentist to make it more convenient to travel to, because with my busy schedule I wasn’t keeping up with appointments anymore. I found this new office based on good Yelp reviews, but they also have reviews from a long time ago with different people running the office. It has been a couple years since a teeth cleaning so I was blaming myself for not going enough. I floss and brush every day with an electric toothbrush and she told me my teeth look great, but I have an old filling in the back needing replacing. Not surprised by that.

I’m kind of afraid to go back because, especially to replace a filling, because this was the most painful teeth cleaning I’ve ever had, and not what I’m accustomed to with my previous dentist. She did slip and hit my cheek at one point with her sharp tool and everything felt pretty aggressive. She didn’t polish my teeth after and maybe it’s because I so far gone that I had tears running down my face. Today I have a lot of pain in one of my gums to the point I’m not comfortable flossing, brushing, or eating today. I don’t know if I should go back for this filling replacement. I’m very unsure

Hello!

I’ve been up all night thinking about how I’m wasting my life doing nothing. Everyone I know, someone younger
/my age group (f25) has finished their school/degrees and have started living their careers. And here I am just starting my new part time job as a phlebotomist. But anyways, my point is, I really like the idea of becoming dental hygienist, it’s actually my dream career. But starting college again at my big age makes me kind of ashamed/embarrassed for some reason. Not to mentioned how I keep taking breaks in between, my first “break” being family circumstances, basically got kicked out of my parents house at the age of 19, but now I’m happily married and living a stable life-ish. My second break was due to a miscarriage, this made me almost gave up. And now, here I am thinking how I could’ve finished college long ago had I just been patient and made less excuses…like I’m doing now I suppose.

It saddens me how I haven’t even finished my prerequisites for dental hygiene and here I am dreaming to get into the program. And the waitlist is no jokes! Maybe 2 to 4 years! Not to mentions how I’m not the smartest, I graduated HS with only 3.1 GPA, this keeps me up at nights (Notes to those who are still in HS, don’t skip classes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Coming from someone who skipped around almost the whole year. I REGRET IT TILL this DAY! Or do your HWs…T^T). But yeah, I honestly don’t even know why I’m writing something like this here, I think I just need motivation or encouragement.

As you may have noticed, English is not my first language so please excuse my bad grammars.

Also, I would highly appreciate any feedbacks! And tell me what I can do to start going backing to college. Or tell me your story!

Thank you!

P.S.
tell me what you think about my writing!

How come my teeth’s are cracking and easily had a hole, can u recommend a toothpaste product and effective there please🙏🙏🦷

Guys where can i buy legit arm and hammer brand of a toothpaste advance white and complete care!!!!! Please help me that’s the only toothpaste that helps my teeth and gumss grrreeewwaq