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Understanding the Hiring Criteria for Dental Hygienists

Hiring Criteria for Dental Hygienists

Introduction

To excel in the dynamic world of dentistry as a professional dental hygienist, one must prioritize patient care above all else. Whether you’re seeking to hire cosmetic or pediatric dental hygienists, the key criterion remains the same: What’s best for the patients?

So, while qualifications are important, businesses must adopt a holistic approach. When we say a candidate adds value to the dental practice, it means they deliver quality care to patients.

What Makes a Successful Dental Team?

With this principle in mind, the process of hiring dental hygienists becomes streamlined.

Hiring Qualified Dental Hygienists:

Selecting the best professionals for your dental practice demands careful consideration and following a structured procedure to grasp the skills and qualifications of candidates. Mayday specializes in providing dental practices with a pool of qualified candidates that meet the clinic’s needs.

What to Expect from Entry-Level Dental Hygienists:

Are you applying for entry-level dental hygienist positions? As a recruiter, the quality that stands out the most in entry-level candidates is their ability to bring a fresh perspective. Foundational skills and completion of an accredited dental hygiene program are essential requirements.

An important aspect of the dental hygienist’s role is proficiently performing routine dental procedures such as teeth cleaning and dental X-rays. This accounts for a significant portion of the job. Therefore, it’s reassuring to know that the dental hygienist you’re hiring can administer fluoride treatment independently, alleviating some responsibilities.

To work as a professional dental hygienist, obtaining a state license is mandatory, even at an entry-level position. This assures recruiters of your competence in the eyes of regulatory bodies, mitigating legal liabilities for dental practices.

Just like any other professional setting, a dental clinic relies on inter-departmental collaboration. Having communication and interpersonal skills can make you stand out in the eyes of someone building their dental practice’s core team.

What to Expect from Experienced Dental Hygienists:

When dental practices seek experienced candidates, it’s a different ball game altogether. Experienced dental hygienists bring a wealth of knowledge gained over the years. Unlike entry-level candidates, having dental hygienist qualifications and a license is not what sets you apart.

Candidates are expected to possess advanced clinical skills crucial for complex procedures. An experienced dental hygienist will be required to administer local anesthesia, apply and repair dental sealants, and provide periodontal therapy to patients.

Dental practices hire experienced dental hygienists because they have seen the value these candidates brought to their past employers. If you’re interested in applying to experienced dental hygienist roles, start working on your recommendation letters.

Experienced dental hygienists’ qualifications are quite different from those of entry-level roles. You’ll find that many experienced candidates have additional certifications and training in areas such as periodontics, orthodontics, and anesthesia. After a few years in the industry, finding yourself in competitive spaces, continuous learning and skill growth become imperative. To distinguish yourself from other candidates, you must expand your scope of practice.

How to Establish Yourself as the Ideal Candidate  Dental hygienists?

So, do you want to stand out as the perfect candidate for a dental hygienist role? Here are some strategies that will help you showcase your hard work and dedication to growth. Depending on your expertise, these are the areas you would want to focus on to stand out to dental practices and dental staffing agencies.

Pediatric Dental Hygienists:

If you want to thrive as a dental hygienist in pediatric dentistry, focus on these expertise areas:

Empathy:

The nature of pediatric care entails working with many anxious patients. The best way to work with fearful individuals is to show patience and understanding. Especially with children, you need to be as gentle as possible. Establishing trust with your patients is half the job. Once you have rapport with your patients, you’ll find it easier to provide treatments. Your patients need to see you as their confidant, instead of fearing you or any procedure you perform.

Adaptability:

It’s important to modify your techniques, strategies, and communication style to accommodate your patients. As a pediatric dental hygienist, you’ll come across many different types of cases. You must be flexible in your approach to all of them.

Cosmetic Dental Hygienists:

If you want to excel as a dental hygienist in cosmetic dentistry, focus on these expertise areas:

Cosmetic Procedures:

As a dental hygienist in cosmetic dentistry, you’ll benefit from having a deep understanding of cosmetic dental treatments such as teeth whitening, dental bonding, and veneers. Having an aesthetic sense of what makes a great smile can help dental hygienists provide their patients with cosmetic procedures.

Attention to Detail:

Aesthetics and details go hand in hand. As a cosmetic dental hygienist, you need to have a sharp eye because it helps you achieve natural-looking results, something most patients seek from cosmetic dentistry.

The hiring criteria for dental hygienists can vary from clinic to clinic. But as a professional dental staffing agency, Mayday has taken the initiative to simplify it for dental hygienists. Understanding the hiring criteria can help you build a stellar profile that is bound to end up in the ‘yes’ pile. We hope this guide was helpful for you and inspired you to start looking for your dream job.

Speaking of dream jobs, Mayday has many exciting job opportunities for pediatric dental hygienists and cosmetic dental hygienists that you might want to check out.

Here’s to building a successful career as a dental hygienist with the help of a trusted dental staffing agency.