 Hello everybody, Andrea Meiske here with Dental L. So what if you became a dental hygienist, you graduated and then the pandemic happened. So I remember graduating from my dental hygiene program being so excited and you know what happened to me when I moved back. Basically I was supposed to start work on Monday because I did have a job waiting for me which was fantastic. I worked for the same office where I was a dental assistant. So I had a job waiting for me and we had a snowstorm but like the biggest snowstorm where the city was shut down like city buses weren't running. Okay, the snow was crazy. So for three days I couldn't work and I was so excited. But if you were a dental hygienist and you graduated during the pandemic, you couldn't work for what was it three months depending on the location it might have been longer. So you would have been very disappointed. So you're probably trying to come back into things and things are different since the pandemic. You have to see the PPE patients you have to see more patients just trying to catch up everything's different. But you guys let me give you kind of a crash course on what to expect okay so a new dental hygienist so let's just say you've gone for the interviews all of that and you have a job. Well no I guess I should start from the going for the interview process okay so let's do that so you're going for interviews. Let me tell you people are looking for dental hygienists, as long as you don't mess up the interview and say you hate dental hygiene and you hate patients and you hate people, you're going to get the job seriously. To your interview dress professional don't have your tank top on jeans on where nice pants and nice dress you know or nice pants and nice shirt and you will look professional okay that is a really good first step act like you are willing to learn. You know act like you can't wait to get started and you're looking for a job. People typically ask me well what do I say when they asked well you don't have experience why should we hire you. Let them know say you are moldable, you will do what they tell you because you have nothing to compare it to and you're excited to work. And you have seen many many patients you know what to do. You've done it in school you're just ready to get started that will really go a long way. So now fast forward you have the job it's your first day first week whatever. And there should be somebody they're showing you around so showing you where your room is your charts where things are, but they won't have a lot of time so it's not like other jobs where you go in and the first week or two is just training. No, we don't really have that just so you know, you will walk in and they will show you for a half an hour everything and then it's your turn you have to do it okay so I know you're going to be nervous. I know it's overwhelming but fake it until you make it okay act like you belong there act like you're confident. When you go out there to find your patient, you know, call their name in confidence okay don't be like. What do I do you know how do I get my patient you know what do I do have confidence if you need help you guys let me know. I do have a course that I'm going to leave the link for you guys down below it's called dental LRDH where I offer help for newly graduated dental hygienists I have videos. All kinds of things to help you guys with what to expect step one step 100 you will be fully prepared okay so take a look. Look at the link check it out you will be prepared I will prepare you anyways moving on. Act confident. I suggest checking out all of your charts at the beginning of the day before you get started so that way. If you get behind you probably will be because it's your first day first week they won't expect you to be on time you're going to get behind, but you don't have to get more behind when you have to pick up a chart. Okay, what's going on for this patient you will already be prepared you know take notes, is it their six month re care, is it their six months scale appointment, do they need to check by the dentist, do they not need to check by the dentist. Did they have any cavities at their last visit. Are there any watch areas do you have to take x-rays look at all of that inside the chart before you get started before you seat the patient if possible and act like you know what you're doing when you bring the patient back have them have a seat and say to them hello so you are in for a cleaning and I don't think I've seen you today or whatever they're in for my name's Andrea so nice to meet you I don't think I've seen you before. Do you have any questions any tooth concerns that really you know you act like you know what you're doing, not having them sit down and go hi how are you. Do you know what you're doing today, you know it doesn't sound like you know what you're doing right. So, look at all that before you get started I do offer full help inside the course that you need help. So then please, don't worry if you're behind, they don't expect you to be perfect. Don't get every little bit of plaque every little bit of charter off. The secret is the polishing gets most of the plaque off so what I do is I scale first and really focus on that charter. And then after all of that I polish and that gets a lot of it off to polishing doesn't get charter off but it gets plaque off so don't kill yourself, trying to get that sticky plaque off sometimes it's harder than charter I'm telling you. Plus, if you can use your cavatron or piezo ultrasonic scalars first that does the hard work for you if your office has it if your patients okay with it. I kind of help you guys and walk you through that as well. So, and then the next step is, are you expected to sign the patient out. Are you expected to book their next appointment who does it is it you is it the receptionist things to ask at the beginning take notes, you know, ask questions at the beginning at the end of the day, you know, things like that. But they won't expect you to be perfect don't you worry. Don't expect to be done on time either so let's say you're making plans after work it's your first day you're excited, you're done work at five. Don't expect to be done at five don't even expect to be done at six I could be wrong, but let's just say you're half an hour behind. So then you're done at 630 but then you have to tidy up. You might want to talk to the office manager, you might want to talk to the dentist who hired you you might want to talk to a dental assistant who has time to talk. You might have questions. So don't expect to be out of there right on time. Don't just don't expect that because then you're going to think oh what did I do wrong I'm like an hour behind what's going on. Don't worry you guys and don't be afraid to ask for help either. Every office is different but sometimes there are dental hygienists hanging around even dental, you know, assistants dental hygienists they know you're new. You're stressed out if they can help you they will if the office is really busy they might not be able to help you honestly even if they want to. So keep that in mind to if nobody's helping you it's not because they don't want to. They might not think you need help if you're doing such a good job you're a pro they might not think you need help so something to keep in mind. That's just kind of the overall ballpark. What I suggest doing at the end of the day is if the dentist is still there the office manager whoever. I suggest asking them say you know thank you so much that was a great first day. Is there anything I can improve on that you noticed I feel like I still have a lot to improve on I was behind. I was getting kind of a feel for the office but how do you feel I did I would love to know. Don't be afraid to ask that that shows initiative that's fantastic. They'll probably say to you hey you did pretty good you're new we weren't expecting that. Smile on your face act positive don't act stress out and you'll be fine you guys I'm here to help I'm here to help so I have the course link down below for you it's called dental LRDH where I offer help on every little step. I offer your chart help on how to stay on time. I offer help with your chart notes. I offer help with organizing your trays all of that, taking x rays, how to talk to patients how to talk to difficult patients, how to talk to patients who don't shut up and you don't want to be behind and they want to tell you all about their weekend. I help you guys with all of that because I have 16 years experience. I wouldn't expect you guys to know any of that so let me help you and guess what, I love dental this is my job, I love it. So I'm the one to learn from. Thank you guys so much for watching please click like if you haven't already it really helps my channel, make sure to click subscribe because I do upload new videos often. And thanks again you guys let me know if you have any questions and I'll talk to you guys in the next video. Bye for now.