by Lancette VanGuilder, BS, RDH, PHEDH, CEAS, FADHA
October 16, 2024

Lancette VanGuilder, BS, RDH, PHEDH, CEAS, FADHA

In today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, dental hygienists are uniquely positioned to step up and take on more significant roles in overall health and wellness. Traditionally seen as just ‘tooth cleaners,’ the new era of the profession is a much broader role—one that transcends the confines of the dental chair and fully addresses oral-systemic health.

The days of staying in a narrow comfort zone are over. Now is the time for dental hygienists to step out of those boundaries and acknowledge their full potential. It starts by recognizing the amount of education required to graduate from an accredited institution, pass a national examination and obtain licensure. It means fully recognizing that the mouth is not an isolated system but intricately connected to the entire body. It means embracing technology and tools to accurately assess, educate and treat conditions.

Issues like tooth decay, gum disease, oral cancer, and airway health (such as obstructive sleep apnea) have profound effects on overall health, and dental hygienists are often the first line of defense. Poor oral health is not an isolated problem in one part of the body, just often the first sign of a much more complex health issues such as poor metabolic health, lack of sleep/hydration, excessive sugar, and lack of proper nutrition. A more comprehensive care system is necessary to enhance both oral and overall health.

When dental hygienists are able to practice to the full scope of their education in dental settings and begin to be embedded into medical settings, wellness centers, schools, nursing homes, hospitals, heart attack and stroke centers, ENT, speech therapy and sleep apnea clinics (just to name a few), they would be poised to be on the front lines to provide health education, disease prevention and live-saving screenings. If everyone had access to a dental hygienist who embraces their role as an elite healthcare provider, just think of the amazing impact we could have on improving the health of a nation.

Salivary Testing

The dental hygienist of today must be more than just a clinician. They must also be an educator, an advocate, and a thought leader in the larger healthcare community. This includes taking on leadership roles in medical-dental collaborations, networking, and investing in the profession through membership in the American Dental Hygienists’ Association and the American Academy for Oral Systemic Health. It is important to elevate the standard of care by integrating airway and sleep health into their practice, perform salivary testing, assess growth and development and habits in children, screen for chronic diseases, provide health and nutrition coaching, and pursue professional autonomy.

Stepping up in this way requires courage and a willingness for dental hygienists to step out of traditional comfort zones. For now, it means breaking down barriers to improve access to dental care and allowing dental hygienists to practice at the full scope of their education level. It means removing restrictive regulations around licensure and practice, offering new certifications, and creating new career pathways in and out of the dental office. It involves educating patients and all healthcare providers alike about the vital connections between oral health and systemic conditions. For the future, elevating and refining an entire profession may require transformation in areas such as entry level dental hygiene education, policy making and organizational leadership.

Dental hygienists are essential primary care providers, enhancing not only the industry but also the health and well-being of the patients they serve. By embracing this expanded role, they are helping to shape the future of healthcare—one person, one airway, and one smile at a time.
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Lancette VanGuilder, BS, RDH, PHEDH, CEAS, FADHA, is the 2024-2025 ADHA ADHA President Elect. She also currently serves as the clinical director for Sierra Sleep, Airway and Wellness Center in Reno, Nevada. Lancette is a complete health dental hygienist committed to improving practitioner and patient health while bridging the medical-dental divide. Learn more about Lancette.