Empowering Hygienists to Own Their Operatory

Are we bringing our best ideas? Are we continuing to learn and bring back what we know to the practice? Because many of us can go to a CE course, no matter whose course it is, and feel like we're coming back into something that we're like, oh my gosh, I don't know how I'm going to ever get the support to bring this back in. Welcome to the Phil Klein Dental Podcast. What does it mean for dental hygienists to take charge of the operatory? Traditionally seen as supporting roles, hygienists have focused on cleaning teeth and patient education. But our guest today believes they can do much more, enhancing case acceptance, improving clinical outcomes, and elevating overall patient care. Her mission is to empower hygienists to lead, take ownership of their role, and contribute beyond their clinical duties. Stepping into leadership isn't without challenges. Some hygienists struggle with shifting from a reactive to a proactive mindset and navigating team dynamics. Today, we'll explore common obstacles and practical strategies to help hygienists implement a leadership-oriented approach. Our guest is Dr. Kelly Tanner. She's a registered dental hygienist who holds a PhD in business and leadership. She leverages her expertise to empower dental teams to enhance productivity and accountability, cultivating a culture of ownership in case acceptance, and strengthening patient-team relationships through trust-building strategies. You could reach her and learn more about her courses at nextleveldentalhygiene.com. Dr. Tanner, it's a pleasure to have you on the show. Phil, thank you so much for having me on again. Please call me Kelly. To begin this episode, Kelly, you talk a lot about taking charge of your operatory. And we're going to get into that in this podcast. What do you mean by taking charge of your operatory? It's really, Phil, about taking charge of yourself and being accountable to you. And we can choose, I think we can choose to just be... kind of like a part of things and a practice because if we know about and we're following what's going on in dentistry folks are disgruntled they're not happy how can you look through a different lens to see maybe what the doctor's experiencing how to be a part of the team differently and to get out of the way of maybe your own ego and be a part of the we go of the we and part of that. So how does the concept of taking charge of your operatory differ from traditional approaches to dental hygiene? And what inspired you to develop this whole career of yours where you teach so much about this? Oh my gosh. I think all of us probably have stories in our lives about looking back and saying, how could I have done that differently? Not necessarily out of regret, but knowing what I know now, how would I go back and do something a little bit differently? And so taking charge of your operatory. is more about being proactive versus reactive and co-creating with doctor and your team and bringing ideas and solutions instead of avoiding conversations or what's perceived as conflict, but to seek understanding to grow. So it's really about what do you want? What do you truly want out of your profession? And are you acting in that way every day to get the knowledge, to seek the knowledge, to do your job better for more clinical efficacy, efficiency, all the things, right, to grow as our patients count on us to do? Are we making assumptions? Do we have biases? Of course we do. So how do we get past that to plug in to the rest of the team, the practice? each other ourselves because we know that whatever we're doing phil it doesn't just stay in the out it goes home with us and for how we are affecting or defecting people it can affect their lives And you pointed out to me offline, Kelly, how important it is to take control of how we respond to things in the operatory. Every single action that we're taking, that action towards taking charge of our operatory, even without the title, that action that we take is a vote for the person and the situation that we want to become and what we want to attract in our lives. And as a mentor, Kelly, why did you choose to focus on this? Because I am hoping, because I think we've all felt stuck. And I'm hoping that through the stories I tell, through some things that I can offer, strategies I can offer people, and create understanding that I can inspire and encourage them to reframe their thinking, to lean into what they thought they signed up for in dentistry, helping people. So one of the things that I know you encourage hygienists and dentists to do alike is to stay current as much as they can regarding new changes in dentistry. or reading and learning about this stuff also. So you certainly don't want to be surprised in the operatory. You want to take control of the operatory when you're challenged by a patient, for instance. Talk about that. Because the information keeps changing and the patients have more access to what they're able to read, to understand, to misinterpret as well. I remember when they would bring in magazine articles or stuff ripped out of like good housekeeping or something next to my app. And now they're pulling up their phone and I don't even know what they're about to show me. So are they challenging some of the care that they're having? Are they saying that? What are they reading that they're presenting in front of the hygienist where that hygienist has to be prepared to take control of the message that this patient is providing to them and also keep that patient on track with what they know is correct? Yeah. So when you're in school, you learn about the science and the theory of it. But what we do is we do the applied science and theory, and then you have to learn how to talk to the patient about it. and tell them what they have, what you found and how you're going to help support them and what the problem, the consequence and the solution is of that. So certain things that they would bring up of fluoride. Why are we using this? Why do, why are we treating? gum disease where I've been healthy all of these years, but now health has turned into disease. That's not what I read. I learned that I can cure myself through XYZ, through some TikTok that I've heard. That's misinformation. That's hyped. And we have to be ready for that. So to back up to your original question. It's to truly follow the path and understanding how we take the science that we learn, apply it, being able to communicate that with the patient and being ready and up on our game to be able to connect back with that patient to help them understand their oral and health status throughout their life. So part of controlling the operatory is obviously controlling the message to the patient, making sure they understand what is correct. and evidence-based and what's misinformation, as you mentioned, some of the stuff that comes through TikTok and other social media platforms. And this, of course, will help you get predictable success to the highest level when you have that communication going on on a regular basis with the patient. And all of this, of course, Kelly, requires a certain level of emotional intelligence, does it not? Yeah, certainly. It's all about motivational interviewing, empathy. emotional intelligence that I'm certified in the science of behavior of emotional intelligence. And we're also integrating working with Creighton University of integrating emotional intelligence into dental school as well. It's so cool because if you can, if you can identify those hesitations, those the questions that they're asking, what they're not asking, what that patient values, certainly that's the ultimate case. KPI is to have a patient accept, accept quote unquote, but to take action on what it is that you've recommended because they valued it. They've intrinsically valued it and they want to, they understand that and they say, yes, sign me up for that. I don't know how I can't live with that. But what I talk about moving back from that overall KPI, because that's success for us, right? Having a patient say, absolutely, putting their flag in the ground and backing up to say, how did I get there? What are all the little things that we have to do as providers to get to that ultimate goal with the patient? So it starts with us, though, and understanding how we show up. Right. So an example of that would be the whole scare with fluoride. You know, with kids, the parents come in and say, we don't want a fluoride varnish treatment on my child because I just read that fluoride is... cancer-causing, and they're trying to take it out of water now, and now you're telling me you want to put a fluoride varnish on my kid's teeth. But in reality, fluoride varnish, according to many experts, and I know VOCO has pro-fluoride varnish, which is a very, very popular one, is probably one of the most important procedures you could do on a six-year-old, for instance, to save their molars. So we want to do everything we can as hygienists and dentists to save those first molars. So give us an example of... that situation where the mother says to you here's an article right here let me show it to you on my phone fluoride could cause so many problems and now you want to paint some fluoride varnish on on little tommy's teeth what would you say to that and is that is that part of the taking charge of your operatory an example yeah it is of course it's to understand the science behind it and this is what we learn about in school and not and to be to be in line with what the research is saying and how it's changed because obviously things change every six months we find out more this is why we it's the science of it we continue to learn and we took an oath to continue to learn as as a part of our dental hygiene and our in our dental oath so yes i would start with the differences between the fluoride that's in water and that's in toothpaste, like topically applied versus intrinsically consumed. And I would probably have a, for these type of instances, if it's a practice, if it's a pediatric practice, I would have a brochure that talks about it. That's from our office, like a position, if you will, that just explains the difference. But I would verbalize this to say, here's the difference in the kind of fluoride. And at little Tommy's age, his teeth are still forming and the fluoride in the water. that is actually a naturally occurring substance is at a safe level. And this is the research behind it. Go into all the things depending on how much time I have and how many questions mom has. And tell her about what the consequences are if this... she's against fluoride in the water. But then talk about the difference of the topical fluoride and what's that doing for little Tommy and how long it will be there and how it's supporting Tommy's tooth development. And also the research too about how many school days that children miss because of tooth abscesses. And dental issues and pain. You know, Diamante Driver, tell that story about fluoride and access to care. So it depends on the way that the conversation goes. But to be able to tell your own personal stories, too, and what you're seeing in the practice. But to ultimately, the mom wants autonomy. We each want autonomy. But to give them the information so they can make those decisions. Because that's what we want. So is that some of the emotional intelligence you're talking about, is identifying? how to approach patients on an individual basis based on their personalities? Absolutely. It's listening to what they're saying and what they're not saying. And it's how you're asking the question of, tell me more about that. Tell me more about your concern with that. And then listening, Phil. And it's about waiting those 10 seconds to wait for them to respond because we want to tell them and dump all the information on them. Well, have you seen this article? And to hold space for them because they're ultimately the decision maker for little Tommy in the chair or for anyone, for ourselves. Right. So that emotional intelligence is part of some of the things that you mentor hygienists on through your courses and everything else. And that results in when they go through these programs, and I'm not trying to hype up your courses, but anybody who's teaching this, the idea is that once you get that understanding and knowledge post hygiene school, You can apply that to real life scenarios where you can get patients to a higher level of compliance and of course, a higher predictable clinical outcome, which is the goal. So let's pivot a minute, Kelly, to career satisfaction for the hygienist. How taking control of the operatory, as we talked about so far in this episode, what does that do for career satisfaction and self-esteem and so forth? Well, if you feel like... If any of us feel like we're making a difference in the purpose that we signed up for in our life, I would hope that that would lead to more happiness in our lives because we're happier for our feet to hit the ground in the morning to say, yes, I get to go to work today. I get to feed into my passion. Like we are making a difference. And when that motivation changes, when that passion changes is when it changes us. Feeling that we have that sense of purpose, that we are touching lives in the way that. is meaningful and having the time to do it. And we're not so rushed because on the opposite side, Phil, some of the things that can affect us negatively is feeling that we're out of control of our schedule, that we're not being listened to. This is any of us, right? It doesn't have to just do with the hygienist. This is any of us in our current work situation, in our careers. If we don't feel valued as that person, to speak up, to... to be able to bring ideas into an open culture of our office, then it leads to stagnation and burnout. So in addition to emotional intelligence, which some people have more of than others, that's just natural like anything else. In addition to that, we also need to have on top of our clinical expertise, business acumen. And I know you teach this in your program. the balance between maintaining clinical excellence and developing business acumen skills. Can you give us an example of how these two aspects can complement each other in a dental practice? Yeah. I feel like when we take ownership of what we're doing, if we were to approach it as a hygienist, if we were to approach anyone in the practice, as if we were an associate of the practice, regardless of... what our position and title is whether it's an assistant whether it's a front office manager whether it's a hygienist another dentist if we would approach it like it was our business what would we do and how would what would it feel like and what would you do differently if it were your practice so then i think that then that leads into other behaviors that follow are we are we bringing our best ideas are we continuing to learn and bring back what we know to the practice. Because many of us can go to a CE course, no matter whose course it is, and feel like we're coming back into something that we're like, oh my gosh, I don't know how I'm going to ever get the support to bring this back in because of whatever that is. Maybe doctor's overwhelmed, isn't as supportive, doesn't believe in it, whatever. But I give the strategies to help them crack that nut, to say, here's how you start. Here's how you have a conversation. And Phil, you and I know that with any other human and relationship, communication is so vital to the relationship. and being fruitful, that if we're not brave enough to have the conversation to make the change, then we have to look to see what we're afraid of, right? But it's that being able to learn, to have the confidence to bring it back, to know that you're supported, to make the change toward that patient, to be the associate and the practice. So part of this too is not just, not only, quote, just. doing what we do for the patients every day, but how are we supporting the patients when they leave? Do we have, do we all agree in the practice, the products that we're offering for XYZ condition? So if I have a patient in my chair who has sensitivity, you know, what is it that I'm doing there that I know doctor is in line with? I'm going to go ahead and apply Admira Protect to desensitize the roots. This will last for up to two years, sometimes inevitably. kind of forever is what I find, but they say up to two years. But I am making that patient's experience better. I am building trust. Wouldn't any business owner want to do that? So if you were trying to bring Admirer Protect into the practice as a hygienist, tell us how you would explain it to the dentist, how it's sold, how it's packaged, what it does and so forth. Well, it is sold in a... in a like a dropper and so it's a single dose delivery and it's a fluoride release but what makes it different is that it has resin in it that has greater wear resistance so it's maintaining the occlusion and the dentinal tubules for a longer period of time so Phil if a patient is sensitive to ultrasonic or to or to scaling on root surfaces that I couldn't even anticipate. I apply this, all of a sudden I have built a best friend forever because they're no longer sensitive. I'm able to do what I need to do to meet the patient's objectives as well. And I will say, Kelly, if I heard that from a hygienist and I was the owner of the dental practice, I would certainly take that seriously. And I would respect the hygienist for taking that CE course and learning about it and bringing it back to the practice. You also like ReminPro on the topic of remineralization along with AdmireProtect. How is that used in combination? Well, what I would use is I would use the Admirer Protect. there. And then I would, to support them when they leave is I would, I would recommend the Remen Pro for them to be able to use that at home. So that is something that has like nanohydroxyapatite fluoride. So you're able to have that conversation about the pH level too, Phil, which is something that I also talked to the moms about, which they come to us or the patients, not just the moms about, you know, why, why can't we use nanohydroxyapatite? Why can't we use fluoride? And it's because it behaves differently. with acidic pH. It's not going to be able to bind in this pH. Share with our listeners, if you would, Kelly, how you would typically recommend bringing a new product into a practice after a dental hygienist has attended a CE course. They learned about something that could be very useful, for instance, hypersensitivity. How would they go about doing that where they don't offend anybody, they don't act like they know everything, but they want to introduce the office? to a new product that they learned at a CE event, which is again, mixing the clinical skills with business acumen. Yeah. And this is what I recommend for all, for everybody to do. I would first... contact the rep who was at that CE meeting and say, can I have some samples of this? Whatever, however many samples. I would then talk to a doctor and say, listen, I learned about this new product that is indicated for XYZ. I'm having difficulty, just like Mr. Smith last week, who was in my chair. I used the product that we had and it just didn't quite cut it. So I'm going to try to use this moving forward to see, I kind of been doing my own experiment. I'm doing my own beta test, Phil. This gives me direct feedback that I can provide to the doctor, but the doctor is aware that I'm doing it. And so then I bring back the information to the doctor and say, hallelujah, this helped me out. You wouldn't believe this saved me like 15 minutes. It was so successful. Here's what the patient said about it. And that's the kind of information the doctor is aware of. And then I would go to get information about what it costs to purchase it, what the... what the CDT code is for reimbursement, if that's something that the doctor's wanting for me, I would have all that information. But even if I'm not the expert in that, I mean, the front office can help support on that. So it's not that you have to know all of those things, but that's just what I coach folks to, the way to go about it. Yeah, no, that's a great, I think that's a great strategy. I mean, for you to run to a dentist who owns a practice and say, hey, Dr. So-and-so, you got to buy this. You get two boxes for the price of one. It's a special. You're looking to use a sample and actually get clinical evidence on your own with his approval, his or her approval. And then you could report back to that dental practice owner and say, hey, these are the results I'm getting. So that holds a lot of weight. And also the fact that you have the understanding of the science behind the... the product, because the dentist doesn't always have time to know what's new and what innovations are being brought into, especially dental hygiene, if you're the hygienist. Now, would you do that also at a morning huddle, for instance, where the rest of the team explain how that would work? 100%. And that's what I was just getting ready to say. I would go a step further because I would do my own testing. I would talk to doctor about the outcomes, give them, give him or her the specific examples of what I experienced. And then ideally. Not just a morning huddle, but I think a team meeting, because I think team meetings like once a month are great, or even a hygiene meeting to say, here's what I found. Here's my experience. Here's where I talk to patient about it. Here's the code that I'm using. Here's how it changes your life, patient's life. So I would take charge of my app by caring for my team to tell them about and bring that information back to the team to say, here's something I found. So with every team I've been a part of. When I have learned something new, it's my responsibility to bring that information back. And there's no question in my mind, what you're talking about now is having a hygienist rise to a whole new level in their profession. Not only are they doing the clinical work, but now you're saying that you actually are looking deeper into therapeutic products that can actually enhance your predictable success on these patients. So there's so much there beyond. the labor of actually cleaning someone's teeth i mean that's just so old school having that mentality where now the information is available and now you know besides understanding how to communicate with the patient you need to communicate with your boss right so that's emotion that's emotional intelligence and there's a strategy there so everything you teach is so applicable to a hygiene's career. And I think when they follow a lot of what you teach, their career satisfaction will just be elevated to a point where they're, like you said, they're going to be very excited to get up in the morning to go to work. If you think about what doctors do, they go to CE, they try the product, they buy the thing, whatever the device, the product, get some samples, they bring it back. We're doing exactly what they would do. So we are leading. as their provider. So you're duplicating what doctor does and taking charge of your own existence and what you want. Because like Phil, to your point, if the KPI is if the patient accepts treatment, all the little baby steps that happen along the way is you're building trust, that trust transfer. It's delivering on your promises. You're keeping up with everything that you're doing. You're proving to them time and time again that you're looking out for them and you're going to support them all the way through. wrap up this podcast, Kelly, I want to ask you this last question. In your experience, what's the most significant shift in mindset that dental professionals need to make to truly quote unquote lead as a provider? Knowing that you don't need a title to lead. Many people wait for a title to lead, like a lead hygienist or a lead dental assistant or the front office manager. Where you are in your life, you bring value and you bring worth. So lead from where you are. Lead from where you are. Very well said, Kelly. Thank you very much. For our audience, if they're looking to reach out to you or get more information about your courses, what's the best way to reach you? So you can go to nextleveldentalhygiene.com. I am also having a... Dental Hygiene Retreat in May. If you guys want to go to my website, more information is there. It's in May, hygienists only. It's a restorative transformation. It's about finding you, finding yourself. And then we go into day two with learning more about clinical products, how to talk to your patients, how to go through the workflow to make sure that you are reading the patient with emotional intelligence. And then there's also other courses on the website, Instagram. Next Level DH and would love to help you. I'm only a click away. So that retreat is a little over a month away because it's April 7th today. So where did you say that retreat was taking place? It is in Carolina Beach, North Carolina. It's also people lovingly refer to it as Pleasure Island. And the dates are May 16th and 17th. We arrive on the 15th there and it's kind of like come as you can. We have an amazing list of sponsors there to support you. We have sound healing and all kinds of activities to reinvigorate you. Really exciting stuff. Okay, check it out on her website. Thank you so much, Kelly. And we look forward to having you on future podcasts. Thank you so much. Thanks, Phil.