Evolve or repeat: What will you choose for your dental hygiene career in 2024?
I recently heard a quote that’s had an impact on me ever since—"evolve or repeat." The words stopped me in my tracks. They motivated me to evaluate what I’ve allowed to play on repeat in my life. It made me think about the hygienists I’ve coached who tell me they don’t have the skills to achieve a certain goal when in reality they have everything they need. We often allow results from our past to dictate future events. We allow painful experiences (that may have taught us a lot) to become limiting beliefs and dictate what’s possible. If we allow fear to be in the driver's seat, it will only limit us.
Here’s the interesting thing about our brain: it’s trained to keep us safe. Our brain is looking for the small signs that our body is stressed and at risk of harm. This is, of course, a skill that has served humans for thousands of years. However, when we’re growing and evolving, our body wants to pull us back into safety, back to the known, even if the known is not serving us, sparking joy, or achieving our goals.
We choose between evolve or repeat. Allow me to offer a few practical tips to move you toward your own evolution in 2024.
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“Change your mindset, change your results”
If only this were as easy to achieve as it is to say. This catchy phrase is the secret to anyone who has achieved success in their life. There was a point in my career where I thought I would never find an office that allowed me to be my true self and work as a part of the team. I wanted to have autonomy in the clinical care I provided. I wanted to focus on recommending products and procedures in a way that best served patients to reduce their disease.
It wasn’t until I worked on shifting my own limiting beliefs that my limits disappeared. Changing one’s mindset must begin with keeping score of your thoughts. There are many ways to do this; my personal favorite is to start the day by listing five things I’m grateful for. This helps me start the day by looking for all the good that surrounds me. What we focus on grows; therefore, taking the time to be grateful for the small things shifts one’s perspective.
Exhale the stale
If it’s not serving you, let it go. This does not mean immediately letting go of your imperfect clinical job. This is more about the energy we carry into and out of the practice. Many dental hygienists are empathetic, which is what drew us to the profession. Personally, I work each hour to release any negative energy from the previous hour. This can look as simple as letting go of the fact that my patient was 15 minutes late and then asked to use the restroom.
Instead of building resentment and allowing the thousands of daily micro-interactions to negatively impact me, I intentionally let them go. In fact, at every appointment I wipe the slate clean. It’s an opportunity for me to evolve and improve my clinical skills, improve my communication skills, and empower my patients and peers.
Conflict versus conversation
I once worked with a dental hygienist who suffered in silence. I’d watch her daily interaction with the autoclave. When she saw that the autoclave was loaded in a way that conflicted with proper sterilization, her body would change. I’d watch her shoulders raise to her ears as she unpacked and repacked the entire autoclave. She never said a word to her coworker about fixing the problem. She was so terrified of conflict that she suffered daily instead of having a quick, respectful conversation that would have led to a solution.
When she vented to me about it, I told her to have a conversation directly with the person. I’ll never forget her face; it’s as if I’d asked her to go into a lion's den. We must learn that a conversation doesn’t have to be a huge conflict. There are ways to communicate with one another in a supportive, educational manner without shaming someone. The past version of me would have had the conversation for her and solved the problem. Instead, I allowed her the opportunity to evolve.
RDH Evolution
RDH Evolution is an event that’s close to my heart. I’ve been a part of it since it began in 2019. The RDH Evolution conference provides dental hygienists with networking and foundational business aspects and inspires them to clarify the direction in which they’d like to take their careers.
In addition to the educational segments, there are ample opportunities to learn how to diversify your career firsthand by networking with corporate sponsors looking for new talent. The conference is before RDH Under One Roof, from July 15 through July 17, in beautiful Denver, Colorado. You can work to evolve, with RDH Evolution.
This year, I hope you follow those small nudges in your heart that excited you about dental hygiene. Maybe this year is the year that you implement salivary testing, become certified to provide myofunctional therapy, or apply for a clinical job that you feel you may not be fully ready for.
The interesting thing is that if your goals scare you, you're on the right track. If they stretch you, you're on the right track. Get back in the driver’s seat and leave fear in the review mirror. This is the year that you evolve, not repeat. I’d love to support you in achieving your goals, so let’s make 2024 the best year yet together!
Amber Auger MPH, RDH, is an international lecturer, the 2019 Sunstar RDH Award of Distinction, editorial director for RDH Graduate, creator of Thrive in the Op, and the Functional RDH Certification. Amber has more than 18 years of experience in the dental field and has been practicing dental hygiene since 2010. An active mentor to fellow hygienists, she champions personal and professional growth through her innovative Thrive in the Op on-demand courses and live coaching sessions. She can be reached at [email protected].
