Philosophy of Practice:

Megan Baitey
4/27/2021
My purpose is to individualize and help people obtain optimum oral health, which in
turn will create better overall health.
When It comes to working in oral health care there are a few things that stand out to be
the most important part of our job. These include: professionalism, well mannered, culturally
sensitive, organized, motivated, well prepared, and a multi-tasker. In addition, using critical
thinking skills and effective communication are also very important.
My role as a professional is to individualize every appointment for our patients that
meets their specific needs. This includes educating patients on their own oral health. Providing
proper oral hygiene instruction based on their needs, explaining to them their current oral
health status, and listening to the patient and answering any questions they may have. In
addition, reassessing their oral health at each consecutive appointment in order to re-evaluate
any change that may be needed.
My goal is to take the skills and education I learned in school and implement it into my
career in order to serve the community. I plan to build on my skills everyday learning from
different experiences and from my patients. I will use those learning experiences to better serve
the community and provide even more exceptional work. My long term-goal is to continually
work on my critical thinking skills, clinical skills, communication, and gaining trust and loyalty
with my patients.
Working in oral healthcare, there are certain values that I believe should always be
maintained. These include: compassion, kindness, reliability, trust, respect, and diversity. As a
clinician I will implement these values to every patient I serve. It is essential that each patient is
treated fairly no matter their race, socioeconomic status, culture, or special needs. I will adapt
to my patient whether it be finding a better way to communicate with each other such as a
translator or working around special requests or needs they have while I provide care. I plan to
have each patient leave my chair feeling comfortable and accepted. Additionally, I will include
the values of the American Dental Hygienists’ Code of Ethics which are: individual autonomy,
confidentiality, societal trust, non-maleficence, beneficence, justice and fairness, and veracity.
My goals and values have changed since starting the dental hygiene program. My
original thought process upon starting was to clean my patients’ teeth and make them feel
more confident with their smile. With all the education I have now in regards to how oral
hygiene affects more than just the oral cavity, my goals are not only to make them feel more
confident, but also to be a partner in bettering their overall health. I can do this by assisting
them with more than just a “cleaning”, but I will also help with educating them on how
systemic diseases affect the oral cavity, smoking education and cessation, and how their
medications might also be contributing to their oral hygiene status. There is so much more we
as oral health care providers can do to help our patients that I originally was not aware of, prior
to the start of the dental hygiene program.
Following the dental hygiene process of care is essential in providing comprehensive
care. Assessing the patient’s oral health is necessary to aid in their diagnosis. Diagnosing the
patient then allows me to start the planning process of treatment. Once the treatment is
planned and consent is given by the patient, I can then implement my skills to provide quality
care. After the care is given, I will then evaluate the patient for any changes that may need to
be made. Documenting at every appointment will help me keep a record of the patient’s oral
health status, needs, and help me or other clinicians with future appointments. The dental
hygiene process of care is crucial to the care of my patients and will be used at every
appointment.
Continuing my education and learning new things is key to keeping up with new
advances, laws, and regulations. It is my responsibility as a clinician to stay informed and be
able to provide my patients with the best care. I can do this by taking continuing education
courses, learning from different experiences, learning from other clinicians, and learning from
my patients. Each day provides an opportunity to learn something new.
The dictionary defines excellence as “the fact or state of excelling; superiority;
eminence”. Excellent is what we should all strive to be as health care providers. I don’t want to
settle at being subpar. I want to go above and beyond in all aspects of care. I want to provide
quality, but I also want my patient leaving the chair feeling safe, heard, and respected. I don’t
want any patient’s leaving without me feeling confident in the quality of care they received. I
want the care I provide to always be excellent.
My vision for the future is to work in a very team-oriented dental office. One that values
and respects everyone as health care providers. A place where I can put my best foot forward
and strive to be the best clinician that I can be for myself and for my patients. In the next five to
ten years, I picture myself working for a general dentist. I believe working for general dentistry
would give me a good variety of patients ranging from age, race, oral health status, and
socioeconomic status. By seeing such a wide range of patients, it would allow me to keep
building on my skills and continually work on improving every aspect of care such as:
radiographs, local anesthesia, assessments, communication, oral hygiene instruction, treatment
planning, preventative measures, restorative, etc.
 References

ADHA Code of Ethics. (2019, June). American Dental Hygienists’ Association.

https://www.adha.org/resources-docs/ADHA_Code_of_Ethics.pdf

Definition of excellence | Dictionary.com. (n.d.). Www.Dictionary.Com. Retrieved April 26,

2021, from https://www.dictionary.com/browse/excellence