Social Responsibility of the Registered Dental Hygienist: Examining Our Role in the Context of the Community

by Joanne Peazel McCavery, RDH, BSc


As dental hygienists, we are defined by our education, our written and clinical examinations, and our registration with a regulatory body.  Dental hygiene is a profession, one of a few dozen legislated by the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, as set for by the Health Professions Regulatory Advisory Council. We are guided by standards, regulations, bylaws, and codes and we strive to meet the requirements for registration to practice this wonderful profession.  We demonstrate a commitment to continuing education and quality assurance, all the while supported by a compassionate and caring nature; these characteristics are what led many of us to become dental hygienists in the first place.

The majority of dental hygienists apply their knowledge, skills, attitude, and judgement in traditional private practice settings, although we are certainly not confined to this, and many have ventured into non-traditional areas.  As we practice in a multitude of settings, we might ponder how far our obligations as oral health care professionals extend, and this inquiry becomes more relevant the more we diversify.   

We may wonder who our client really is.  Is it the person seated in the dental chair, or should we include their spouse at home or their homebound great grandmother in a long term care facility?  Are the children in the elementary school down the street our clients? Do we consider the people we don’t see as being our clients, simply because of their proximity or association?

From time to time, I have asked myself when my dental hygiene hat should come off.  I feel that I am always a dental hygienist, but where do I draw the line between speaking up for oral health and stepping on a stranger’s toes, (to put it delicately,) because I notice her 9-month old child drinking a bottle of cola? What, if any, is my obligation? And where does that obligation end, or should I consider it to be limitless?

My client and I are partners in their care, but how do I develop a smooth transition between what is my responsibility and what is theirs? 

Questions like these can and will continue for days, weeks, and longer. But why do these questions arise in the first place?  The questions are important, as they initiate dialogue, contemplation, and professional progression. But equally important is where do we find the answers?

What do I, as part of this knowledgeable and compassionate dental hygiene collective, do on account of my professional responsibility to my community?

Well to start, I join the provincial and national dental hygiene associations.  The larger their numbers, the stronger their voices.  What they’re saying, pleading, and shouting is oral health for all. And I want to be a part of that message.

Next, I keep my dental hygiene hat on and instead try to focus on how I am sending the message and how it is supposed to be received: I focus on communication and the human interaction.

Finally, I am a firm supporter of volunteering, and this is probably my favourite way to assuage some of my social responsibilities.  Volunteering my time, skills, knowledge, or resources can vary greatly with what I’m comfortable with and able to give.  I can choose to volunteer a few hours per year, to a few days per week, or anything in between.

For a time, I felt that my volunteering should be geared towards oral health promotion and dental hygiene-related activities.  Although I have a fair amount of oral health knowledge to share with my community, I’ve reconsidered and decided to be more flexible with how I give myself. I do participate in health promotion activities in my community, and that is my primary focus, but I also find myself fundraising, helping people improve their reading, or wrapping presents for underprivileged children at the holidays.  (That doesn’t mean we can’t read about oral health or I won’t sneak a few toothbrushes and floss into the gifts...)

If you’re new to volunteering or haven’t done it for a while, and would like to begin slowly, there are a lot of short-term, no commitment opportunities available. You can also look into positions that require certain skills or activities that you enjoy doing or are passionate about.

Below are some of the links that I use for sourcing volunteer positions:

1.  volunteer Toronto: http://www.volunteertoronto.ca/

2.  Canadian Volunteer Directory: http://www.canadian-universities.net/Volunteer/

3.  Yonge Street Mission: http://www.ysm.ca/

Volunteer positions can also be created wherever you see a gap or a need within your community. A new oral health promotion program targeting a specific population might be easier to start up than you think.

 

If you’d like more information about how you can get more involved in your community or you’d like to share your special story about how you give back, drop me a line.  It would be great to connect, inspire, and motivate each other! 

Be the change you want to see.