When I began my career as a hygienist, I wanted to feel like I was making a difference in patients’ lives every day. I was able to achieve that goal by finding my dental home in 2016 at Aspen Dental. I have been very fortunate to work with amazing doctors, dental professionals and other team members who have helped me grow as both a provider and a leader.
Now, I strive to pass along the skill sets, lessons and core values I’ve learned from my mentors to new hygienists as well. As a hygienist trainer, here are three important components of my mentorship style that help me encourage not only my mentees, but also myself to continue to grow and develop.
Practice what you preach
As a mentor, you need to not only offer guidance and support, but also serve as a role model for your mentees. I have experienced this firsthand both as a mentor and as a mentee. When I first joined Aspen Dental, I spent three months training with an incredible float hygienist in Illinois. Working alongside her, I was able to see how she interacted with doctors and team members, how she approached difficult cases and how she connected with patients. Instead of simply telling me what to do, she showed me how to be a better provider.
As a hygienist trainer, I regularly incorporate the "practice what you preach" ethos into my mentorship style. Especially with new hires, seeing is believing. When your mentees can watch you do everything from performing difficult procedures to treating patients as individuals instead of numbers, everybody benefits. You know you are providing the best possible team and patient experience, and your mentees gain a better understanding of what it means to be a hardworking provider.
Learn from your mentees
Every time I train a new hire, I feel as though they teach me just as much as I teach them. Especially for experienced providers, it can be easy to slip into the teacher role with your mentees and forget that you can also learn from them. New advances are made in dentistry every day, and often, new graduates have been trained in different techniques, protocols and procedures that weren’t standard practice in the past. By being open to learning from our mentees, we can take advantage of everything they bring to the table, too.
For example, I’ve learned so much about verbiage, patient care and time management from my trainees. This has been invaluable, considering how something like time management can be one of the biggest challenges for hygienists.
The best mentor-mentee relationship is reciprocal, which goes hand-in-hand with practicing what you preach. You should always be open to learning, no matter who that new information may come from.
Embrace networking
The larger your professional network, the greater your learning opportunities. I have the benefit of working within an organization that spans the entire country, which means there is always someone who can offer advice or guidance, even if they are in another state. Networking not just with your local region, but also with other states, positions and departments can enrich everything from your clinical skill sets to your patient care strategies.
I make sure to embrace networking for myself, and I encourage my mentees to do so as well. You never know where your next "a-ha!" moment may come from, so being open to learning from people from a variety of positions, locations and backgrounds can only make you both a stronger provider and a better mentor.
Create a cycle of strong mentorship
By practicing what you preach, learning from your mentees and embracing the opportunities of networking, you can also demonstrate what it means to be the best possible mentor. I’ve worked with countless providers who have learned how to interact with their mentees from their own mentors.
This pay-it-forward mentality creates a positive cycle with massive benefits that trickle down not just to other providers and team members, but also, most importantly, to patients. By uplifting and supporting one another, we’re creating the most inviting atmosphere for each and every patient who sits in our chairs.
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Emily Rister, RDH, is a hygienist in Indiana, and has been with Aspen Dental since 2016. In addition to providing the best possible patient care, she loves training new hygienists and volunteering her skills to increase access to dental care for those in need.