559 Standards of Care: Why Dental Hygiene Must Own Its Professional Framework

JoAnn Gurenlian joins Jessica and Dave for a practical conversation about the purpose, evolution, and everyday importance of the Standards for Clinical Dental Hygiene Practice.   From understanding the difference between standards of care and scope of practice to applying professional standards in real-world clinical situations, this episode explores how standards can help dental hygienists strengthen clinical judgment, documentation, ethical decision-making, and patient outcomes.   What We Talked About The purpose and evolution of the Standards for Clinical Dental Hygiene Practice   Why standards of care matter for every dental hygienist, regardless of practice setting   Common misconceptions about standards and scope of practice   How standards support clinical judgment, documentation, and patient outcomes   The relationship between standards, ethics, and professional accountability   How educators can help students move beyond memorization to implementation   Practical ways clinicians can incorporate the standards into everyday patient care   The future of standards and what dental hygienists need to understand moving forward   Call to Action Take a fresh look at the Standards for Clinical Dental Hygiene Practice and consider how they apply to your own clinical decision-making, documentation, patient care, and professional responsibilities. Whether you are a student, educator, or practicing dental hygienist, use the standards as a framework for putting evidence, ethics, and professional judgment into action.   Resources and Links JoAnn Gurenlian on LinkedIn ADHA Standards for Clinical Dental Hygiene Practice — Process of Care AAP Staging and Grading Periodontitis Chairside Guide — Periodontal evaluation Dental Hygiene: Theory and Practice by Darby & Walsh ADA CDT Codes Guest Contact: Joanng@adha.net Co-host Contacts: jatkinson@endeavorb2b.com | dtorres@endeavorb2b.com