The hygiene team is the cornerstone of every general dental visit and practice. Staying abreast of clinical and technological innovations is instrumental to treating the patients
that hygiene teams in Dental Care Alliance (DCA)-supported practices serve each day; but so too is supporting and developing the people that comprise DCA-supported practices’ world-class hygiene teams. Through the empowerment and elevation of DCA supported practices’ hygiene providers, under the leadership of Dr. Sarah Balaster, a board-certified periodontist and DCA’s Chief Dental Officer for Specialty & Hygiene, DCA is improving its support of hygienists to unprecedented and industry-leading levels.
At the core of any hygiene team is the support and development that is critical to nurturing and growing people. DCA’s allied practices leverage best-in-class hygiene coaches to help build and maintain strong relationships with new and current hygienists. “Hygiene coaches help retain talent by providing the individual support hygienists need,” shared Dr. Balaster. “The advanced training and development opportunities show how seriously we take supporting dental hygiene at DCA, and how dedicated DCA is in supporting allied practices to elevate hygienists from individuals who clean teeth to oral health care providers.”
At DCA, we continue to enhance offerings to allied practices through world-class dental hygiene care workshops. We are proud to continue to enable the development of the hygienists that we are fortunate to support. DCA will be supporting existing and future allied practices offering these programs both live and remotely. Through regular workshops and trainings such as these, DCA’s team of world class hygiene coaches provide the local leadership and guidance that allow the broad network of hygienists to add exceptional value to every DCA-supported practice.
With the support of Glory Grossbard, DCA’s Vice President of Hygiene, the world-class dental hygiene care workshops set DCA apart in the DSO space, making DCA the only leading dental support organization to offer such deep and long-enduring onboarding and leadership development programs for hygienists at all levels. DCA supported practices continue to achieve impressive and sustainable results and to thrive and grow year in and year out. “DCA continues to build trusting and strong relationships with both new and existing allied hygienists, giving them the support needed to reach their full potential,” says Grossbard. “With this support structure in place, DCA allied practices are uniquely able to elevate their dental hygiene care.”
On the innovation side, DCA has made significant investments in cutting edge technologies that will enable allied practices and hygienists to improve clinical outcomes and the patient experience, including artificial intelligence, CBCT units, and Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT). GBT is an innovative, ergonomic technology in hygiene that has received positive reviews from both the patients and hygienists who utilize it. The principal behind GBT is the treatment of oral disease though the removal of oral plaque, also known as biofilm, the root cause of gum disease, cavities, and bad breath. Hygienists love GBT because they can deliver healthy clean mouths without the use of heavy vibration, gritty pastes, or repetitive hand scaling. Patients receiving GBT treatment love that it is a more comfortable cleaning, allows for shorter treatment times, and it is state-of-the-art care.
DCA’s support enables allied practices and hygienists to stay abreast of the latest clinical practices, periodontal protocols, and guidelines provided by the AAP/ADA. In doing this, DCA allied hygienists are able to approach each patient in a holistic way so that overall wellness is the primary goal. DCA empowers allied hygienists to advocate for these proven strategies through educational training for allied hygienists, supporting their continued development as effective communicators.
To further support allied hygienists, a dedicated Hygiene Neighborhood is nearing completion on smile! DCA’s virtual community and recognition platform. This will allow an open, virtual space for all allied hygienists to connect, find resources, and come together to learn and grow. Complementing this, DCA regularly adds new resources and training courses to the DCA Career Academy, its learning management system.
“You never get a second chance to make a first impression. At Dental Care Alliance, we made a promise to deliver the industry’s best support,” adds Kelly Stillman, Vice President, Communication & Culture.
“This starts with a great recruiting and onboarding experience and creating a community of individuals who are committed and passionate about providing exceptional patient care; and then, providing a place where they can share and learn together. It is what makes DCA and its allied practices the incredibly special organization that more than 775 hygienists call home today.”
DCA supported practices are always seeking, hiring, and onboarding new hygienists. Through investments in technology, through a commitment to supporting hygienists and their training and development, and under the leadership of Dr. Balaster, DCA is leading the industry in our dedication to these allies and to supporting excellence in patient care. The focused support of training, technology, and all the additional support DCA provides is advancing hygienists and enhancing the impact they have on the patient experience.
