Dental assistants and hygienists are looking for new ways to grow beyond clinical care, according to Caitlin Reen, clinical director of hygiene and assisting at Tend.
Ms. Reen recently started her new role with Tend to support the dental organization's dental assistants and hygienists.
Tend offers full-service dentistry and transparent pricing while prioritizing patients' comfort during appointments. The company has 25 offices spanning several cities, including Atlanta, New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., Nashville and Westport, Conn.
Ms. Reen recently spoke with Becker's about her new role and the biggest challenges facing dental assistants and hygienists today.
Editor's note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What interested you in this position with Tend?
Caitlin Reen: I was intrigued by Tend's mission of "dental done differently." Tend is truly unique in that it aims to be a disrupter in the dental space, bringing the element of hospitality to dentistry that is lacking across the industry. Joining Tend at such an early stage is an exciting opportunity, and I'm looking forward to writing our playbook as we forge our path in the DSO space.
Q: What are some goals you have for yourself in this new position?
CR: Operationally, my goal is to capitalize on our current strengths and assess our opportunities to create processes to help our hygiene business excel and remain profitable. Clinically, my goal is to support our hygienists and assistants so that they are empowered to provide optimal patient care. My ultimate goal is for Tend to be the employer of choice for hygienists and assistants through ongoing learning and development, mentorship and clinical innovation.
Q: What are some of the key ways you'll be able to support hygienists and dental assistants working for Tend?
CR: First and foremost, I'm a hygienist so I will always advocate for what is best for our providers and our patients. Dentistry is a relationship game and without building a foundation of trust and communication, nothing will get accomplished. We have so many exciting things in the pipeline this year for our hygienists and assistants — from transforming our onboarding and training programs, to implementing new technology, to evolving our learning and development systems and focusing on mentorship and career growth — our team will have the support they need to accomplish their goals.
Q: What trends are you following right now within dental hygiene and dental assisting?
CR: Artificial intelligence is already transforming dentistry. It's such a great tool to help assist our clinicians in providing accurate diagnoses and involve the patient in the treatment planning process. I think salivary diagnostics is very interesting. To be able to pinpoint the cause of certain infections and provide targeted, personalized care plans for our patients to achieve optimal oral health is a fantastic tool. And of course digital dentistry — scanning, 3D printing, etc. — is benefiting patients and providers alike with more efficient appointments and overall improved experiences.
Q: What are two or three big challenges facing hygienists and dental assistants today?
CR: I think it's safe to say that we are all facing the impacts of the dental staffing shortage. For our full-time hygienists and assistants, this can lead to longer hours, additional work days and accelerated burnout. Another common challenge I hear from both hygienists and dental assistants is the lack of career growth. So many are looking for opportunities to grow both clinically and beyond the operatory but are unsure of where to start or how to get there. At Tend, we're hyperfocused on creating professional development opportunities for all of our team members, both in and out of the operatory.