Tips for Temps

• Be Prepared!
  Utilize Google Maps to see how long it will take you to get to your assignment and plan on arriving 15 minutes prior to your first patient. Show up ready to learn.
• Find a helper asap!
  As soon as you arrive to an office for the first time, find someone who can show you to your room and get you started. Have them log you into your computer and ask as many questions as possible in a limited amount of time. Take notes! Blend in as much as possible with regular staff and find a good balance of independence and asking for help throughout the day.
• Familiarize yourself with the office.
  Look at the schedule and familiarize yourself with the program being used and how that office prefers for you to use it (auto notes, tx planning, x-ray protocol, new patient protocol, checking patients out and rescheduling, etc.). Look through all cabinets and drawers, find the supply closet, get familiar with sterilization protocol, where sensors are kept, doctor preferences, etc.
• Smile!
  Be kind, friendly, and helpful. Use your time wisely. If there is downtime, ask to help others in the office, go through and study your patients on the schedule, or catch up on your notes. If all else fails, clean and dust the room.
• Be courteous!
  Don’t leave the room a mess for the hygienist coming in the next work day. Clean up at the end of the day, empty trash if needed, and set up for the next day. Put everything back in order in which you found it.
• Face challenges with enthusiasm!
  Some offices will be more challenging than others. Stay professional! Every challenge is an opportunity for growth and character building. Don’t let others with a bad attitude ruin your day. Just keep smiling and do the work that you came to do.
• The instrument dilemma!
  Not every office will carry your favorite instruments and not every office will have sharp instruments. Feel free to bring your own, or ask another hygienist if newer, sharper instruments are available.