Rhonda Green, RDH, BS

Registered Dental Hygienist | Prevention • Education • Advocacy • Leadership Page 1 WHAT I DO EVERY DAY AS A REGISTERED DENTAL HYGIENIST More than a profession - a daily commitment to prevention, health, education, trust, and leadership. I Don't Just Clean Teeth. I Change the Trajectory of Health. Every day I put on my scrubs, I step into a role that is far greater than what many people see from the outside. I am a Registered Dental Hygienist - a clinician, prevention specialist, educator, investigator, patient advocate, coach, and trusted healthcare professional. Yes, I remove plaque, calculus, and stain, but that is only one small part of the responsibility I carry into my operatory every day. Clinical Eyes That Never Stop Assessing Before I ever pick up an instrument, I am assessing. I review medical histories, medications, allergies, radiographs, previous periodontal findings, and changes in a patient's health. I evaluate gingival tissues, bleeding, inflammation, recession, mobility, attachment loss, bone levels, plaque, calculus, and periodontal pocket depths. I compare what I see today with what was present six months ago, a year ago, or several years ago. I recognize patterns, progression, improvement, and warning signs. Sometimes I am the first healthcare professional to notice that something has changed. Prevention Is Powerful I screen for abnormalities and conditions that may require additional evaluation. I look for suspicious lesions, tissue changes, signs of infection, xerostomia, medication-related effects, periodontal disease, and other oral findings that can affect a person's quality of life. I understand that the mouth is not an isolated part of the body. Oral health and systemic health intersect, and the information my patients share with me matters. Their diagnoses, medications, habits, nutrition, stress, and daily routines can influence what I see clinically and how I care for them. Skill, Science, and Clinical Judgment I perform preventive and nonsurgical periodontal care while constantly making clinical observations. I may administer local anesthesia when appropriate, manage sensitivity, care for patients with implants and extensive restorative work, and adapt treatment for people with complicated medical histories or dental anxiety. While my hands are working, my mind is asking questions: Why is this tissue bleeding? Has this pocket deepened? Is this recession progressing? Is this patient's disease stable? Does the patient need periodontal therapy, maintenance, additional imaging, a referral, or further evaluation by the dentist? That constant process of observation and decision-making is clinical judgment. I Turn Information Into Understanding Education is one of the most powerful instruments I use. I take complicated information about biofilm, inflammation, periodontal disease, nutrition, home care, risk factors, and prevention and translate it into language a patient can understand. I do not simply tell someone to brush better or floss more. I show them what is happening, explain why it matters, help them understand their personal risk, and give them realistic

Registered Dental Hygienist | Prevention • Education • Advocacy • Leadership Page 2 strategies they can actually use at home. Knowledge becomes meaningful when a patient understands how to apply it. I Meet People Where They Are Some patients arrive embarrassed because they have not received dental care in years. Some are frightened because of a painful experience from childhood. Some feel ashamed of their teeth. Others are overwhelmed by the amount of treatment they need. My responsibility is not to shame them. My responsibility is to create a space where they feel safe enough to begin again. When a nervous patient relaxes, when someone finally understands their periodontal condition, or when a patient says, 'No one has ever explained it to me like that before,' that moment counts. Relationships Are Part of the Medicine Dental hygiene is uniquely personal because I may care for the same person several times a year for many years. I learn their stories. I celebrate their progress. I notice when something feels different. I encourage the patient who is trying to stop smoking. I celebrate the periodontal patient whose bleeding has dramatically improved. I coach the patient who is struggling with home care instead of giving up on them. Sometimes I am simply the healthcare professional who listens when someone needs to be heard. Trust is not a line item on a treatment plan, but it can completely change a patient's willingness to care for themselves. Leadership Extends Beyond My Operatory As a Lead Registered Dental Hygienist, my responsibility extends beyond the patients sitting in my own chair. I mentor and support other hygienists, encourage clinical consistency, help strengthen patient education, monitor workflow, support efficient scheduling, pay attention to supplies and production, and help the hygiene department function at a high level. I understand that excellent patient care and a healthy, productive practice do not have to compete with one another. With strong systems, communication, accountability, and compassion, they can strengthen each other. Every Detail Counts Throughout the day, I document thoroughly, follow infection-control protocols, maintain patient safety, communicate with the dentist and team, manage unexpected findings, educate patients, stay aware of the schedule, turn over my operatory, prepare for the next person, and then give that patient the attention they deserve. The pace can be demanding, but the standard remains the same: every patient deserves to feel that their health matters. This Is Dental Hygiene So when someone asks, 'You're a dental hygienist - so you clean teeth?' my answer is yes, but I do so much more. I am a prevention specialist. I am a periodontal clinician. I am an educator. I am an advocate. I am a healthcare professional. I have the opportunity to prevent disease, recognize disease, influence behavior, restore confidence, protect health, and change someone's relationship with their own body. And It Counts.

Registered Dental Hygienist | Prevention • Education • Advocacy • Leadership Page 3 Every assessment counts. Every periodontal measurement counts. Every conversation counts. Every abnormality I notice counts. Every frightened patient who leaves feeling safe counts. Every person who finally understands their disease counts. Every healthier decision made because I took the time to educate someone counts. Every hygienist I mentor counts. Every moment I advocate for excellent care counts. This profession is skilled. It is scientific. It is preventive. It is personal. It is powerful. I do not simply clean teeth. I help people protect something they use every single day to eat, speak, smile, communicate, and live confidently. I protect health. I build trust. I educate. I advocate. I lead. And I am proud to be a Registered Dental Hygienist.