Dental Hygienist – New Patient Experience Lead (RDH)

Dental Hygienist – New Patient Experience Lead (RDH)

Total Wellness Dental Studio | Worthington, Ohio

Pay: $60–$65 per hour, based on experience and demonstrated clinical abilities
Job Type: Full-Time
Schedule: Monday–Thursday, 8:30 AM–5:00 PM (Fridays Off!)
Experience Required: Minimum 5 years of clinical dental hygiene experience

A Different Kind of Dental Hygiene Opportunity

Are you an experienced dental hygienist who loves comprehensive dentistry, meaningful patient conversations, and helping people feel confident about their care?

At Total Wellness Dental Studio, we believe exceptional dentistry begins with meaningful relationships, comprehensive patient education, and a personalized approach to care.

We're seeking an experienced, highly skilled Registered Dental Hygienist to lead our comprehensive new-patient experience.

This is a unique opportunity for a hygienist who loves the clinical side of dentistry but is equally passionate about connecting with patients, explaining treatment, and helping people make informed decisions about their oral health.

Unlike a traditional hygiene position, this role is dedicated to guiding patients through their first visit with our practice. You'll work closely with Dr. Massa to create an organized, thorough, and welcoming experience where patients feel heard, understood, and never rushed.

What Makes This Role Different?

You'll typically see 2–3 new patients per day, with 90 minutes dedicated to each comprehensive visit.

Rather than managing a traditional hygiene column, you'll focus on creating an exceptional first experience for every new patient.

You'll guide patients through their initial consultation, comprehensive diagnostics, periodontal evaluation, and personalized education. You'll collaborate closely with Dr. Massa on clinical findings and treatment recommendations before providing a seamless handoff to our treatment coordinator.

Your primary responsibility is to ensure every new patient feels heard, thoroughly educated, and confident about their dental health and next steps.

When clinically appropriate and time permits, you'll also have the opportunity to initiate same-day preventive or periodontal hygiene treatment for your new patients.

What You'll Do

Lead the New-Patient Experience

• Serve as the primary clinical point of contact throughout each new-patient appointment.
• Build genuine relationships by understanding each patient's dental history, concerns, expectations, and personal goals.
• Create a welcoming, comfortable environment for patients with varying needs, including dental anxiety, special needs, financial concerns, and high expectations for their care.
• Demonstrate exceptional emotional intelligence, recognizing and adapting to each patient's personality, communication preferences, and comfort level.
• Manage appointments efficiently while ensuring patients never feel rushed or overlooked.

Deliver Exceptional Clinical Care

• Capture accurate, diagnostic-quality full-mouth radiographs (FMX), periapicals, bitewings, and panoramic images.
• Perform comprehensive periodontal evaluations, including probing depths, recession, bleeding, mobility, and furcation involvement.
• Utilize iTero digital scanning technology to assess and educate patients about their oral health, including occlusion, tooth wear, recession, and other clinical findings.
• Correlate radiographic, periodontal, and digital scan findings to provide patients with a comprehensive understanding of their oral health.
• Recognize potential clinical concerns and confidently communicate your findings and assessments to Dr. Massa.
• Collaborate with Dr. Massa to establish definitive diagnoses, treatment recommendations, and appropriate treatment priorities.
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of preventive, periodontal, and restorative dentistry.

Educate, Empower & Build Trust

• Translate complex clinical findings into clear, understandable information tailored to each patient.
• Explain periodontal conditions, including gingivitis and periodontitis, along with recommended treatment options and expectations.
• Confidently educate patients about restorative procedures, including fillings, crowns, bridges, and tooth replacement options, in collaboration with Dr. Massa.
• Help patients understand what to expect during future appointments, especially when undergoing treatment for the first time.
• Assist patients in understanding how comprehensive treatment plans can be prioritized and completed in manageable phases.
• Recognize individual patient concerns and adapt communication accordingly, whether addressing dental anxiety, financial limitations, or complex treatment expectations.
• Empower patients to make informed decisions about their dental health without feeling pressured or overwhelmed.

Collaborate & Communicate

• Provide organized, thorough clinical handoffs to Dr. Massa, communicating relevant findings, patient concerns, and preliminary clinical assessments.
• Collaborate with Dr. Massa to ensure patients receive consistent, accurate information about their diagnoses and recommended treatment.
• Deliver seamless handoffs to our treatment coordinator, communicating treatment recommendations, priorities, patient concerns, and next steps.
• Maintain exceptional clinical documentation utilizing Overjet AI-assisted note-taking technology.
• Carefully review, edit, and refine AI-generated clinical notes to ensure accuracy, completeness, clarity, and professional documentation.
• Work collaboratively with our clinical and administrative teams to create an efficient, consistent, and exceptional patient experience.

Who We're Looking For

Required Qualifications:

• Active Ohio Registered Dental Hygienist license.
• Minimum of 5 years of clinical dental hygiene experience.
• Exceptional clinical judgment and a comprehensive understanding of preventive, periodontal, and restorative dentistry.
• Proficiency in capturing accurate, diagnostic-quality radiographs.
• Strong periodontal assessment and patient education skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Outstanding organizational abilities, attention to detail, and time management.
• Confidence working independently within your scope of practice while collaborating closely with the dentist and clinical team.
• A genuine passion for building patient relationships and providing exceptional care.

The Ideal Candidate:

We're looking for someone who combines clinical expertise with exceptional emotional intelligence.

You understand that every patient is different. Some need reassurance, others need detailed explanations, and others simply need someone who will listen.

You have the ability to read a room, recognize what matters most to each patient, and adjust your communication style accordingly.

You're clinically confident, organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable discussing comprehensive dentistry.

Most importantly, you take pride in helping patients feel comfortable, educated, and empowered throughout their dental journey.

Compensation & Benefits

We believe exceptional clinical expertise and patient care deserve exceptional compensation.

• $60–$65 per hour, based on experience and demonstrated clinical abilities.
• Four-day workweek: Monday–Thursday, 8:30 AM–5:00 PM.
• Fridays off!
• Paid time off and paid holidays.
• SIMPLE IRA retirement benefits, subject to eligibility.
• Employee dental and product discounts.
• Bonus opportunities.
• FIGS uniforms.
• Continuing education and professional growth opportunities.

Why Total Wellness Dental Studio?

At Total Wellness Dental Studio, we're passionate about providing comprehensive, personalized dentistry in an environment where patients feel comfortable and genuinely cared for.

We value teamwork, clinical excellence, continuing education, and work-life balance.

We've invested in modern technology, comprehensive diagnostic tools, and dedicated appointment times because we believe quality dentistry requires more than simply completing procedures.

This position offers an experienced hygienist the opportunity to use the full extent of their clinical knowledge, build meaningful relationships, and play an important role in shaping how patients experience dentistry.

If you're ready to take your dental hygiene career beyond a traditional hygiene column and make a meaningful impact on the patient experience, we'd love to meet you!

Apply today to learn more about this unique opportunity at Total Wellness Dental Studio.

Pay: $60.00 - $65.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Employee discount
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan

Work Location: In person