560 From Data to Decisions: Assessment & Diagnosis in Dental Hygiene

Assessment and diagnosis are at the heart of patient-centered dental hygiene care. In this episode of A Tale of Two Hygienists, Jessica and Dave are joined by JoAnn Gurenlian, Ann Eshenaur Spolarich, and Darlene Swigart to explore how dental hygienists can move beyond simply collecting patient data to interpreting findings, developing accurate dental hygiene diagnoses, and making informed clinical decisions.

The conversation examines the critical-thinking skills needed to connect assessment findings to treatment planning, documentation, and improved patient outcomes while also considering the future of dental hygiene diagnosis and professional autonomy.

What We Talked About

The distinction between assessment and diagnosis

Why diagnosis is an essential component of the dental hygiene process of care

Common challenges clinicians face when interpreting assessment findings

The role of critical thinking in moving from collected data to clinical decisions

How assessment and diagnosis influence treatment planning and patient outcomes

Documentation considerations related to assessment and diagnosis

Strategies for teaching diagnostic reasoning to students

The future of dental hygiene diagnosis and professional autonomy

Call to Action