In this episode of A Tale of Two Hygienists, Jessica and Dave explore what happens after assessment and diagnosis: turning clinical findings into meaningful, individualized care. Karen Palleschi and Jennifer Pieren discuss how dental hygienists can use critical thinking, clinical judgment, and the ADHA Standards of Care to create person-centered plans that reflect each patient's needs, values, risks, and goals.

What We Talked About:

Translating assessment findings into meaningful dental hygiene diagnoses

Building individualized, person-centered care plans instead of "one-size-fits-all" treatment

The role of critical thinking and clinical judgment in implementation

How the ADHA Standards of Care support consistency, accountability, and professional autonomy.

Patient communication, shared decision-making, and behavior change

Challenges clinicians and students face when moving from diagnosis to implementation

Adapting care plans based on patient needs, values, risks, and outcomes

Call to Action:

Providers, take a closer look at how you move from diagnosis to action. Consider whether your care plans truly reflect each patient's individual needs, priorities, risks, and goals. Look for opportunities to involve patients more fully in decisions about their care.

Contact guest via:

Email: japieren@ysu.edu

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-pieren-476804a1/

Instagram: @prof_jennifer_rdh

ADHA Standards

Contact the Hosts

Jessica Atkinson: jatkinson@endeavorb2b.com

Dave Torres: dtorres@endeavorb2b.com

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

The next time you complete a patient assessment, pause before moving directly to treatment. Ask yourself what the findings mean, how they connect, and what they tell you about your patient's individual needs. Use that clinical reasoning to strengthen your dental hygiene diagnosis, treatment planning, documentation, and patient care.

Resources and Links

Darlene Swigart on LinkedIn

Ann Eshenaur Spolarich on LinkedIn

JoAnn Gurenlian on LinkedIn

Swigart, DJ, Gurenlian, J. Bringing Social Determinants of Health into the Dental Hygiene Diagnosis. Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. 2026;24(1):32-35.

Swigart, DJ, Gurenlian, J, McCracken, A. Integrating Social Determinants of Health Screening in Student Dental Hygiene Clinical Practice. J Dent Hyg. 2025;9(6):52-63.

Swigart, DJ, Gurenlian, JR, Rogo, EJ. Dental Hygiene Diagnosis: A Qualitative Descriptive Study of Dental Hygienists. Can J Dent Hyg. 2020;54(3):113-123.

Gurenlian, JR, Swigart, DJ. Dental Hygiene Diagnosis: The Link Between Assessment and Care. Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. 2018;16(12):36-39.

Gurenlian, JR, Sanderson, TR, Garland, K, Swigart, DJ. Exploring the Integration of the Dental Hygiene Diagnosis in Entry-Level Dental Hygiene Curricula. J Dent Hyg. 2018;92(4):18-26.

Contact the Hosts

Jessica Atkinson: jatkinson@endeavorb2b.com

Dave Torres: dtorres@endeavorb2b.com

JoAnn Gurenlian joins Jessica and Dave for a practical conversation about the purpose, evolution, and everyday importance of the Standards for Clinical Dental Hygiene Practice.

From understanding the difference between standards of care and scope of practice to applying professional standards in real-world clinical situations, this episode explores how standards can help dental hygienists strengthen clinical judgment, documentation, ethical decision-making, and patient outcomes.

What We Talked About

The purpose and evolution of the Standards for Clinical Dental Hygiene Practice

Why standards of care matter for every dental hygienist, regardless of practice setting

Common misconceptions about standards and scope of practice

How standards support clinical judgment, documentation, and patient outcomes

The relationship between standards, ethics, and professional accountability

How educators can help students move beyond memorization to implementation

Practical ways clinicians can incorporate the standards into everyday patient care

The future of standards and what dental hygienists need to understand moving forward

Call to Action

Take a fresh look at the Standards for Clinical Dental Hygiene Practice and consider how they apply to your own clinical decision-making, documentation, patient care, and professional responsibilities. Whether you are a student, educator, or practicing dental hygienist, use the standards as a framework for putting evidence, ethics, and professional judgment into action.

Resources and Links

JoAnn Gurenlian on LinkedIn

ADHA Standards for Clinical Dental Hygiene Practice — Process of Care

AAP Staging and Grading Periodontitis Chairside Guide — Periodontal evaluation

Dental Hygiene: Theory and Practice by Darby & Walsh

ADA CDT Codes

Guest Contact: Joanng@adha.net

Co-host Contacts: jatkinson@endeavorb2b.com | dtorres@endeavorb2b.com