DO HYGIENISTS NEED TO BECOME THERAPISTS?

With more dental hygiene and therapy programmes opening across the UK, Claire and Ben ask a big question: **what does the future of the profession actually look like?** In this episode of **Your Dental Besties**, they imagine what they would include if they could design their own dental hygiene and therapy education from scratch- from oral-systemic health, women's health and behaviour change to mentoring, cultural competence and preparing clinicians for the realities of working in practice. The conversation also turns to something many hygienists may be wondering: **do you need to become a dental therapist to progress?** Claire explains why she actively chooses to be a dental hygienist and why she doesn't believe hygienists should feel they are being left behind, while Ben shares his experience of working across both hygiene and therapy and why progression doesn't have to look the same for everyone. They discuss working to the top of your scope, finding the area of dentistry you're genuinely passionate about, the changing role of the hygienist and therapist, and what could happen if both professions were utilised properly within the dental team. Because perhaps career progression isn't always about adding another qualification. Sometimes it's about becoming exceptionally good at the job you already love. **Your Dental Besties- making dentistry fun!**