Becoming a Master Clinician: Continued Competence as a Professional Promise

Dr. Michelle Hurlbutt, RDH, MSDH, DHSc | Immediate Past President, TCDHS

In dental hygiene, competence is not a small thing; it is the baseline that protects patients and supports safe, effective care. But as a profession, we know competence is not the finish line. Many of us are called toward something more: becoming clinicians who consistently deliver high level care, adapt to complexity, and elevate the standard for everyone around us.

That is the heart of becoming a Master Clinician: not as a title, not as perfection, and not as an endpoint. Mastery is a practice. And the pathway that sustains it is Continued Competence.

Mastery is not a destination. It is how we show up.

Master clinicians are not defined by ego or flawless outcomes. They are defined by consistency, clinical judgment, and curiosity. They do not rely on “this is how it has always been done.” They refine. They question. They update their thinking when evidence evolves.

As master clinicians, we strengthen not only our instrumentation and clinical techniques, but also our decision making:

·        We detect subtle changes earlier.

·        We connect medical history to oral and systemic risk with confidence.

·        We tailor care to the individual rather than relying on routine.

·        We explain the “why” behind recommendations clearly, ethically, and in patient centered language.

Continued competence protects patients and strengthens trust in our profession.

Dental hygiene is dynamic. Evidence changes. Technologies advance. Patient complexity increases. When our growth stops, our care can become outdated, even when our intentions are strong.

Continued competence is not an extra task. It is a professional promise.

It is how we ensure:

·        Patients receive care grounded in evidence.

·        Our clinical decisions remain aligned with safety and quality.

·        We avoid drifting into habits that feel efficient but are no longer best practice.

·        We remain credible voices in a changing healthcare landscape.                                                                    

Public trust depends on our willingness to remain accountable and clinically sharp.

Continued competence is more than CE hours.

Continuing education matters, but hours alone do not guarantee growth. Continued competence becomes real when learning changes what we do chairside and when it improves patient care.

When learning becomes behavior, we see immediate impact:

·        Clearer, more confident periodontal risk conversations.

·        Stronger radiographic interpretation and fewer missed findings.

·        Improved pain control and patient experience through refined technique.

·        More consistent nicotine and tobacco screening and brief counseling as trends shift.

·        Better clinical judgment when cases do not fit the “standard appointment.”

The master clinician mindset: Progress over perfection.

Master clinicians are not the clinicians who never struggle. They are clinicians who notice, reflect, and improve. Mastery grows through small, consistent choices.

A mastery mindset sounds like:

·        “What did we do on autopilot this week, and what should we revisit?”

·        “Is this approach still supported by evidence, or have we fallen behind the data?”

·        “What clinical skill would make the biggest difference if we improved it even 10 percent?”

·        “Who can we learn from, and who can challenge our assumptions?”

Mastery is not dramatic. It is disciplined.

Why this matters now.

Our profession is navigating real forces: productivity pressure, evolving workforce models, new technologies, changing regulations, and increasingly complex patients. In times like these, continued competence is not only personal development; it is leadership.

It is how we preserve:

·        Clinical excellence.

·        Ethical clarity.

·        Professional identity.

·        Patient centered care, even when the environment feels rushed or uncertain.

An invitation: Choose mastery on purpose.

January gives us a natural moment to reset, not just our calendars, but our standards and habits. If you are reading this, you are likely someone who cares about doing this work well. So, here is the invitation:

Choose one area each month to sharpen: one clinical skill, one communication habit, one evidence based patient care update, or one protocol improvement. Small steps compound. Mastery is not dramatic. It is disciplined.

And because mastery grows faster when we stay connected to our profession, consider a practical first step: ensure your membership in our professional organization is current and renewed. Membership connects us to a community of oral health professionals committed to excellence and lifelong learning.

Becoming a master clinician through continued competence is not about being “done.” It is about reflecting, refining, and recommitting: protecting our patients, honoring our licenses, and continuously earning the trust placed in our hands. That is our professional promise.