Personality traits play an important role in the work dental hygienists do. We’ve compiled a list of 26 personality traits that are helpful for dental hygienists to have. 

1. Detail-oriented: Performing cleanings, exams, and treatments requires accuracy and attention to detail.
2. Compassionate: Some patients come in with a high level of anxiety, and having compassion allows dental hygienists to make their dental visit more comfortable.
3. Empathetic: Empathy allows dental hygienists to be understanding of patients’ fears or discomforts and this ties into compassion.
4. Reliable: Dentists and office managers rely on dental hygienists to provide consistent and dependable dental care. Patients also rely on dental hygienists to thoroughly clean teeth and flag trouble spots.
5. Professional: Dental hygienists are professional when they take interest in patients, listen to their needs, and set priorities appropriately. Today’s RDH also offers some helpful tips around professionalism. 
6. Friendly: Creating a friendly, welcoming environment prompts open communication and a positive work environment.
7. Organized: Efficiently managing appointments, procedures, and patient records requires strong organizational skills from a hygienist.
8. Calm: Staying calm under pressure is not something everyone does naturally, and may require dental hygienists to use some techniques like breathing exercises, taking breaks, time management, or progressive relaxation. 
9. Collaborative: Collaboration makes everything in the dental office go smoother. Establishing accountability, measuring outcomes, setting appropriate expectations, and having clear communication are just a few of the ways to assure collaboration in the dental office.
10. Energetic: Maybe one of the most important aspects of staying energized as a hygienist is getting a good night’s sleep. Eating well may be the second most important. Staying hydrated is likely top three. What do you do to stay energized at work?
11. Ethical: From patient self-governance to doing no harm to delivering care without prejudice, dental hygienists have a lot to consider when it comes to ethical treatment. Ideally, hygienists go beyond mere ethics to act for the benefit of others.
12. Adaptable: Adaptability in the dental office is so important. Handling change quickly and easily will save you time and reduce stress. It’s also a big part of being a good leader in the dental office.
13. Respectful: The best hygienists are respectful toward their patients and colleagues. Respect is also important when it comes to cultural differences. Respect promotes trust and cooperation within the dental office.
14. Attentive: Being attentive is another one of those soft skills that can be learned. Good eye contact, body language, and facial expressions show you’re really paying attention. 
15. Communicative: Finding out the communication preferences of your dentist and staff is helpful when it comes to this skill. Here are some tips for communicating well with your dentist.
16. Flexible: While some people might think about some stretches they could do to improve their flexibility, here we’re actually talking about a mental state. Some helpful aspects of staying flexible include having an open mind, staying calm, being optimistic, and planning ahead.
17. Positive attitude: Maintaining a positive attitude takes the proper conditions in your work space. Often, its about work place culture, having a good fit, and working with the right people. But it’s also about being a team player, practicing positive self-talk, and making an effort to stay positive despite challenging situations.
18. Problem-solving skills: Critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity are all connected. It’s great to be able to have a hygienist that can identify the problem, come up with solutions, find the best solution, and help implement it.
19. Team player: There are definitely some steps any hygienist can take to become a better team player in their dental office. This falls back on some of the other skills we’ve mentioned here, like being reliable, having strong communication, and staying positive. Dental hygienist Kristen Brancheau shares that “The good hygienists behave as team players because it is the right thing to do.” 
20. Motivated: Do you have a philosophy statement that helps you stay motivated? Maybe its having a mentor or a co-worker who encourages you? There are many ways to stay motivated at work, including continued learning, friendships, gratitude statements, and positive self-talk (also important in keeping a positive attitude).
21. Gentle: Being heavy handed can be painful for patients. Gentle tissue manipulation is an essential skill for hygnienists.
22. Dedicated: Dedication to the dental hygiene profession means taking part in organizations like the ADA and the ADHA, being involved in patient advocacy, and continuing your education through CEs.
23. Punctual: This is probably one of the most important skills to employers seeking a temp hygienist. There are lots of ways to assure you get to work on time. But being punctual also means staying on time for patient appointments throughout the day
24. Non-judgmental: This may be hard, but it’s not impossible to learn.
25. Approachable: Smiling, keeping your head up, making eye contact, and avoiding nervous habits make people approachable.
26. Knowledgeable: From principles of clinical dental hygiene to dental anatomy and pathology, a good dental hygienist is knowledgeable about the field of dental hygiene.

Which personality trait do you feel is the most important?

Did we miss one? Let us know in a comment.