Dear RDH, 

I just started at a new office, and when I asked for time off to attend events at my son’s school, I was told that employees are not allowed to request time off unless they already have coverage arranged. Honestly, I was shocked. I feel like this is something that should have been discussed  during the interview process.  But now I’m wondering … is this normal? Are hygienists also expected to function as staffing coordinators? 

Signed, 
—Trying to Be a Great Mom and a Great Hygienist 

Dear Trying to Be a Great Mom and a Great Hygienist, 

First, let me say this loudly for the hygienists in the back: wanting to attend your child’s school events does not make you unprofessional. It makes you human. Do you think you would ever look back and say “I am so glad I skipped that school performance and went into work”? I highly doubt it! 

And no, this should not be treated like some secret policy you only discover after accepting the job. 

Now, is this arrangement common in some offices? Unfortunately, yes. Many offices place the responsibility of finding coverage on hygienists when requesting time off. But here’s what I have learned: common does not automatically mean reasonable, healthy, or appropriate. 

Some offices operate with the mindset that because hygiene schedules are booked so tightly, team members should “solve the problem” before asking for time off. But I do truly believe that at the end of the day, staffing is ultimately a management responsibility. While helping to find coverage can absolutely be appreciated as a team player, it should not become a condition for being allowed to have a life outside the office, especially when it means looking outside of your team for coverage—and even more importantly, when it comes to precious family moments. 

Something that I also had to learn after entering the real world is that interviews often focus heavily on clinical skills while skipping over workplace culture and expectations. Policies around time off, schedule flexibility, cancellation policies, late patients, lunch breaks, and coverage expectations are all things you can and probably now realize are important to ask before accepting a position. 

Questions like:

• “How does the office handle PTO requests?” 

• “If someone is sick or needs a day off, who coordinates coverage?” 

• “How does the office support work-life balance?” 

• “Are there blackout dates or restrictions around requesting time off?”

... are not “high maintenance.” They are professional. 

And here’s something I want every RDH reading this to remember: dentistry sometimes has a way of making people feel guilty for having boundaries. But your career should support your life, not consume it! 

You are allowed to care deeply about your patients and still want to sit in the audience at your child’s school concert. You are allowed to be committed to your team and expect management to manage staffing. You are allowed to ask yourself whether an office aligns with the kind of life you want long term. 

Because at the end of the day, no patient is going to remember whether Mrs. Smith had to be rescheduled on a Tuesday afternoon five years from now … but your child will remember whether you were there.

And that matters too. 

—Kimberly, RDH