Dear RDH, 

I’m a new grad and have been practicing for about six months. I work in a corporate office, and overall I really like it. 

I shadowed my mentor recently and after I shadowed her, she told me that if anything happens moving forward, it will be on me because she has now given me all the tools necessary to succeed. Keep in mind this happened over a half-day time frame. 

I know I’ve made mistakes. I’ve had a couple of SRPs where I didn’t take post-op radiographs, my probing probably wasn’t as accurate as it should have been, but I’m learning. I show up every day wanting to do better and be better!! 

I know I need feedback, and I am open to feedback, but her comment made me feel like I should already have everything figured out. Is it normal to still be making mistakes six months into practice? And how do I keep learning without constantly feeling like I’m doing something wrong!!?? 

— Still Learning 

Dear Still Learning, 

First, being six months into your career does not mean you should have every clinical situation mastered. You are still learning how to be an RDH!  

Dental hygiene school gives you a foundation. Your first year in practice is where you begin learning how to apply that foundation to real patients, real schedules, different levels of disease, different office systems, and situations that do not always look like the textbook. Every hour is a brand new learning experience.

That learning curve is real. 

What you mentioned about probing should be taken seriously. These are important parts of providing quality patient care. But identifying areas that need improvement is very different from deciding that you are incapable of becoming a strong clinician. 

In fact, one of the most important things you said was this: 

You recognize where you need to improve, and you are actively trying to improve it. 

That matters. 

A mentor should help you understand what happened, why it happened, and what you can do differently the next time. Feedback should create clarity, not leave you terrified to touch your next patient. Feedback is used as a tool for growth, not a tool to reprimand you. 

Instead of thinking, ”I messed up another SRP,” try breaking the experience into something actionable: 

That is how confidence is built: not by never making mistakes, but by learning what to do with them. 

And remember, shadowing someone once does not mean mentorship is complete.  

Good mentorship is rarely, “I showed you; now you’re on your own.” 

It looks more like: “Let’s see what’s challenging you, work through it, and reassess.” 

You should absolutely take ownership of your clinical care. But you are also allowed to ask questions. You are allowed to request feedback. You are allowed to say, “Can you watch my probing technique?” or “Can we review this SRP together?” 

Six months into your career, you are still developing your clinical judgment, efficiency, and confidence. 

Give yourself permission to be a beginner while continuing to hold yourself accountable for growth. 

Those two things can exist at the same time. 

You do not become a confident hygienist because someone hands you all the information and tells you what to do. You become one by continuing to use your skills, refine them, ask questions, make adjustments, and show up willing to learn. 

And from what you wrote, that is exactly what you are doing.