A Registered Dental Hygienist’s Guide to Dealing With Office Drama

As a dental hygienist who’s seen the inside of more mouths— and dental offices —than I care to count, I’ve developed a sixth sense. Call it my “Drama Radar,” finely tuned to the telltale signs of workplace theatrics brewing beneath the veneer of bright smiles and squeaky-clean enamel.

You see, I’ve had my fair share of job-hopping. Not because I love collecting embroidered scrubs (though, admittedly, my closet is a pastel paradise), but because drama (like cavities) can fester unseen until it erupts into pain, disruption, and a nasty aftertaste. Whether it’s a passive-aggressive note stuck to the autoclave, whispered gossip behind reception desks, or the perennial favorite: “Who stole my scaler?” — workplace drama in dental offices feels uniquely personal.

Today, I found somewhere that I love, but it wasn’t always peachy.

The Drama Days

My first real dental office meltdown happened years ago. The receptionist, a woman whose genuine warmth belied her ability to launch missiles of side-eye, had a penchant for gossip.

This, of course, was the same woman who insisted she was allergic to fluoride varnish. Not touching it, mind you; just being near it. We tried everything short of encasing her in a biohazard suit. Eventually, office productivity ground to a halt as debates over varnish proximity and allergies divided us into factions that rivaled the Jets and the Sharks.

Of course, this would all be forgivable if her sole personality trait wasn’t gossip. I don’t care who Linda is dating. Not my business. Eventually, everyone turned on everyone, and the entire office became dark. You know when you just feel… crappy going to work. Simply setting foot in the office gives you a sense of dread. Yup, that’s where it ended. I packed up my floss samples and left, vowing drama would never darken my operatory door again.

But spoiler alert: it did. At my next gig, the dentist’s nephew — blessed with the confidence only a recent graduate with a family connection could muster — routinely critiqued my every move. My ultrasonic scaling technique? “Too gentle,” he’d say, shaking his head solemnly. Meanwhile, patients praised my touch as “comfortably thorough,” a phrase I proudly emblazoned on my imaginary dental badge of honor. The nephew, however, favored the approach of a jackhammer operator with caffeine jitters. Because, as we all well know, the lines between gladiatorial arena and dental operatory are obviously blurred. I moved on again.

Yet, after multiple departures, an uncomfortable thought crept into my consciousness, one I’d ignored during countless rounds of polishing and bitewing adjustments. Was I… the drama? Could my acute sensitivity to workplace politics be contributing to the very turmoil I sought to escape? It was an unsettling revelation, akin to discovering a hidden cavity during a routine check-up.

Resolving dental office drama requires introspection. Like good oral hygiene, it’s about maintenance—daily checks to spot trouble before it festers. Are you voicing your concerns constructively or contributing to the cycle of whispered grievances and eye-roll exchanges over masks and goggles? The key to escaping the drama vortex lies not just in how others act, but how you respond.

Another Perspective

One of my favorite colleagues, an office manager named Lisa, has an uncanny talent for diffusing personal conflicts with humor. I only worked with her for a few days during a temp shift, and I still call her regularly (she’s a superstar).

The other week (and this is what prompted me to write this), she once shared a story about two dental assistants whose personalities clashed dramatically. One assistant, obsessively neat, would label drawers and even individual floss samples. The other, carefree to a fault, considered “organized chaos” a perfectly acceptable filing system, which resulted in daily battles over misplaced instruments and frustrated sighs loud enough to disturb the patient in chair two.

We’ve probably all seen this in some capacity. Personality clashes happen. If I’m being entirely transparent here, there are some people I meet and just… don’t… like. It happens.

Instead of lecturing them, Lisa took a different, delightfully irreverent approach. One morning, she brought in custom T-shirts: one boldly printed with “Chaos Coordinator” for the laid-back assistant, and the other emblazoned with “Label Maker Enthusiast” for the meticulous one. Initially surprised, both assistants soon laughed at the absurdly accurate labels. Humor broke the ice, and Lisa used the moment to gently suggest compromises, reminding them, “The perfect office is a myth—we just need to survive each other’s quirks long enough to clock out happy.”

Lisa’s playful wisdom stuck with me: sometimes the fastest route from resentment to respect is paved with laughter and a touch of gentle teasing.

Now, I would be lying if I said I believe that this problem was solved this smoothly (the issue with stories is that they are often embellished). Note: I believe you if you’re reading this Lisa! But the core strategy is solid. Often, the solution isn’t a straightforward meeting; injecting a touch of human emotion into the situation can help pave the road to reconciliation.

A Different Approach

I will say this, I am acutely aware that you don’t know me, so you could easily assume I was a drama hawk. I am writing a piece about drama after all. That said, I can tell you with honestly that the opposite is true. If anything, I am too aware of drama. I don’t participate, but I do have a smell for it. I can say with confidence that around 30% of dental offices have a drama problem. I figured this out while temping. You can (quite literally) feel a good culture when you step in the office. There is a palpable difference between nice attitudes because you’re the new person and genuine happiness in an office.

If there’s one piece of advice I would give my younger self who worked for years in cruddy environments that soured my personal life, it’s that you can leave.

If drama feels unmanageable, remember this critical advice: You’re in high demand. According to recent reports, the dental hygiene field is projected to grow 9% by 2030, far faster than the average for all occupations. Go look at job postings. You will 100% find something near you. Or use a staffing agency like WORKFORCE and have them find you a job with a good culture. You aren’t stuck.

Not sure if you’re actually dealing with drama?

Temping can be an excellent way to gain perspective, giving you a glimpse into the dynamics of multiple practices. This insight can help you identify whether your current office environment is genuinely toxic or just experiencing normal, manageable stress.

I’ve found strategies that work: communication, setting boundaries and humor. Yes, humor is vital. If you can’t laugh at the absurdity of grown professionals arguing over glove brands or sterilizer cycles, what can you do?

Today, I’m settled into an office where laughter often drowns out the faint hum of our dental drills. When drama pops up (and believe me, it always will), we tackle it head-on, kindly but firmly, as efficiently as removing plaque. And perhaps that’s the key: facing conflict directly, acknowledging your own role, and maintaining a sense of humor brighter than the whitest shade guide.

Dental offices will never be drama-free, just as teeth will never brush themselves. But armed with awareness, empathy, and a willingness to check your own role in the chaos — or to confidently move on if necessary — you can navigate and even thrive in the wonderful, wacky, and occasionally wild world of dental hygiene. After all, smiles are our business. Keeping them drama-free? That’s up to each of us.