Dental hygienists: business models vs. professional autonomy
This opinion piece examines how the organizational and business structures surrounding dental hygiene can shape professional autonomy, workplace authority, and control over the conditions under which licensed professionals practice. The author argues that dental hygienists often have limited influence over compensation, scheduling, staffing, productivity expectations, and clinical decision-making because many work within systems controlled by dentists, practice owners, corporate entities, insurers, and other stakeholders. The article frames these issues as structural rather than solely individual workplace concerns and suggests that economic and organizational arrangements can affect the ability of professionals to exercise independent judgment. For professional regulatory organizations, the discussion raises broader questions about the relationship between licensure and professional autonomy, particularly when a profession’s legal scope of practice may not fully determine the degree of control practitioners have within the business models and institutional structures in which they work.