Performance Expectations

The dental hygienist must… 

1. Ensure that the patient’s needs, values, interests, and goals are the most important factors when making professional decisions.  
2. Identify situations that could lead to or be interpreted as a conflict of interest and avoid or manage such conflicts. This includes but is not limited to the following situations:  
1. Seeking or accepting incentives from others for providing referrals, services, or products;  
2. Offering inducements or incentives to others to generate referrals, provide services, or sell products; and/or 
3. Receiving financial incentives based on patient numbers, service volumes, profits, etc.  
3. Make complete and timely disclosure of any potential, perceived, or real conflict of interest to the patient and/or others as appropriate.  
4. Document details in the patient's record of the conflict of interest disclosure made to the patient and how the conflict was managed.  
5. Provide options to the patient for the provision of services or products when a potential, perceived, or real conflict of interest exists. This includes respecting the patient’s right to request a referral to another health professional and/or a second opinion.  
6. Disclose to event participants any financial relationship with industry when organizing or presenting at a continuing competence event, course or seminar. 

Patient Expectations

The patient can expect the dental hygienist to provide services that are in the patient’s best interest and to disclose and manage any conflicts of interest.