You take your work seriously without taking yourself too seriously.
You are comfortable having thoughtful conversations about patient care, want to understand the
why behind treatment recommendations, and believe that learning should continue throughout your career.
You are also someone others naturally learn from.
You can teach without belittling, maintain high standards without creating unnecessary conflict, and communicate directly and professionally. You understand that leadership often means modeling the behavior you want others to adopt.
We believe accountability and support should coexist. High standards matter here, but so does how we treat one another while maintaining them.
If you want to simply see your patients, complete your schedule, and go home without being involved in the larger development of the department, this probably will not be the right position.
If the idea of helping us
build an outstanding periodontal hygiene program sounds exciting, we would like to meet you.
What Hygiene Looks Like Here
Our hygiene department functions differently from a traditional general dental hygiene schedule.
Our RDHs focus heavily on:
- Comprehensive periodontal evaluation and maintenance
- Implant maintenance and long-term periodontal care
- Periodontal charting, digital imaging, and clinical assessment
- Identifying clinical changes and disease progression
- Patient education and home-care coaching
- Reviewing periodontal and restorative concerns
- Helping determine appropriate next steps in care
- Detailed clinical documentation
- Communication and case collaboration with our periodontists
- Communication and correspondence with referring dental offices
- Chart review, case discussion, and clinical calibration
Our schedule is
exam-heavy, and we do not routinely perform SRP because initial periodontal therapy is generally completed through the patient’s referring general dentist.
This means our hygienists need to be excellent clinicians, observers, educators, and communicators.
Clinical Development Is Part of the Role
Experience matters to us, but so does intellectual curiosity.
Calibration, chart review, continuing education, and thoughtful discussion of treatment recommendations are expected parts of the position.
We are looking for someone who knows a great deal —
and still wants to know more.
This role includes a required commitment of
2–3 additional days per month for chart review, clinical calibration, education, and hygiene department development. These days are an important part of how we maintain consistency and continue building the department together.
A Bigger Opportunity
The Verde Valley is significantly underserved when it comes to experienced dental professionals.
We believe a strong periodontal hygiene department can make a meaningful difference not only for our patients, but for the broader dental community throughout Northern Arizona.
Our goal is to help advance periodontal education, strengthen collaboration between providers, and contribute to a higher standard of care across the region.
Our long-term vision extends beyond filling a hygiene schedule. Future opportunities may include:
- Professional and community education
- Hygiene department leadership
- Clinical mentorship
- RDH-supported clinical research or trials
- Development of educational programs
- Training and development of dental assistants and other clinical team members
For someone with the right background and interests, this position has room to become much more than a traditional RDH role.
Commitment Matters to Us
We are looking for someone interested in developing a meaningful professional relationship with our practice — someone who values competitive compensation, stability, professional growth, influence, and the opportunity to build something over time.
We want to compensate an exceptional hygienist well, and we believe compensation and opportunity should continue to grow alongside
demonstrated commitment, reliability, contribution, and leadership.
Our hope is to find someone who can see themselves becoming an important part of Northern Arizona Periodontics for the next several years.
Our Ideal Candidate
You may be a particularly strong fit if you:
- Bring meaningful clinical hygiene experience and confidence in your clinical judgment
- Have periodontal or specialty-practice experience
- Love assessment, education, clinical problem-solving, and treatment planning
- Are confident communicating clinical observations
- Produce excellent clinical documentation
- Have experience mentoring, teaching, leading, or training others
- Can work with different personalities without becoming easily rattled
- Value high standards and personal accountability
- Want your experience to influence something larger than your own schedule
- Are excited by the idea of helping build a department
Previous experience in
periodontics, implant maintenance, clinical education, mentoring, leadership, or operations would be especially valuable.
Qualifications
- Current Arizona Registered Dental Hygienist license
- Local anesthesia certification
- Current CPR certification
- Strong periodontal assessment and clinical documentation skills
- Experience working in a clinical dental environment
- Strong communication and patient-education skills
- Willingness to participate in ongoing clinical calibration and professional development
Location & Schedule
Cottonwood is the priority for this position.
Applicants must be willing to work
at least two clinical days per week in Cottonwood, with a minimum of
three clinical days per week overall.
Additional clinical days may be available in Cottonwood and/or Flagstaff depending on the candidate and the needs of the practice.
Clinical hours generally run Monday through Thursday.
About Northern Arizona Periodontics
Northern Arizona Periodontics is a specialty periodontal and implant practice serving patients and referring dental practices throughout Northern Arizona.
We are committed to evidence-based periodontal care delivered with precision, integrity, and genuine human connection. We want our patients to feel seen, safe, supported, and confident in the care they receive.
We are entering an exciting period of growth and are looking for a hygienist who wants to help shape what comes next.
If you read this posting and thought, “That sounds like the kind of hygiene I want to practice,” we would genuinely like to hear from you.
Please apply with your resume and tell us a little about your clinical background, what you are looking for in your next position, and what interests you about this opportunity.
