Advice for the Hygienist – Think of yourself as the primary relationship builder. Typically, the hygienist has more one-to-one contact with parents and patients than anyone else on the practice team. Take advantage of this opportunity to build parent loyalty. In addition to educating parents and older patients about hygiene and other practice services, you can build an informal “database” of personal information— about their interests, hobbies, etc.—that will help create rapport and show that you really do care about them.