The first thing you ask your hygienist is, “do you like your job?”. If they take too long to answer, or they groan, you might want to choose someone else. You want someone who loves what they do. You want your hygienist to have the passion and drive to check your 5mm+ probing depths every visit. You want her/him to continue to give you oral hygiene instruction even though you still have not picked up the floss for the second year in a row. You want someone who cares about your teeth and overall health. I clean teeth like I want my teeth to be cleaned. I have high standards. Hygienist should have passion and drive to do a great job. If they lose there passion, your might try someone else.