An integral constituent of wellbeing entails the maintenance and promotion of optimal oral health, a task that is effectively achieved when the dental hygienist establishes a patient-centered corroborative relationship with the client. The formulation of a proper dental hygiene diagnosis requires the input of the client as well as the dental hygienist. From my observations of various procedures performed by practicing dental hygienists, I am convinced that the establishment of a patient-centered collaborative relationship between the client and the dental hygienist is critical in the achievement of the desired therapy, management, or treatment outcomes. From my observations, it is evident that professional dental hygienists provide dental hygiene care to a wide range of patients with varying conditions, hence the need to demonstrate competence not only in therapy and treatment, but also in providing advice to clients. I have had the opportunity to observe dental hygienists diagnosing and treating various oral conditions such as caries, periodontal disease and tooth wear, and also prescribing radiographs, applying topical treatments and fissure sealants, placing temporary dressings, re-cementing crowns with temporary cement, and providing advice to clients having oral conditions arising from lifestyle factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption. In all these interventions, I am convinced that the establishment of an effective client-centered collaborative relationship between the professional and the client is critical in the attainment of successful therapy, treatment or management outcomes. An effective client-centered collaborative relationship, in my view, is instrumental in assisting the hygienist to conduct an assessment that is grounded on the collection and interpretation of information to arrive at an appropriate dental hygiene diagnosis. Informed by my observations in practice settings and interactions with the professionals, I am of the opinion that client-centered collaborative relationships are critical in enabling dental hygienists to collect client’s baseline data using appropriate methodology, identify important determinants of health and risk factors, and also assess client’s knowledge, attitudes, and skills on respective oral health conditions. It is important to mention that conducting an assessment is the first step towards treatment or management of oral health problems, hence the need for the establishment of a client-centered relationship. It is my reasoned opinion that the establishment of a client-centered collaborative relationship between the dental hygienist and client is also instrumental in planning the necessary interventions. From my observations, I feel that such a relationship not only facilitates the client’s active participation in the development of therapy or treatment plans, but also assists in the identification of resources and dental hygiene interventions depending on presenting needs. Indeed, these observations have helped me to understand how a professional dental hygienist identifies the needs of a client and reaches consensus with them regarding desired treatment, therapy, or management outcomes. Moving on, it has been observed that establishing a client-centered collaborative relation