In this inspiring episode, Kari sits down with Jayla Bryant, a former dental assistant and current dental hygiene student who is passionate about elevating and educating the next generation of dental professionals.

Jayla shares her journey from dental assisting to pursuing her dream of becoming a dental hygienist, opening up about what motivated her transition, the challenges she’s overcome, and the growth she’s experienced along the way. With a heart for connection and a commitment to spreading awareness about the dental field, Jayla brings an authentic and uplifting perspective to the student experience.

Listeners will hear:

• Why Jayla decided to take the leap from dental assisting to dental hygiene school
• How her background as an assistant strengthened her confidence and clinical skills
• Tips for students considering the transition into dental hygiene
• The importance of mentorship, community, and representation in dentistry
• Jayla’s vision for using her platform to educate, connect, and inspire others

Jayla is engaged, community-focused, and dedicated to making a positive impact in the dental profession. Her story will resonate with aspiring hygienists, current students, and anyone navigating a career transition within dentistry.

You can contact her on every platform under Jaloodental

Listen as I discuss the importance of mental health with Sydney Reece who is the VP of operations at Mind Body Optimization. We discussed why mental health is so importance for overall wellness and how burnout can effect every area in our lives.

As we celebrate May as Mental Health Awareness Month, lets make sure we we are creating a culture where we make sure we support one another and take time to connect with others and to also make sure we are doing ok.

Mind Body Optimization has various programs that they can assist in helping individuals, family's, and groups to achieve overall health and wellness.

Mind Body Optimization: mindbodyyo.com

Lynn Pencek has had a diverse career as a dental hygienist. From working as a clinical dental hygienist to working with companies such as Nobel Biocare, Hu-Friedy, and Orascoptic to delivering her own dynamic presentations on implant maintenance and more.

Listen as we discuss how she has successfully navigated the dental industry to have a diverse career that affords her the opportunity to pursue ever changing passions!

To connect with Lynn Peneck use the following links

www.PracticeAtYourBest.com

Lynn Pencek, RDH, MS | LinkedIn

www.linkedin.com/in/lynnpencek

Dental Hygienists are interested in nonclinical alternative options that are available to them. Many are however unsure how to go about getting these positions that they adamantly desire as either a side gig or to transition from clinical to nonclinical positions.

In this episode listen as I talk with Allison Norris is the founder and CEO of The Dentele Group, LLC about how we can successfully attain a non-clinical role as a dental hygienist.

The leading non-clinical recruiting agency renowned for its concierge approach to hiring.

The Dentele Group under Allison’s leadership specializes in placing non-clinical talent across executive, sales, operations, and technology roles. Allison's commitment to elevating the industry extends beyond recruitment. She actively mentors dental professionals, empowering them to find their passion and purpose.

Her dedication and influence have been widely recognized: she has been published in Dental Entrepreneur Women Magazine, Dentistry Today, Group Dentistry Now, AGD Impact, received the prestigious Rising Star Denobi Award in 2024, and was honored with the Who’s Who in America award. Through the Dentele Group, Allison has become a source of hope for dental professionals to discover new meaningful careers.

You can reach her at:

[email protected]

https://thedentelegroup.com/

Daily dental professionals present treatment options to their patients and are asked "what does my insurance cover?" We know that unfortunately, dental benefits might be barrier for patients in receiving the treatment the desperately need.

Kandra Sellers, RDH, BA has been able to successfully bridge the gap between medical and dental benefits, by focusing on oral systemic health and medical billing as the Founder & CEO of TIPS Medical Billing.

With over 35 years in the dental industry, Kandra has had many different career roles due to the fantastic mentors she has met along the way. She is no longer seen as “just a dental hygienist,” which is a profession certainly not to be minimized. Instead, Kandra is now viewed as a predominant educator in the field of oral systemic health intertwined with dental medical billing, as well as creator and CEO of TIPS Medical Billing.

Kandra is able to educate, implement processes, and professionally coach doctors and team members to the next level of where the dental profession is heading. In creating TIPS (Tandem In-Practice Solutions), the niche is implementation to ensure successful outcomes to billing the medical procedures that dentists do every day. Dental practice owners seeking a coach that can elevate their practice production and revenue through solid protocols for optimal oral systemic solutions and medical billing are raving about Kandra’s ability to move both doctors and team members towards excellence.

You can connect with her at

email: [email protected]

website: tipsmedicalbilling.com

In this episode, Janoa Hayes, LDH, and I discuss the importance career and personal development while advocating for ourselves and our profession. Janoa Hayes is the hygiene training developer for Heartland Dental.

Janoa was born and raised in Lexington, KY and attended the Dental Hygiene Program at Lexington Community College. She and her husband live in Indianapolis, IN and has one daughter. Janoa has always enjoyed Dental Hygiene and has truly felt that her career has been satisfying career.

She is motivated by the opportunity to improve the quality of lives of others clinically and to have a lasting impact on the careers of dental professionals through education and inspiration.

As a member of the Heartland Dental family since 2000, Janoa has embraced a variety of roles reflecting her passion to serve: clinical Dental Hygiene, Hygiene Mentor roles, course speaker and presenter, and now, Hygiene Training Developer as part of Heartland Dental University, Hygiene Academy.

Listen in as we discuss the importance career development and advocating for ourselves to both advance our profession and the overall health and wellness of the patients we serve.

In this episode I took the show on the road and interviewed attendees of the RDHUOR conference in Denver Colorado. I attended as a speaker and an exhibitor and was able to ask professionals what they loved about dental hygiene and what they did to prevent burnout.

Listen as I speak with Amanda Hill, Tanya Dunlap, Kerry Lepicek, Machell Hudson, Melissa Calhoun, Irene Iancu, Dr. Joy RDH, Toni Meyerkord, Alyssa Aberle, Alyssa Delgado, Kimberly Augustus, Bethany Montoya, Kevin Lopez, Amanda Hale, Michele Strange, and An Chih "Angela" Do about what they love about dental hygiene and what they do to prevent burnout and overwhelm in their career.

In a time where many dental hygienists state they at time have a complicated relationship with dental hygiene...or have fallen out of love with it...I found myself surrounded by over 2500 hygienist who are passionate about their careers and heavily invest in themselves.

Ask yourself what do you love about about dental hygiene and if you've fallen out of love with dental hygiene what can you do work on your relationship?

In this episode, Caitlin Parsons, and I discuss the importance of alignment in our career, body, and mind for overall health and wellness.

Caitlin Parsons is a Registered Dental Hygienist of 15 years turned Certified Yoga Therapist, Ergonomics Consultant, and the founder of The Aligned Hygienist. Caitlin helps dental professionals prevent and overcome work-related pain, manage stress, and optimize their health, so they can thrive in and out of the office. Caitlin is passionate about helping dental professionals and teams feel good to support better patient care and a bigger impact through her in-person & online programs, speaking events, writing, team experiences, and her podcast, The Aligned Hygienist.

Listen in as we discuss the importance taking care of ourselves in various aspects and how she plans to help attendees of her upcoming retreat in Mexico to achieve this.

You can contact her at :

www.thealignedhygienist.com

[email protected]

@thealignedhygienist

In this episode I discuss with Karese Laguerre RDH, COMP, MAS and Christopher Williams RDH, the importance of creating and cultivating a positive work culture, so as to attract and retain team members throughout various industries. We delve into how imperative it is to create a diverse environment that supports all team members and the patients or clients that we serve.

Their upcoming convention Dental Culture Con in Miami, Florida will help attendees to address and implement solutions to these and other issues that effect all industries. Removing barriers to care and implementing supportive systems will increase positive treatment outcomes and will help prevent burnout for all.

Karese Laguerre RDH, COMP™, MAS™ Certified Oral Myofunctional Practitioner, The Myo Spot

Karese is a Registered Dental Hygienist and Myofunctional Therapist. She founded The Myo Spot, a practice aimed at amplifying oral wellness to whole body wellness. Through tele-therapy she helps clients of all ages overcome tongue ties, TMJ disorders, sleep apnea, grinding, anxiety, and various breathing and orofacial dysfunction. Passionate about education and self-help, she published Accomplished: How to Sleep Better, Eliminate Burnout and Execute Goals. When not working with clients globally she spends time with her husband and four kids.

You can connect with Karese at Website www.themyospot.com Email [email protected]

Chris Williams, RDH, aka Chris Love, is a passionate and relatable motivational speaker, influencer, and entrepreneur. Guided by his motto, "Whatever you do in life, do it with LOVE," Chris brings a genuine authenticity to his message that resonates with audiences.

A sought-after speaker and dedicated family man, Chris is also a combat veteran who served in Afghanistan. His entrepreneurial spirit extends beyond dental hygiene, as he's the co-owner of the Dental Culture Con event. This event aims to bring the heart and soul back to dentistry by fostering a more positive and fulfilling work environment for dental professionals.

You can connect with Chris at Website www.themyospot.com Email [email protected]

In this episode, Bethany Montoya, BAS, RDH and I discuss the prevalence of bullying within the dental industry and the effects it has on professionals, career longevity, and our mental health.

Bethany is a practicing dental hygienist, editorial director of DentistryIQ's Clinical Insights newsletter and serves as an educational ambassador within the dental industry. She has advanced knowledge and training in complex cosmetic dentistry, dental sleep medicine, and implant dentistry. Recently, she has devoted her time to dentistry’s personal and interpersonal aspects through her social media brand, @humanrdh.

Listen in as we discuss the importance of creating boundaries, being assertive, and dealing with bullies in the industry.

Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @humanrdh

LinkedIn: Bethany Montoya

You can contact Bethany at [email protected].