To succeed in dental hygiene school, it's important to step away from memorizing the lecture material and focus on the skill of asking why. Dana explains why knowing facts isn’t enough—and how exam questions, clinical reasoning, and long-term retention all depend on understanding cause-and-effect. Here's the tip she gives to students to maximize their comprehension: when studying, practice explaining concepts out loud without notes. If you can’t clearly explain the concept, that’s your cue to go deeper. This simple habit improves exam performance, clinical confidence, and your ability to think like a dental hygienist—not just pass a test.

Struggling on your dental hygiene school journey? Download our free guide to help you overcome your dental hygiene hurdles HERE!

🟠 Struggling on your journey? Download our free guide to help you overcome your dental hygiene hurdles HERE! https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/pl/2148740487

🟠 Follow @DentalHygieneBasics on socials for study tips, motivation, and educational content.

🟠 Check out www.dentalhygienebasics.com to see all of our services and scholarships! Whether you are applying or recently accepted, we got you!

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The dental hygiene profession has faced threats to lower standards of care and allow lesser-trained individuals to do our jobs in some states. Bethany has come back on the podcast to explain her role with the Oral Health Awareness Project and how they are addressing legislative threats by educating both the dental community and the public on the depth of hygienists’ education, clinical judgment, and role beyond “just a cleaning.” A simple place for clinical hygienists to support this movement is to be intentional when explaining their assessments, education, and scope to patients, because everyday clarity in the operatory shapes long-term change.

🟠 Struggling on your journey? Download our free guide to help you overcome your dental hygiene hurdles HERE! https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/pl/2148740487

🟠 Follow @DentalHygieneBasics on socials for study tips, motivation, and educational content.

🟠 Check out www.dentalhygienebasics.com to see all of our services and scholarships! Whether you are applying or recently accepted, we got you!

🟠 Listen & Subscribe: The Dental Hygiene Basics Podcast is available on all platforms (Youtube included!). Hit follow and stay updated!

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Although your GPA does not define you, it should be used as crucial feedback. It shows how you’re managing coursework, using resources, and adjusting when things don’t go as planned. Admissions committees for dental hygiene programs look closely at GPAs, especially relevant science courses, because it reflects your readiness for their program. Dana shares great tips on how to polish your dental hygiene school application to put your best foot forward. 

🟠 Struggling on your journey? Download our free guide to help you overcome your dental hygiene hurdles HERE! https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/pl/2148740487

🟠 Follow @DentalHygieneBasics on socials for study tips, motivation, and educational content.

🟠 Check out www.dentalhygienebasics.com to see all of our services and scholarships! Whether you are applying or recently accepted, we got you!

🟠 Listen & Subscribe: The Dental Hygiene Basics Podcast is available on all platforms (Youtube included!). Hit follow and stay updated!

🟠 Thank you to our sponsor, StudentRDH! Head to www.studentrdh.com for all of your board prep needs! Give them a follow on socials @studentrdh, also!

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A hand injury for a dental hygienist can be career-ending, yet many don't have a backup plan in place if it were to happen to them. Miranda Linkous shares how her wrist injury led her to pivot from clinical hygiene into dental sales. It's a refreshing reminder that the skills developed in dental hygiene translate beyond the operatory. If you're interested in learning how she did it, check out this episode and then head over to her YouTube channel, @MirandaLinkousRDH. 

🟠 Struggling on your journey? Download our free guide to help you overcome your dental hygiene hurdles HERE! https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/pl/2148740487

🟠 Follow @DentalHygieneBasics on socials for study tips, motivation, and educational content.

🟠 Check out www.dentalhygienebasics.com to see all of our services and scholarships! Whether you are applying or recently accepted, we got you!

🟠 Listen & Subscribe: The Dental Hygiene Basics Podcast is available on all platforms (Youtube included!). Hit follow and stay updated!

🟠 Thank you to our sponsor, StudentRDH! Head to www.studentrdh.com for all of your board prep needs! Give them a follow on socials @studentrdh, also!

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Consider this episode a check-in with your personal advisor, Dana, for your dental hygiene school prerequisites. Dana walks through the common pre-req courses for dental hygiene programs. There's so much emphasis put on these science courses because they directly prepare you for the intensity of dental hygiene coursework, so they can really make or break your application. Choosing two to three target programs and tailoring your prerequisite plan to their requirements is a more effective and less overwhelming approach. Dana also normalizes having C's on your transcript, reminding listeners that strong planning, experience, and thoughtful applications can matter just as much as grades. 

🟠 Struggling on your journey? Download our free guide to help you overcome your dental hygiene hurdles HERE! https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/pl/2148740487

🟠 Follow @DentalHygieneBasics on socials for study tips, motivation, and educational content.

🟠 Check out www.dentalhygienebasics.com to see all of our services and scholarships! Whether you are applying or recently accepted, we got you!

🟠 Listen & Subscribe: The Dental Hygiene Basics Podcast is available on all platforms (Youtube included!). Hit follow and stay updated!

🟠 Thank you to our sponsor, StudentRDH! Head to www.studentrdh.com for all of your board prep needs! Give them a follow on socials @studentrdh, also!

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Do you want the honest truth about dental hygiene—not the sugar-coated version you see on social media? Dana gets into the real downsides of dental hygiene on this episode, including musculoskeletal disorders and chronic pain, burnout, lack of autonomy, difficult workplace dynamics, emotional fatigue, and the tough transition from school expectations to real-world practice. It's important to recognize none of these challenges automatically mean dental hygiene isn’t right for you—but they do mean you have to be intentional. You can set yourself up to have a great career early on by prioritizing ergonomics, strength, and self-check-ins. If something feels off, don’t ignore it. Identify the issue you can change and make a small shift. Having an honest conversation about the downsides of dental hygiene is crucial if you’re deciding whether this career truly fits you.

🟠 Struggling on your journey? Download our free guide to help you overcome your dental hygiene hurdles HERE! https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/pl/2148740487

🟠 Follow @DentalHygieneBasics on socials for study tips, motivation, and educational content.

🟠 Check out www.dentalhygienebasics.com to see all of our services and scholarships! Whether you are applying or recently accepted, we got you!

🟠 Listen & Subscribe: The Dental Hygiene Basics Podcast is available on all platforms (Youtube included!). Hit follow and stay updated!

🟠 Thank you to our sponsor, StudentRDH! Head to www.studentrdh.com for all of your board prep needs! Give them a follow on socials @studentrdh, also!

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Dana welcomes back Britt from Brush with Britt on the podcast to discuss finances for dental hygienists—beyond just the hourly rate. New grads and early-career hygienists often overlook crucial factors when picking a job as a result of putting so much emphasis on their compensation package. Dana and Britt agree that work environment, commute, schedule flexibility, equipment quality, and long-term financial planning are equally important when accepting a job. Britt shares her best tips for negotiating pay, asking for creative bonuses, avoiding early burnout, and starting retirement savings like a Roth IRA—even without employer benefits. A higher hourly wage doesn’t always equal a better job or a better life. Before accepting or renegotiating a position, write down your top five non-negotiables (schedule, commute, culture, equipment, growth opportunities) and evaluate the offer as a whole—not just the number. If finances feel overwhelming or you’ve only been taught to chase the highest rate, this episode will help you zoom out, advocate for yourself, and make smarter money moves from the start.

🟠 Struggling on your journey? Download our free guide to help you overcome your dental hygiene hurdles HERE! https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/pl/2148740487

🟠 Follow @DentalHygieneBasics on socials for study tips, motivation, and educational content.

🟠 Check out www.dentalhygienebasics.com to see all of our services and scholarships! Whether you are applying or recently accepted, we got you!

🟠 Listen & Subscribe: The Dental Hygiene Basics Podcast is available on all platforms (Youtube included!). Hit follow and stay updated!

🟠 Thank you to our sponsor, StudentRDH! Head to www.studentrdh.com for all of your board prep needs! Give them a follow on socials @studentrdh, also!

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If you’re considering going into dental hygiene, you've probably wondered whether dental hygiene is truly the right path for you. This episode meets that question head-on—without fear-mongering or false promises. Dana walks through what it really means to feel “meant” for a profession, reframing doubt, delays, and detours as common parts of the journey rather than signs of failure. She discusses the concept of The Nudge, The Knock, and The Rhino—the subtle interests, clear opportunities, and unavoidable obstacles that often guide us toward where we’re meant to be, even when the path feels messy. Let this be a reminder that dental hygiene is not a lifelong trap, but a foundation of transferable skills that can grow, pivot, and evolve with you. If you’re deciding between paths or feeling unsettled by setbacks, the takeaway is practical and grounding: shadow, ask questions, listen to your intuition, and trust that struggle does not disqualify you—it often clarifies you. Caring for people is at the heart of dental hygiene, and there’s more than one “right” way to arrive there.

🟠 Struggling on your journey? Download our free guide to help you overcome your dental hygiene hurdles HERE! https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/pl/2148740487

🟠 Follow @DentalHygieneBasics on socials for study tips, motivation, and educational content.

🟠 Check out www.dentalhygienebasics.com to see all of our services and scholarships! Whether you are applying or recently accepted, we got you!

🟠 Listen & Subscribe: The Dental Hygiene Basics Podcast is available on all platforms (Youtube included!). Hit follow and stay updated!

🟠 Thank you to our sponsor, StudentRDH! Head to www.studentrdh.com for all of your board prep needs! Give them a follow on socials @studentrdh, also!

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Feeling like you’re barely keeping up in dental hygiene school doesn’t mean you don’t belong—it means you’re in the middle of learning something difficult. Most dental hygiene students who care deeply about doing well experience imposter syndrome at some point, especially when they’re juggling clinic, exams, new skills, and real life all at once. The goal isn’t to silence self-doubt with positivity; it’s to respond to it with structure. Skills and confidence don’t appear overnight—they grow through consistent practice, reflection, and early course correction. Let this be a reminder that you’re not behind- you’re building. 

🟠 Struggling on your journey? Download our free guide to help you overcome your dental hygiene hurdles HERE! https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/pl/2148740487

🟠 Follow @DentalHygieneBasics on socials for study tips, motivation, and educational content.

🟠 Check out www.dentalhygienebasics.com to see all of our services and scholarships! Whether you are applying or recently accepted, we got you!

🟠 Listen & Subscribe: The Dental Hygiene Basics Podcast is available on all platforms (Youtube included!). Hit follow and stay updated!

🟠 Thank you to our sponsor, StudentRDH! Head to www.studentrdh.com for all of your board prep needs! Give them a follow on socials @studentrdh, also!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stacy Weisman's dental hygiene resume is seriously impressive! She has furthered her education in numerous ways since graduating with her associate's degree, taking endless courses and achieving several more credentials. Her dental hygiene experience includes public health, corporate and private dentistry, nutritional counseling, salivary testing, public speaking, and now, myofunctional therapy- all while being a mom! Stacy's career reflects why I love dental hygiene so much- it shows how you can continue advancing your career and why it's so important to never stop learning. 

🟠 Struggling on your journey? Download our free guide to help you overcome your dental hygiene hurdles HERE! https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/pl/2148740487

🟠 Follow @DentalHygieneBasics on socials for study tips, motivation, and educational content.

🟠 Check out www.dentalhygienebasics.com to see all of our services and scholarships! Whether you are applying or recently accepted, we got you!

🟠 Listen & Subscribe: The Dental Hygiene Basics Podcast is available on all platforms (Youtube included!). Hit follow and stay updated!

🟠 Thank you to our sponsor, StudentRDH! Head to www.studentrdh.com for all of your board prep needs! Give them a follow on socials @studentrdh, also!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.