My guest, Deanna, has an inspiring dental hygiene story starting from her military experience straight out of high school, earning her bachelor's in dental hygiene while working two jobs, and then eventually getting her master's degree! Today, she still practices in the operatory as a dental hygienist while also doing public speaking, CE courses, and writing articles. Infection control is a main topic of discussion in this episode that every RDH and future RDH needs to hear! 

Timestamps:

(00:00) Deanna’s RDH Origin Story

(03:42) Infection Control in Dental Hygiene

(14:16) Obstacles Faced in School

(20:04) Expanded Functions within Dental Hygiene 

(23:48) Being in the Change in Negative Spaces

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

🟠 Join the Community: Follow @DentalHygieneBasics on socials for study tips, motivation, and educational content.

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

🟠 Support Future Hygienists! A portion of our proceeds funds the Dental Hygiene Basics Scholarship, helping aspiring RDHs achieve their goals. Learn more at www.dentalhygienebasics.com/scholarship.

🟠 Thank you to our sponsor, StudentRDH! Head to www.studentrdh.com for all of your board prep needs!

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

Dental hygienists are increasingly breaking out of traditional roles in the clinical setting and exploring other opportunities. Debi Rubino Dencek is my guest on this episode- she is a dental hygienist and the founder of CordEze®. Her product was designed to reduce stress on hygienists' wrists and prevent musculoskeletal disorders. The innovation of her product is impressive, but just wait until you hear her dental hygiene story and how she got a full-ride for her bachelor's degree! Follow Debi and learn more about Cordeze on Socials! Tiktok: @cordeze

Timestamps: 

(00:00) Debi’s RDH Origin Story 

(09:06) From Associates to Bachelors in Dental Hygiene 

(12:48) Setbacks in Debi’s Dental Hygiene Journey

(18:24) Time Management Advice

(22:37) The Development of CordEze®

(33:50) Advice for the Future RDH

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

🟠 Join the Community: Follow @DentalHygieneBasics on socials for study tips, motivation, and educational content.

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

🟠 Support Future Hygienists! A portion of our proceeds funds the Dental Hygiene Basics Scholarship, helping aspiring RDHs achieve their goals. Learn more at www.dentalhygienebasics.com/scholarship.

🟠 Thank you to our sponsor, StudentRDH! Head to www.studentrdh.com for all of your board prep needs!

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

Megan McCann is on today's episode to share her dental hygiene school experience. From high school, straight into dental hygiene school, she graduated with her bachelor's by the age of 22! Now, she's 26 and back in school working on her master's in dental hygiene. She has a passion for education and aspires to teach as a dental hygiene instructor after she graduates. The key takeaway from this episode: never stop learning and advancing in your career!

Timestamps: 

(00:00) Megan’s RDH Origin Story

(03:17) From High School Directly to Dental Hygiene School

(08:52) Master's in Dental Hygiene and Working in Education 

(20:15) Advice for Future RDHs 

(27:21) Support from Peers and Educators 

(33:04) Learning is a Strength 

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

🟠 Join the Community: Follow @DentalHygieneBasics on socials for study tips, motivation, and educational content.

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

🟠 Support Future Hygienists! A portion of our proceeds funds the Dental Hygiene Basics Scholarship, helping aspiring RDHs achieve their goals. Learn more at www.dentalhygienebasics.com/scholarship.

🟠 Thank you to our sponsor, StudentRDH! Head to www.studentrdh.com for all of your board prep needs!

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

Saying you want to "do more" sounds like it implies you aren't currently doing enough. Chances are, you're most likely doing more than enough and working really hard to get where you want to be. Regularly self-reflecting on your personal and professional goals is crucial in helping you define what success means to you!

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(02:51) What “Doing More” Means

(07:29) Check In With Yourself

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

🟠 Join the Community: Follow @DentalHygieneBasics on socials for study tips, motivation, and educational content.

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

🟠 Support Future Hygienists! A portion of our proceeds funds the Dental Hygiene Basics Scholarship, helping aspiring RDHs achieve their goals. Learn more at www.dentalhygienebasics.com/scholarship.

🟠 Thank you to our sponsor, StudentRDH! Head to www.studentrdh.com for all of your board prep needs!

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

Rachael Zushin is back this week for part 2 of her amazing dental hygiene story. She shares some valuable insight on how to build a vision for your future to help strengthen your drive and motivation. We also cover another important and hot topic of conversation- the possibility for dental assistants to learn dental hygiene skills on the job. Tune in to hear our thoughts!

Timestamps: 

(00:00) Creating a Vision for Your Future

(02:40) Memories from Dental Hygiene School

(05:55) Upholding the Educational Standard for Dental Hygienists 

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

🟠 Join the Community: Follow @DentalHygieneBasics on socials for study tips, motivation, and educational content.

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

🟠 Support Future Hygienists! A portion of our proceeds funds the Dental Hygiene Basics Scholarship, helping aspiring RDHs achieve their goals. Learn more at www.dentalhygienebasics.com/scholarship.

🟠 Thank you to our sponsor, StudentRDH! Head to www.studentrdh.com for all of your board prep needs!

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

Rachael Zustin was destined to have the RDH title behind her name- but that doesn't mean sacrifice and hard work weren't involved. With (literal) sweat and tears involved, she was successful in becoming a dental hygienist, facing several obstacles on the way. She is an inspiration and proof that if you set your mind to something, you CAN do it! Rachael struggled to get into dental hygiene school, and when she finally did, she faced intense grief at the start of her program. Still, she managed to find a stronger "why" and used passion to fuel her. Here is part 1 of an amazing story!

Timestamps: 

(00:00) Rachael’s RDH Origin Story 

(06:43) Resilience in the Face of Setbacks 

(11:27) Navigating ADHD in Dental Hygiene School

(21:38) Using Rejection to Strengthen Your Drive

(28:13) Doing Fitness Coaching During Dental Hygiene School

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

🟠 Join the Community: Follow @DentalHygieneBasics on socials for study tips, motivation, and educational content.

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

🟠 Support Future Hygienists! A portion of our proceeds funds the Dental Hygiene Basics Scholarship, helping aspiring RDHs achieve their goals. Learn more at www.dentalhygienebasics.com/scholarship.

🟠 Thank you to our sponsor, StudentRDH! Head to www.studentrdh.com for all of your board prep needs!

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

Tooth Fairy Tish is back on the podcast to update us on what she's been up to in the dental hygiene world! Since our talk last year, she has been busy in entrepreneurship expanding her mentorship program for new grad dental hygienists, publishing articles, and continuing her journey with public speaking. Letitia is an advocate for prioritizing mental health, preventing burnout, and staying involved in the dental hygiene community- she's overall an amazing dental hygienist to have in your corner!

Timestamps:

(00:00) Letitia’s Mentorship Program for Dental Hygiene Students

(10:02) Invest in Yourself

(13:15) A Real Picture of Entrepreneurship  

(24:27) Different Avenues Available for Dental Hygienists

(28:08) Being Involved in Your Career with Associations 

(38:04) Self-Care for Dental Hygienists 

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

🟠 Join the Community: Follow @DentalHygieneBasics on socials for study tips, motivation, and educational content.

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

🟠 Support Future Hygienists! A portion of our proceeds funds the Dental Hygiene Basics Scholarship, helping aspiring RDHs achieve their goals. Learn more at www.dentalhygienebasics.com/scholarship.

🟠 Thank you to our sponsor, StudentRDH! Head to www.studentrdh.com for all of your board prep needs!

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

Are you considering shadowing a dental hygienist? It's one of the best things you can do before applying to dental hygiene school! Tune in to this bonus episode to hear about ideas on how to dress, what to bring with you, and questions to prepare for the dental hygienist you're shadowing. 

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(01:23) Attire for Shadowing at a Dental Office

(03:51) What to Bring With You 

(04:58) How to Maximize Your Shadowing Experience

(06:54) Other Attire Options for Shadowing 

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

🟠 Join the Community: Follow @DentalHygieneBasics on socials for study tips, motivation, and educational content.

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

🟠 Support Future Hygienists! A portion of our proceeds funds the Dental Hygiene Basics Scholarship, helping aspiring RDHs achieve their goals. Learn more at www.dentalhygienebasics.com/scholarship.

🟠 Thank you to our sponsor, StudentRDH! Head to www.studentrdh.com for all of your board prep needs!

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

Florie Mancilla is a dental hygienist in California with experience as a dental assistant and dental hygiene instructor, public health hygienist, and laser trainer. She became a dental assistant and did that for 10 years before fulfilling her dream of going to dental hygiene school. As a first-generation college student, she figured out a lot of the college process on her own yet still managed to pay for her pre-req courses, do volunteer work, and achieve a 3.1 GPA. In this episode, we highlighted what it has been like for Florie to pay off her student loans in hopes of educating students on the unexpected with loan forgiveness programs. 

Timestamps:

(00:00) Florie’s RDH Origin Story 

(11:18) Dental Hygiene School for Florie 

(17:17) Paying Dental Hygiene Tuition 

(18:06) An Unfortunate Series of Events for Florie 

(33:04) Building a Community in Dental Hygiene

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

🟠 Join the Community: Follow @DentalHygieneBasics on socials for study tips, motivation, and educational content.

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

🟠 Support Future Hygienists! A portion of our proceeds funds the Dental Hygiene Basics Scholarship, helping aspiring RDHs achieve their goals. Learn more at www.dentalhygienebasics.com/scholarship.

🟠 Thank you to our sponsor, StudentRDH! Head to www.studentrdh.com for all of your board prep needs!

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

Jose is back again to host his second episode with guest Maria Paula Rodriguez, his dental hygiene classmate from NYU! Maria Paula works as a clinical hygienist in both general and pediatric dentistry; she loves that dental hygiene allows her schedule to be versatile and can switch up where she's working throughout the week! Originally from Venezuela, she explains what it was like for her to start college here, and how her journey led her to dental hygiene. Jose and Maria Paula also discuss differences between bachelors and associates in dental hygiene, different working environments for dental hygienists, and tips for new grads applying for jobs! 

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro with Dana and Jose

(05:19) Maria Paula’s RDH Origin Story 

(11:46) Bachelor’s vs. Associate’s Degree in Dental Hygiene

(12:49) From Dental Hygiene School to Working Clinically 

(20:02) Tips for New Grad Hygienists

(23:12) Interviewing for Clinical Dental Hygiene Jobs

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

🟠 Join the Community: Follow @DentalHygieneBasics on socials for study tips, motivation, and educational content.

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

🟠 Support Future Hygienists! A portion of our proceeds funds the Dental Hygiene Basics Scholarship, helping aspiring RDHs achieve their goals. Learn more at www.dentalhygienebasics.com/scholarship.

🟠 Thank you to our sponsor, StudentRDH! Head to www.studentrdh.com for all of your board prep needs!

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