Dental Hygiene Basics

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 in school? https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/pl/2148740487

🟠 Socials: @dentalhygienebasics

🟠 Scholarships: www.dentalhygienebasics.com/scholarships

🟠 See all FREE upcoming student events: www.dentalhygienebasics.com/events

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

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 in school? https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/pl/2148740487

🟠 Socials: @dentalhygienebasics

🟠 Scholarships: www.dentalhygienebasics.com/scholarships

🟠 See all FREE upcoming student events: www.dentalhygienebasics.com/events

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 in school? https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/pl/2148740487

🟠 Socials: @dentalhygienebasics

🟠 Scholarships: www.dentalhygienebasics.com/scholarships

🟠 See all FREE upcoming student events: www.dentalhygienebasics.com/events

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

Kim McCrady got started in the field of dentistry over 30 years ago, working her way up as a recall coordinator, dental assistant, and eventually RDH. She later became co-founder of a provider centric support organization, Signature Dental Partners, and, fast-forward to now, is an author of a children's oral health book. Her book, Plaque Poop, provides simplified oral hygiene instructions to children and was written with the focus of preventing dental cavities. I love highlighting her story because it's an example of how you can use your training as a dental hygienist to work outside of the operatory and still help people improve their oral health! 

🟠 Struggling in school? https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/pl/2148740487

🟠 Socials: @dentalhygienebasics

🟠 Scholarships: www.dentalhygienebasics.com/scholarships

🟠 See all FREE upcoming student events: www.dentalhygienebasics.com/events

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

Kevin Lopez and Paula Chebat join me on the podcast to help shine some positivity on the field of dental hygiene! They're both passionate dental hygiene educators and trainers for the Guided Biofilm Therapy system, doing amazing things with their careers. Despite their impressive accomplishments today, both Paula and Kevin faced significant challenges during their educational journeys, proving that success doesn't always come easily. I appreciate these two for sharing the details of their GPAs out of high school and their struggles with mental health from ADHA and severe testing anxiety, and how they were able to persevere. 

🟠 Struggling in school? https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/pl/2148740487

🟠 Socials: @dentalhygienebasics

🟠 Scholarships: www.dentalhygienebasics.com/scholarships

🟠 See all FREE upcoming student events: www.dentalhygienebasics.com/events

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

Megan Koller shares her path to becoming a dental hygienist and the sacrifices she made along the way. We discussed her challenges with mental health in dental hygiene school, a topic I think is so important to highlight for incoming and current students. Despite her struggles, she graduated and worked hard to pay off 40k in student loan debt! You can hear her tips on how she was able to accomplish this goal on the episode. Today, she works four days a week as a clinical hygienist and shares lots of great content on her IG (@polished.meg). Make sure to give her a follow!

🟠 Struggling in school? https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/pl/2148740487

🟠 Socials: @dentalhygienebasics

🟠 Scholarships: www.dentalhygienebasics.com/scholarships

🟠 See all FREE upcoming student events: www.dentalhygienebasics.com/events

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

Did you know you can survive weeks without food but only days without sleep? Sleep is such an underrated necessity and it's time you start prioritizing it! You are your most valuable asset, so let this episode be a reminder to prioritize yourself with adequate sleep, hydration, and nutrition while in school. Showing up for yourself in these ways will not only boost your performance but also help you be more efficient in the long run.  

Timestamps: 

(00:00) Intro

(02:53) Priorities in Dental Hygiene School

(05:30) Importance of Sleep in Dental Hygiene School

(08:02) Fueling Your Body Efficiently 

(11:19) Making Time for Yourself

🟠 Struggling in school? https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/pl/2148740487

🟠 Socials: @dentalhygienebasics

🟠 Scholarships: www.dentalhygienebasics.com/scholarships

🟠 See all FREE upcoming student events: www.dentalhygienebasics.com/events

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

Ready to learn how to make the most of your time in your dental hygiene school clinic appointments? You're in the right place! The time you have in the clinic in dental hygiene school is precious, and you want to use the time wisely to make yourself a better, more confident clinician. In my experience as a dental hygiene instructor, I've found that many students are scrambled, unorganized, and underprepared in their clinical appointments, making it harder for them to get their requirements done. You can find really good tips in this episode that are guaranteed to help you succeed in school. Don't forget to check out calendly.com, a free scheduling platform you can implement to schedule your patients in dental hygiene school!  

Timestamps: 

(00:00) Intro

(00:59) Scheduling Your Patients in Dental Hygiene School 

(02:49) How to Prepare Before Dental Hygiene Clinic 

(03:59) Strategizing for Clinic in Dental Hygiene School 

(06:40) Student RDH

(07:49) Hacks for Maximizing Time in Clinic

🟠 Struggling in school? https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/pl/2148740487

🟠 Socials: @dentalhygienebasics

🟠 Scholarships: www.dentalhygienebasics.com/scholarships

🟠 See all FREE upcoming student events: www.dentalhygienebasics.com/events

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

Time management is a non-negotiable must-have skill in dental hygiene school and once you graduate. From the moment you call your patient back to your operatory to when they are checking out from their appointment, you are actively being productive to avoid falling behind schedule! This can sound daunting and exhausting, but honing in on your time management skills will make this a breeze. Tune in for my best time management hacks you can apply, not only to dental hygiene, but to your life in general. 

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro 

(05:10) My Time Management Hacks

(12:08) Daily To-Do Lists 

(15:03) How to Gauge Time Needed for Tasks 

🟠 Struggling in school? https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/pl/2148740487

🟠 Socials: @dentalhygienebasics

🟠 Scholarships: www.dentalhygienebasics.com/scholarships

🟠 See all FREE upcoming student events: www.dentalhygienebasics.com/events

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

Andrew Johnston became a dental hygienist in 2009 and has been busy with his career since. A few accomplishments he's had include earning a bachelor's in business management, becoming a co-founder of the podcast A Tale of Two Hygienists, and working as a director of dental hygiene at a corporate dental office. Before dental hygiene school, Andrew had a successful career in retail management and initially wanted to become a periodontist. Ultimately, he loved dental hygiene so much and decided not to pursue dental school. Andrew's done so much with his career in dental hygiene and has so much wisdom to share for the future RDH! 

Timestamps: 

(00:00) Andrew’s RDH Origin Story

(03:33) Dental Hygiene Career Timeline

(11:59) Applying to Dental Hygiene School

(17:26) Difficulties in Dental Hygiene School for Andrew

(21:12) Andrew’s Advice to the Future RDH

🟠 Struggling in school? https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/pl/2148740487

🟠 Socials: @dentalhygienebasics

🟠 Scholarships: www.dentalhygienebasics.com/scholarships

🟠 See all FREE upcoming student events: www.dentalhygienebasics.com/events

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