Scaling the Truth with Alicia

What happens when a routine dental hygiene appointment suddenly becomes tense?

In this episode of Scaling the Truth with Alicia, Alicia explores how dental hygienists can handle difficult patient encounters with compassion, confidence, and clear professional boundaries. From radiograph refusal and late arrivals to disagreements over periodontal treatment, dental anxiety, and verbally abusive behavior, this episode offers practical strategies for navigating challenging moments without compromising patient safety or the standard of care.

You’ll learn how to:

• Recognize the fear or frustration beneath a patient’s behavior

• Use the CALM approach to de-escalate tense conversations

• Explain informed refusal and preserve patient autonomy

• Respond when behavior crosses the line

• Document difficult encounters using the FACT framework

• Ask office leadership for support when boundaries are challenged

Compassion can help us understand behavior—but it does not require us to tolerate abuse or provide inappropriate care.

Share your story anonymously through the listener submission form:
https://bit.ly/scalingthetruthsubmit

Visit www.scalingthetruthwithalicia.com for more episodes and links to Alicia’s social media.

Red Flags, Green Flags, and the Dental Hygiene Interview — Part 2

You got the interview. Now the bigger question is: Should you actually take the job?

In Part 2 of this Scaling the Truth with Alicia series, we turn the dental hygiene interview around and focus on how dental hygienists can interview the dental office, recognize workplace red flags, identify green flags, evaluate a working interview, and negotiate a job offer with confidence.

We’ll cover the questions every RDH should consider asking before accepting a dental hygiene position, including appointment lengths, periodontal protocols, production expectations, clinical autonomy, office culture, scheduling, compensation, benefits, and professional boundaries.

We’ll also discuss what to watch for during a dental hygienist working interview, why vague answers and chronic rushing may deserve a closer look, and how to evaluate the entire employment offer—not just the hourly rate.

Because finding the right dental hygiene job isn’t simply about whether an office wants to hire you.

It’s about determining whether you can provide quality patient care, protect your professional standards, and build a sustainable career in that practice.

🎧 Listen to Part 2: Red Flags, Green Flags, and the Dental Hygiene Interview on Scaling the Truth with Alicia.

Have a dental hygiene interview story, workplace red flag, career question, or topic you want discussed on the podcast? Submit it here:
https://bit.ly/scalingthetruthsubmit

#DentalHygienist #DentalHygiene #RDH #DentalHygieneJobs #DentalHygieneCareer #DentalInterview #WorkingInterview #DentalJobs #CareerAdvice #ScalingTheTruth

Interviewing for a dental hygiene position is about more than having the “right” answers. It’s about knowing your value, communicating professionally, and walking into the conversation prepared.

In Part 1 of this two-part Scaling the Truth series, Alicia breaks down how dental hygienists can prepare for an interview, talk confidently about their experience, handle difficult questions, discuss compensation, and present themselves professionally—without feeling like they have to say yes to everything just to get the job.

We’ll talk about questions like:

• “Tell me about yourself.”

• “Why are you leaving your current office?”

• “What is your biggest weakness?”

• “How do you handle difficult patients or conflict?”

• “What are your salary expectations?”

Because an interview isn’t an audition for your worth as a hygienist. It’s the beginning of a professional conversation.

And in Part 2, we’ll turn the interview around and talk about how you should be interviewing the office, too.

🎧 Follow Scaling the Truth with Alicia and share this episode with a hygienist preparing for their next opportunity.

Have a story, question, or topic you want discussed on Scaling the Truth? Submit it here: https://bit.ly/scalingthetruthsubmit

The Smart Temp Hygienist: Building a Flexible, Financially Sound Career

In Part 3 of Alicia’s W-2 vs. 1099 series, the conversation moves from worker classification and financial fundamentals to the practical realities of building a successful temp hygiene career.

Alicia shares strategies for choosing assignments thoughtfully, negotiating pay professionally, building strong relationships with dental offices, evaluating malpractice insurance, tracking expenses, preparing for slower months, creating the ultimate temp hygienist “go bag,” and setting boundaries that protect both you and your patients.

Whether you temp full-time, accept occasional fill-in shifts, or are simply considering temporary dental hygiene work, this episode will help you build a career that is flexible, financially sound, and personally sustainable.

Have a temping story, question, or lesson to share?

Submit it anonymously or include your name:
https://bit.ly/scalingthetruthsubmit

Follow Scaling the Truth with Alicia, leave a review, and share this episode with a dental hygienist who needs it.

A higher hourly rate doesn't always mean a better opportunity.

In Part 2 of this special series, Alicia Walker takes a practical look at the financial realities behind W-2 and 1099 employment for dental hygienists—especially those who temp or fill in. Rather than getting lost in tax jargon and complicated numbers, this episode uses real-world examples to help you understand what your paycheck may (and may not) be telling you.

We'll talk about total compensation, benefits, retirement planning, workers' compensation, malpractice insurance, unemployment benefits, and why understanding your financial picture is one of the most important forms of professional self-advocacy.

Whether you're a new graduate, an experienced clinician, or a career temp, this episode will help you ask better questions, evaluate job offers with confidence, and make more informed decisions about your future.

In this episode:

• Why the highest hourly rate isn't always the best opportunity

• The hidden value of total compensation

• Financial considerations every temp hygienist should understand

• Questions to ask before accepting a position

• Why financial literacy is part of protecting your career

Coming next: The Smart Temp Hygienist—practical strategies for building a successful, financially sound temping career, from setting healthy boundaries and evaluating offices to creating your ultimate temp toolkit.

💜 I'd love to hear from you! Share your questions, stories, or future episode ideas through my anonymous listener submission form:
https://bit.ly/scalingthetruth

📧 Email: [email protected]

If you're enjoying Scaling the Truth with Alicia, please follow the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, leave a rating and review, and share this episode with a fellow dental hygienist. Your support helps us continue having honest conversations that strengthen our profession—one episode at a time.

Should you accept a 1099 position as a temporary dental hygienist?

It's one of the most common questions I've been asked while speaking at dental hygiene meetings and events across Tennessee—and one of the most misunderstood topics in our profession.

In this episode of Scaling the Truth, we're breaking down the difference between a W-2 employee and a 1099 independent contractor in plain language. Together, we'll walk through a typical day as a temp hygienist, discuss what the IRS actually considers when determining worker classification, explore why Tennessee's supervision requirements make this conversation especially important, and separate common myths from reality.

I'll also share a personal story from early in my career about a costly mistake I made as a new temp hygienist—one that changed the way I approach worker classification forever.

This episode isn't legal, tax, or financial advice. It's an educational conversation designed to help you ask better questions and make informed decisions before accepting a position.

🦷 The difference between a W-2 employee and a 1099 independent contractor
🦷 Why temping does not automatically mean you're a 1099 contractor
🦷 What the IRS looks for when determining worker classification
🦷 Tennessee-specific considerations for dental hygienists
🦷 Common myths surrounding 1099 work—and the reality behind them
🦷 Why worker classification matters beyond just your paycheck
🦷 A personal lesson I learned the hard way

This is Part 1 of a two-part series.

In the next episode, "W-2 vs. 1099: The Financial Reality Every Dental Hygienist Needs to Understand," we'll take a deep dive into the financial side of the conversation. We'll compare real-world paycheck examples, discuss self-employment taxes, Social Security and Medicare, retirement planning, malpractice insurance, workers' compensation, unemployment benefits, business expenses, and how to evaluate a job offer based on your total compensation—not just the hourly rate.

I'd love to hear from you!

Have a question, a workplace experience, or a topic you'd like featured on a future episode? Or maybe you have a great Hygiene Unfiltered story to share.

📝 Listener Submission Form: https://bit.ly/scalingthetruthsubmit

📧 Email: [email protected]

If you found this episode helpful, please follow Scaling the Truth, leave a review, and share it with another dental hygienist. Every share helps bring honest, evidence-informed conversations to more dental professionals.

Until next time… keep asking questions, keep learning, and keep Scaling the Truth.

In this episode, we'll discuss:

Continuing education and networking are about far more than collecting CE credits. In this episode of Scaling the Truth, Alicia dives into why staying connected, educated, and engaged matters deeply in modern dental hygiene.

From burnout and isolation to patient care, advocacy, leadership, and the future of the profession — this is an honest conversation about why professional connection still matters.

Email me: [email protected]

or

Submit your stories and episode ideas here:

https://forms.gle/BhnWxJAJPzboZkhs8

#dentalhygiene #scalingthetruth #dentalhygienist #RDH #oralhealth #dentalhygieneadvocacy

Dry mouth. Burning tongue. Changes in taste. More cavities. More mouth sores.

For many women navigating perimenopause and menopause, these symptoms are very real—and far too often dismissed. In this episode, Alicia explores the connection between hormonal changes and oral health, shares her own experience with dry mouth and burning mouth symptoms, and discusses why dental professionals need to take these concerns seriously.

Listener Submission Form: https://bit.ly/scalingthetruthsubmit

Email: [email protected]

#ScalingTheTruth #DentalHygiene #Perimenopause #Menopause #BurningMouthSyndrome #DryMouth #Xerostomia #WomenInHealthcare #OralHealth #DentalPodcast #RDH #DentalHygienist #PatientAdvocacy #WomensHealthMatters

Dental anxiety is one of the biggest barriers to oral healthcare — and as dental hygienists, we see it every single day.

In this episode of Scaling the Truth, Alicia takes a deeper, more personal look at what it really means to care for anxious patients through a trauma-informed lens. From emotional safety and shame reduction to practical chairside strategies and communication shifts, this conversation explores how small moments of compassion can completely change a patient’s experience in the dental chair.

This episode is a little different than previous conversations. It’s slower, more reflective, and focused on the human side of dental hygiene — because trust matters just as much as clinical care.

Topics include:

• Trauma-informed dental hygiene care
• Dental anxiety and fear
• Communication strategies for anxious patients
• Emotional safety in healthcare
• Shame and avoidance in dentistry
• Practical chairside comfort techniques
• The emotional realities of hygiene practice

If you’ve ever had a patient say:

“I hate coming to the dentist…”

This episode is for you.

Submit your story or topic ideas here:
Scaling the Truth Submission Form

Email:
[email protected]

#DentalHygiene #TraumaInformedCare #DentalAnxiety #ScalingTheTruth #RDH #DentalPodcast #PatientCare #DentalProfessionals #HygieneUnfiltered #OralHealth

The ADHA has officially adopted policy supporting an entry-level doctorate degree for dental hygienists by 2032 — but what would that actually mean for the profession?

In this episode of Scaling the Truth, Alicia takes a balanced deep dive into:

• the reasoning behind the doctorate movement,
• comparisons to the physical therapy model,
• expanded scope and professional recognition,
• workforce shortages,
• rural healthcare concerns,
• educational accessibility,
• and what this could mean for the future of dental hygiene in states like Tennessee.

This is not a debate episode. It’s an honest conversation about where the profession is headed — and who could be impacted along the way.

Listener submissions:
Scaling the Truth Submission Form