A Tale of Two Hygienists Podcast

Chicago Midwinter is approaching this February and in this episode I catch up with Dr. Denise Hale to talk about what their big plans are for the meeting. Be sure to come and see the keynote speaker, award winning chef Grant Achatz as he tells his story of diagnosis and overcoming stage IV tongue cancer!  Resources: https://cds.attregistration.com/Registration/Attendee/Welcome.aspx  

It is not very often that we have a presidential administration that impacts our dental industry very much. We have largely been insulated from that. This new administration in 2025, however, has made some huge announcements that will have a direct impact on the profession. From the cost of supplies to workforce issues, prevention ideology, affordability of care, and much more could changing. List...

Has a PCP provided feedback that your patient should NOT have epinephrine in the local anesthesia? It's a complicated issue as epi does so much to improve the efficacy of the anesthetic agents but also helps manage patient pain. In this episode, Tom Viola discusses the ins and outs of using epinephrine and maybe how medical providers get it wrong every now and again... Be sure to reach out to him...

What is the standard of care? It's not a single document like the Declaration of Independence, so what is it and who decides what it is? In this episode Andrew talks through a few resources to help you find, establish, and implement the dental standard of care in your offices. He also gives a strong warning the the RDH profession... Resources: Https://www.perio.org Https://aap.org https://aacariol...

It's unique when students have strong opinions regarding how the profession is progressing, but these 3 students are special. Join Elena, Jasmyn, and Brandon in this episode as they talk about, among other things, the ADAs proposal to reduce the faculty to student ratio. The future is bright if we have engaged students emerging as our future colleagues! Resources: Jasmyn- jrs2243@nau.edu Elena- ea...

Irrigating with Chlorhexidine has been a gold standard for clinical practice for decades and, in fact, many offices still practice this way. In this episode Katrina Sanders answers the debated question of whether or not we should be practicing this way any longer.  Resources: More Fast Facts:  https://www.ataleoftwohygienists.com/fast-facts/ Katrina Sanders Website:  https://www.katrinasanders.com...

What we put in our bodies, matters. What products we use for oral home care matters. Dr. Mark Burhenne joins on the show today to talk about how to evaluate healthier options, what the role of the dental hygienist and other dental professionals should be, and how oral care is key to a bigger picture of healthcare.  Resources: https://www.instagram.com/askthedentist/ https://askthedentist.com/ http...

In this episode, Annie hosts Lynn Pencek to discuss how to care for our patients with implants. During the discussion she finds that some of the guidance we knew from before... might just be outdated. Give this episode a listen and reach out to Lynn if you have any questions! Resources : Lynn Pencek on Linkedin and Facebook lynn@practiceatyourbest.com

Machell joins us for another mini episode to talk about the defense and reparative function of proteins and antioxidants and how important that is in our oral health. This is a great episode to share with your patients! Machell@rdhhealth integrativedentalcoaching.com

We all make the mistakes. Some of them are quietly swept under the rug and no one notices, but others can cause an office wide commotion. Join Heather, Anna, and Lizz as they tell stories of some of their mistakes! RDH Rant:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/599722366843869

Office Culture: How important is it for you? By my observation, office culture can make or break a practice. With bad culture, the clinicians burn out quicker, the front office doesn't function, and the patients can feel it which leads to lower production. Great office culture can make dentistry a delight!  A myth that has been out there for years is that DSOs cannot have good office culture, so I...

Perhaps you are looking for your next career step but aren't sure where to look. Give this mini episode with Josey Sewell a listen to see if a position at a DSO is a good fit for you! Be sure to reach out to Josey if you have any questions -  josey@joseysewell.com  or follower her on instagram @joseysewell  Sonicare Support Materials -  https://www.usa.philips.com/c-m-pe/dental-professionals/pract...

We often see our patients for many years which helps us build a connection with them. In this episode, Sue Scherer helps us uncover what we can be doing for our patients from the earliest stages of family planning and through pregnancy. We talk about the types of conversations we should be having, what homecare products we should recommend, and what to be on the look out for as we do our assessmen...

Did you miss with your injection or is the patient hypersensitive? Is the technique wrong or the anesthetic not strong enough? In this episode with Tom Viola we dig deep to find out who really should be to blame when a patient does not get numb enough! Be sure to reach out to him if you have any questions by emailing  TomViola@tomviola.com , visit his website TomViola.com or check out his social m...

All dental hygiene programs are the same, right? I think for many of us, we take what we experienced in school and assume that is the experience everyone has and that could not be further from the truth. In this episode Jessica, Brenda, and Kali talk about what sets their program apart and how that leads to workforce ready dental hygiene graduates! Resources: Jessica- Jessica. Atkinson@utahtech.ed...

Consumers are becoming increasingly savvy when it comes to ingredient lists and we, as healthcare professionals, should be knowledgeable as well. In this episode, Katrina explains what types of ingredients SHOULD be listed for dry mouth products! In partnership with Therabreath, get a free sample at  www.oralcarepro.com/therabreath Resources: More Fast Facts:  https://www.ataleoftwohygienists.com/...

There is an argument that can be made that using microscopes with our patients should be mandatory. From the clinical perspective, it tells us a story of what we are fighting. From the patient perspective, they have evidence-based care they can trust. From the business perspective, there is slight increase in production but also increased patient satisfaction and retention which yields high qualit...

This this mini episode, Machell Hudson-Hoover discusses the role of B complex vitamins in our oral and systemic systems. She also talks about the best ways to that B vitamins are absorbed into our body, really essential information for us and our patients.  Machell@rdhhealth integrativedentalcoaching.com

We were so lucky to catch up with Christine Hammelev at RDH Under One Roof to talk about one of the hottest topics in dentistry: Lasers! And its not enough to understand the mechanics of how to use a laser, its really important to understand the research so be sure to check out the show notes for this episode for links to the educational materials! In Partnership with Biolase Resources: www.biolas...

We all have them, experiences with patients that you just can't make up! Listen to this episode as Heather, Lizz, and Anna delight in their stories and stories from members of the group! RDH Rant:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/599722366843869

In this week's full episode, we are talking about the dental staffing crisis. Ed and Cary are unique in that they see the data sets for dental staffing every single day and across the entire country. They joined me to talk about supply and demand ratios, specifics that influence the supply of a local area, and what successful offices are doing to retain their talent. You're not going to want to mi...

It's National Dental Hygiene Month and offices are celebrating with their patients and clinicians everywhere.. but what are DSO's doing different than maybe the private offices? Listen to this episode with Josey Sewell to find out! Be sure to reach out to Josey if you have any questions -  josey@joseysewell.com  or follower her on instagram @joseysewell  Sonicare Support Materials -  https://www.u...

Looking for a new side hustle? Dr. Prasanna Patel understands that feeling well and has taken her dental knowledge, her love for helping dentists be successful, and her love for writing and rolled them all into this new venture. Dental websites are often an afterthought and there is definitely a chance to earn extra money by enhancing the content and appearance. Who better to do this than the dent...

The future is bright if this is what the 2025 graduating class is like! We welcomed Kasidee, Bria, and Rylie from Utah Tech to the episode today to talk about the dental hygiene program life. We wanted to know if there were still the freak outs, the self-doubt, and the anxiety that many of us experienced... and spoilers - this group is confident, well-adjusted, and ready to join the ranks! Give th...

Who even uses Bupivicaine? Should we stop using it in dentistry or does it have a purpose? Tom Viola joins the show and gives his expert opinion in less than 5 minutes! Don't miss this short episode! Be sure to reach out to him if you have any questions by emailing  TomViola@tomviola.com , visit his website TomViola.com or check out his social media - @pharmacologydeclassified