Dental Hygiene Basics

Guest Stephanie Botts, RDH and certified ergonomic assessment specialist, discusses the realities of chronic pain and career longevity in dental hygiene. Stephanie shares her journey from struggling with instrumentation in dental hygiene school to becoming certified in ergonomics and helping dental professionals prevent musculoskeletal injuries before they become career-limiting. The conversation...

If you’ve ever sent a quick email and immediately moved on, this episode may challenge you—in a useful way. Dana walks through how everyday communication habits, especially over email or messaging, shape your professional reputation long before you meet someone in person. For dental hygiene students and early-career clinicians, this isn’t about being overly formal—it’s about being intentional. A c...

Dana is talking with dental hygiene student Julianna Page about the realities of returning to school after working in dentistry for over 20 years and what dental hygiene school has been like for her as she nears the end of her last semester. They discuss burnout in accelerated dental hygiene programs, the stress of finding patients, balancing family life, and learning how to ask for support before...

One of the most challenging aspects of dental hygiene education is recognizing that your instructors are still learning, too. Dana reflects on the biggest mistakes she made as a dental hygiene educator, from navigating perfectionism and rigid, militant-like academic culture to learning how to support students without losing accountability. This conversation sheds light on the pressure faculty face...

Sarah Payne's journey to getting into dental hygiene school is truly motivating! Guest hosts Julio and current dental hygiene student Sarah offer a more accurate picture of how dental hygiene admissions actually work. From changing majors and failing prerequisites to being waitlisted, Sarah ultimately succeeded in gaining admission to a community college dental hygiene program on the first try. He...

In this episode, Dana walks through her go-to dental hygiene instruments—the 204S, Barnhart 12, Montana Jack, and the essential 11/12 explorer. She reinforces a key principle for dental hygiene students and new hygienists: once you understand adaptation, angulation, and activation, you’re not memorizing instruments—you’re applying a system. If you’ve been feeling behind in instrumentation skills o...

AI isn’t replacing dental hygienists—but it is changing how you work day to day for the better. In this episode, Dana talks with Maria Jackson, RDH and owner of Dental AI Solutions, about how tools like voice charting and automated notes are already reducing time pressure in clinical practice. Her path wasn’t straightforward, and her experience highlights a common gap: strong clinicians still need...

Are you dealing with haters bringing you down in your dental hygiene journey? In this episode, Dana talks honestly about handling discouragement, comparison, and negative feedback while staying grounded in your own goals. This conversation explores imposter syndrome in dental hygiene school, why outside validation can feel so important, and how to stay connected to your “why” when self-doubt shows...

Richard Robinson's RDH journey is a reminder that the path into dental hygiene doesn’t always start with a plan—it can start with exposure and a willingness to pivot. In this episode, Richard shares how he entered the dental hygiene profession later in life and built a 3.8 GPA despite undiagnosed dyslexia and test anxiety. His strong study habits, along with a great support system, and managing hi...

Trying to decide if you should work during dental hygiene school isn’t about the job—it’s about whether your current capacity can support it. In this episode, Dana walks through a common question for dental hygiene students: should you take on a job while in dental hygiene school? The answer isn’t one-size-fits-all. Some students can balance work and school; others find that adding responsibilitie...

Dental hygienist, educator, and author Dr. Tonya Jeffries shares her multifaceted journey of establishing a fulfilling career in dental hygiene, including leadership, mentorship, and innovative tools that empower both students and educators. Her years of experience in education inspired her to write The Dental Hygiene Hack- a guide for students to be successful in dental hygiene school. Find her b...

Have you heard of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs? It's often taught in dental hygiene school in the context of patient care, but in this episode, Dana uses it to demonstrate how you can use it to find out if your foundational needs are being met. Stress, sleep deprivation, financial pressure, chronic pain, burnout, and self-doubt can affect learning, clinical performance, confidence, and even patient...

Allison Freimuth, a current dental hygiene student, is on this episode with guest host Julio and shares what her path actually looked like when applying—strong grades, limited program options, and a schedule that left little room for downtime. She walks through how her program evaluated applicants using a point-based system, what it meant to apply to only one school, and how timing and preparation...

Imposter syndrome in dental hygiene school—and even early in your dental hygiene career—is often a sign you’re in an active growth season, not falling behind. It means you're challenging yourself to do more than what you thought you were capable of, which you can use to build confidence through action! The goal isn’t to eliminate discomfort because that would mean you're not pushing yourself. Keep...

Dana sits down with Whitney Howerton, RDH, to unpack a career that didn’t follow a straight path. Whitney shares how an initial goal of becoming a dentist shifted into dental hygiene, then evolved into clinical practice, education, industry leadership, and eventually a vice president role within a global dental company. What stands out isn’t a perfectly mapped plan, but a pattern: she stayed engag...

Starting off as a new grad dental hygienist can feel less like a transition and more like a sudden increase in expectations—on your time, your body, and your decision-making. Dana is sharing all the tips she wishes she had as a new grad hygienist! This episode centers on a simple but often overlooked skill: daily reflection. When you begin to notice your timing, your stress, your pain levels, and...

Brittany Wragg's dental hygiene journey reflects what it looks like to build a career while also managing real-life responsibilities. From entering dentistry with no experience to completing hygiene school as a working mom, she outlines what it takes to stay consistent and achieve long-term goals. If you’re questioning your timeline or capacity to move forward in this profession, this conversation...

There’s a point where your to-do list stops being helpful and starts becoming a quiet source of stress. Many dental hygiene students fall into the pattern of writing detailed to-do lists that feel productive, but don’t consistently lead to action. Dana is sharing practical ways to approach task management more intentionally, including using short, defined time blocks, prioritizing what truly needs...

Kim Augustus from Bloom RDH is back again on the podcast and is shedding light on the difficult transition dental hygienists often face after graduating and starting their careers. With several years of experience as an RDH, educator, and career coach, Kim has built a surplus of resources to provide for new grad dental hygienists who feel lost or uncertain in the operatory. She and Dana also discu...

Unmanaged test anxiety can really be a burden in dental hygiene school and hold you back from the scores you deserve! In this episode, you'll learn practical strategies for test-taking anxiety, including how to regulate your nervous system, approach questions with a consistent strategy, and reduce avoidable stress on exam day. You’ll learn how small shifts can improve both focus and performance on...

Chardae Hoskins, current senior dental hygiene student, talks with guest host Julio about her journey into a competitive dental hygiene program with an average GPA, multiple application cycles, and no prior dental experience. If you're in the dental hygiene application process, this episode is exactly what you need to feel reassured and empowered in your journey! Start here: Get dental hygiene sch...

Learn how to use the Cornell note-taking method for your dental hygiene courses to turn long lectures into an active recall system you can actually study from. Instead of rereading or highlighting, you’ll learn how to organize notes into key concepts, build cue-based questions, and summarize material in a way that supports memory for exams like the NBDHE. Start here: Get dental hygiene school tips...

Shayna Overfelt joins Dana to break down the ADEX dental hygiene exam, including the written portion and clinical manikin components, and what exam day truly looks like so you can replace uncertainty with clarity. You’ll hear how to avoid common mistakes (like relying on poor advice or changing your clinical routine) and why your best strategy is to perform the same way you do on a strong clinic d...

Do your dental hygiene notes feel like they’re never getting shorter? It’s not a sign you’re behind—it’s a sign you’re still learning how to study effectively in dental hygiene school. This episode, Dana breaks down why detailed notes are necessary at first, and how strong students shift from long explanations to concise memory cues as their understanding deepens. Instead of rereading, focus on ac...

It’s easy to feel behind in dental hygiene school- the pace is fast and the expectations are high. But that pressure often has more to do with mindset than proficiency. In this episode, Danni Linton shares her path from student to educator and how perfectionism and fear of feedback can hold students back. Learn how to use feedback as a tool to propel you further as a dental hygienist! Start here:...