Dental Hygiene Student Podcast with The Happy Flosser RDH

In this episode of The Happy Flosser RDH, we break down the essentials of radiographic interpretation so dental hygiene students can feel confident, prepared, and clinically sharp. Whether you're studying for boards or reviewing for clinic, this episode gives you a simple, structured way to approach every radiograph you see. Radiographic interpretation isn’t about guessing — it’s about using a...

Hello Dental Hygiene Students - In this episode, we break down one of the most essential skills in clinical practice: performing a caries risk assessment and turning your findings into meaningful, patient‑centered care. You’ll learn how to confidently identify risk factors, protective factors, and disease indicators. More importantly, how to translate that information into clear, evidence‑based in...

If this semester in Dental Hygiene School didn't go the way you hoped, you are not alone. Failing a class, board exam, or several courses - does not define your abilities, what you are capable of, or your intelligence. In this episode, we will review some of the essential steps to overcome the set back and turn it into your new beginning. The key is to pause, see where things went wrong and un...

Students learn all the details about the anatomy on all the different tooth types. This is meaningful information. BUT How do we connect the dots for the dental hygiene student in the clinical setting on how that information impacts clinical care, treatment planning, and prognosis? In this episode, I review the root trunk lengths of the molars and help provide information to students in a way that...

Are you in dental hygiene school and just about to complete your semester? If so. you are probably feeling a bit of stress! That is a normal feeling - I assure you! Dental Hygiene School is no joke! In this episode, I will discuss ways you can finish your semester strong, and recharge over your break to allow you time to rest, reset, and recover. Additional resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Leave me a message or...

As a dental hygienist, we help our patients manage dental biofilm to support the efforts to reduce the risk of decay and periodontal disease, The dental hygiene student needs to understand how the dental biofilm forms and develops. In this episode, we will review the acquired pellicle, dental biofilm creation, and composition of biofilm.

These days are connected to challenging conversations between providers. We need to be united in our efforts - things feel pretty divided and unclear. In this episode, I hope to provide a motivating overview of the workforce crisis, its impact on access to care, educational and workforce challenges, a vision for change, innovative care models, and a call to action. This episode emphasizes a studen...

In Dental Hygiene School, we learn all about Periodontal Disease Classification Systems. We learn how to perform an assessment on our patient and determine if they have periodontal disease - but then what? So often, we are not callibrated with other clinicians in the next steps of treatment. We may work in an office that performs gross debridements, prophylaxis first, or even prophy followed by NS...

radiographic interpretation can be challenging when you are learning. There is so much to look at on your radiographs that are varients of normal, anatomy, and early disease detection. It is time consuming to get the skills down so you are able to confidently look at radiographs and see all the important components as part of your assessment. In this episode, we take a look at some of the radiogra...

How we show up to treat our patients as a dental hygienist is up to us. We can make or break our own day when we show up with the wrong mindset or negative self-sabotage. I compiled a list of things that have really helped my clinical days as a dental hygienist. It can be one of those careers that produce significant early career burnout and dissatisfaction - if you are not careful. I worked for a...

In dental hygiene school you will learn all about the use of ultrasonics. They are considered the standard of care and will provide you with a sigifnicant resource for biofilm managment. The learning curve is significant and can really intimidate the early clinician - stick with it! Like anything else in life, it is hard until it isn't - that is just the way it is. Additional resources Leave m...

If your state allows for the monitoring of Nitrous Oxide and you have it in your curriculum, this episode is for you. I cover the basics of Nitrous set-up - armamentarium - relative contraindications - and safety. Additional resources: Leave me a message or send a question I can share on the Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Time Management Prioritization Quiz - Find out how you rate ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HE...

This conversation left me considering so much of how I speak and listen to others. As a dental hygienist, we spend so much of our time communicating with others. Sometimes we may miss the most impactful component of communication - listening and confirming that we understand. This conversation with Julie Leparri was truly enjoyable and inspired me to reconsider how I communicate with others. She i...

How do we know if our patients need ortho treatment? When is the best age to send them for an evaluation? Is there a time tht is best? What are the concerns we should be looking for in our patients. In this episode, we will review some of the assessment parts that are important for the dental hygienist to be looking at in addition to a full occlusal assessment that help us determine the risk level...

Ok Guys, we are just getting to about the 6th week of dental hygiene school fall semester. How is everything going? Are you stressed out and having some challenges? "The seeds of discouragement cannot take root in an grateful heart" - this quote helped me so much in school! Please know that you are enough! You can do this! You have what it takes to be successful! Additional resources: Le...

In dental hygiene school you will learn each and every aspect of the ADPIED process of care. You will get into great detail about each component and how to perform them. In this episode, we cover the medical and dental history process. It is important to understand the WHY behind what you are doing. This episode will cover risk management, quality assurance, and liability associated with the medic...

So you have started dental hygiene school and have already begun to feel a bit overwhelmed by how much information you have to learn right out of the gate. There is so much information coming at you so fast that it can easily begin to feel like you are lost in the basics. In this episode, I cover some of the very basics at the beginning of dental hygiene school that begin to make students feel stu...

Do your patients know who you are and what your credentials are? Do you share this information with the patients you treat? In this episode, I will cover some of the basics about minor changes you can make with your communication that will make a big impact in building patient rapport, trust, and connection. Patient-centered communication that builds education around who is treating them is a step...

Taking an impression requires lots of practice! Dental Materials can have a huge learning curve. I promise you - it gets easier with time! Think of it like baking a cake! If you are messy in the kitchen like me, you will probably be messy with your dental materials. In this episode, I will review some of the important key steps to setting yourself up for a successful outcome of taking an good impr...

Listen in as we discuss the research behind career satisfaction and challenges faced by the profession of dental hygiene. The research looks into the areas of the profession that the RDH finds to be both meaningful and challenging. Linda articulates the research in a way that left me feeling profoundly aware of the work that needs to be done to create a shift for the profession. Meaningful work is...

Dental Hygiene School is challenging before it even begins. How will you be the most prepared for the next semester that is about to start? In this episode, I go through some of the things that have worked for me when getting ready to go back to school. Believe it or not, faculty have some of the very same feelings when the new semester begins. Additional resources: Leave me a message or send a qu...

Life as a dental hygienist is all about blooming where you are planted so you may grow and develop. Take the time to nourish your opportunities and build resilience and grit in any situation. Look for ways to "fail fast and often". In this episode, I cover some of the ways in which you can Bloom Where you are Planted and Grow into the person you wish to become. Additional resources: Leav...

As a dental hygiene student, you will need to develop an understanding of the difference between community dental health as it relates to patient care and what you provide your patients in the opertory. Scope of knowledge and policy development will be key indicators of future impact on what the dental hygienist will be able to do around the area of prevention in communities. It is a pivotal time...

Dental Hygiene is sometimes an unexpected career choice for many. It is not always the thing that people say they want to do for their career at a young age. In this episode, I spend with the amazing Donna Murray - she shares her inspiring journey into the field of dental hygiene. Her perspective is one which will support your efforts to become the very best version of who you are! Life provides u...

Pharmacology can be a bit confusing when you are first learning about how drugs enter and are processed by the body. It is a very important concept to know well as we move forward with the administration of local anesthesia. In this episode, we will review Potency, efficacy, and the therapeutic index. I will go over ways to remember each in a way that creates learning and understanding. You can do...