Dental Hygiene Student Podcast with The Happy Flosser RDH

Taking Local Anesthesia as a dental hygiene student is hard. It can be overwhelming to learn all of the content, stay ahead of the content, and do well on your assessments. In this episode, I cover the basics of neuro anatomy and share the best way to utilize this podcast for studying and learning. Additional resources: Leave me a message or send a question I can share on the Podcast ⁠⁠⁠ Here⁠⁠⁠ T...

The dental hygiene student is tasked with understanding general pathology to develop a foundational knowledge of the disease etiology, pathogenisis, morphologic changes, and clinical manifestation of disease. In this episode, we will cover general pathology and how it relates to periodontal disease. We will review modifiable and non-modifiable risks associated with diseases. Other resources: Leave...

Are you testing and flushing your waterlines? Infection control is at the heart of all we do to provide safe care to our patients. In this episode, I speak with Kellie Timmes about her journey to inspire, motivate, and educate the field of dentistry to properly care for their waterlines and provide safe care to patients. A bit about Kellie: Kellie Thimmes is passionate about helping others and bel...

As a dental hygiene student, you will need to have an understanding of the biological effects of radiation. Your patients will ask you about radiation safety and exposure concerns. You will want to be ready to provide a thoughtful and knowledgeable answer to your patients who ask and are concerned. https://www.speakpipe.com/TheHappyFlosserRDH

The environment of dental hygiene school can be an emotional rollercoaster. This is no different once you get yourself out into the field of dentistry and you begin your journey as a clinical hygienist. In this epside, I speak on the power of positive intention and controlling the environment of yourself. The conversation we have with ourselves and others are important and create the environment w...

Learning Eruption Dates as a dental hygiene student can be challenging. It can be easy to confuse the teeth and eruption patterns as you are learning. Study hacks are much appreciated and can go a long way in saving you time and energy in dental hygiene school. In this episode, I break down the easiest way I have found to teach the eruption dates using a phone number hack that has been tested on h...

Dental hygiene school can be challenging. It is hard to apply dental hygiene theory to clinical practice and recall all the important information you learn. Connecting the dots on information is especially difficult when you are first learning how to perform an assessment on your patient. Suzanne Vila and I have a conversation about ways students can effectively connect the dots and take some of t...

Melissa Alt and I covered so many topics in this episode. Join me as we discuss how to communicate for yourself in a new role, or in a new office with other providers and front desk personnel. It can be challenging, but I know you will discover something of value from this conversation. Melissa also takes a risk and talks about AUTONOMY. This word can sometimes feel a bit of a risk to talk about,...

Create value in all of the skills that it takes to be an amazing clinical dental hygienist. If you are looking to leave the clinical aspect of dental hygiene - focus on your strengths and skills. This will go a long way in helping you map out a career pivot. It takes a bit of courage and strength to look into the limits you have put on yourself and question why they are there. Be......the clinicia...

Taking radiographs involves many challenges! There can be som many things that cause issues and problems with obtaining a quality radiograph. There are anatomical issues like tori and palate structure. Then there are things like gag reflexes and gigantic tongues! There are key strategies you can use to obtain a good radiograph. The truth is - sometimes nothing works! The best you can do is impleme...

In the fast-paced world of dental hygiene, who is looking at the patient in a comprehensive way? April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month. The risks may surprise you! Hang out with me and listen to the conversation I have with Jonathan Jones about oral cancer. Jonathan has been working with Susan Cotton to raise awareness around this topic. He will be presenting at RDH UOR this year. I am excited to s...

Before you dive into learning all about the arteries and veins I would suggest you take a look at some of the key terms associated with the systems. It will be super helpful if you have a good understanding of the bones and muscles of facial expression before you tackle the arteries, veins, and lymphatic system. Additional resources:  Check out my free scorecard for students - you can rank yoursel...

Getting into dental hygiene school is hard. Graduating from the program is even harder. In this episode I share a short poem about a stressful clinic day to provide you with support to push yourself to the next step and finish the semester strong. Additional resources:  Study Sheets: ⁠https://thehappyflosserrdh.etsy.com/ ⁠Specialized Course: How to be successful in Dental Hygiene School⁠⁠https://b...

There is sooo much going on in our profession right now. As a dental hygienist, it is important form you to be aware of policy development and how a bill becomes a law. The ADHA works very hard to support our profession and represent the needs. It is up to us to understand and be in the know of all that is taking shape that impacts our scope of practice, licensure process, and compact movement. Ad...

Join me in this episode of The Happy Flosser RDH Podcast for dental hygiene students as Claudia Walder and I discuss our journey of becoming experieced dental clinicians. Claudia speaks about what it takes to grow and thrive as a dental hygienist after you graduate from school. If you are interested in reaching out to Claudia she can be reached at claudiawalder29@gmail.com Additional resources:  C...

Imposter syndrome is a condition where you do not believe that you are enough. That the compliments others give you are untrue. You are not able to hear a compliment from someone and you are afraid that someone will find out that you are not qualified in your role. In this episode, you will hear about examples of imposter syndrome and what it looks like. I will also go over some of the very best w...

This episode is full of reflection and gratitude about my journey into the world of podcasting. I never had podcasting on my radar as a profession. The idea came out of a need to support dental hygiene students. I am a passionate educator, the rest just happened. I hope sharing my journey into the unknown and taking on the challenge of doing something that was uncomfortable supports you to do the...

So you have been accepted into the dental hygiene program.....now what? So often it is an experience like nothing you have ever experienced before on your learning journey. May I expose the secret - Dental Hygiene school is not like any other education you will experience. Many students struggle in the first couple of semesters trying to navigate dental hygiene school. In this episode I am going t...

Dabney joined O’Hehir University in 2017 as an instructor and continues to work part-time in clinical hygiene where she also mentors fellow hygienists. In September 2022, she expanded her expertise by opening her own clinical herbal practice, where she serves clients as an herbalist and health coach with a special focus on women’s health. Dabney is deeply passionate about health and wellness, dedi...

Are you applying to dental hygiene school and wondering how the process unfolds? In this episode, I will break down the process of how you can prepare the best for your interview. I also discuss things you can do if you do not receive an interview or gain acceptance. Please know that applying to dental hygiene school is highly competitive and can be a challenging task. Your best asset is to be as...

One of the courses you take in dental hygiene school covers histology and embryology. It is important to understand the process by which a single cell transforms into a human fetus. There are many steps in the process to understand. Gaining knowledge of the steps and process will create a foundation for you when you take oral pathology. In this episode, we will review some of the most important th...

Are you thinking about going to school to become a dental hygienist? Or maybe you are already on your journey to becoming a dental hygienist - or even have the initials RDH after your name already. No matter where you are on your journey in the profession, this conversation is a must listen. Anistinn shares her journey's ups and downs and shows what it looks like to remain curious as you move towa...

What is happening in the brain when we are learning something new? In this episode, I will share some of the anatomical structures involved with the learning process as well as some of the chemical reactions that occur when we learn. You can use this information to support your efforts to perform well on exams and in the clinical setting. How we recall information is important - especially because...

What is the Yankee Dental Congress and why should I attend? In this episode I am going to review some of the main benefits of attending the Yankee Dental Convention. I remember when I was a student, I felt very overwhelmed to attend a meeting so big! I was not exactly sure what to focus my attention on to gain the most benefit from attending. We will go over all of the details in this episode and...

I love the story of how substitoothfairy was born. I really wanted to share this story with students who listen in. I think the message behind what happened to Seta is one that truly inspires anyone who listens. Seta says it best when she states “there is a miracle wrapped up in each and every obstacle. Look for them.” Please take a moment to join us in this conversation about life, timing, and op...