Hygiene Rising

Anne Rice, RDH, BS, has spent more than 35 years as a clinical dental hygienist — and the last several years working at the intersection of oral health and Alzheimer's prevention. In this live conversation recorded at ADHA's Integrated Care Summit 2026, Anne joins host Matt Crespin to talk about why reducing oral inflammation is a direct act of brain health protection, how blood pressure is a non-...

ADHA has been building its federal presence, and this spring marked a milestone: members on Capitol Hill for the profession's first formal lobby day in 20 years. President Lancette VanGuilder and Advocacy Advisory Committee Chair Alyssa Aberle sit down with Matt Crespin to break down what brought the Advocacy Advisory Committee, ADHA leadership and sponsoring organizations to Washington on April 1...

What does truly integrated care look like in practice? Host Matt Crespin captured the conversations at ADHA's first-ever Integrated Care Summit in Broomfield, Colorado this past weekend — bringing together physicians, dentists, periodontists, and public health professionals making the case for breaking down silos. (1:56) Dr. Mychi Nguyen, Chief Medical Officer at Asian Health Services, shares how...

Is it simply a dental hygiene "staffing shortage" or does the data reveal a more complex retention issue? Host Matt Crespin sits down with Thalía Diedrick and Amaya Johnson to unpack the findings of GoTu's recently released 2026 State of Work Report, the largest survey of the U.S. dental workforce, developed in partnership with ADHA. The numbers are striking: 60% of hygienists report burnout, 53.8...

Periodontal disease affects one billion people worldwide with severe disease, and in the U.S., prevalence has risen 25 percent over the past three decades. So why isn't the needle moving? Matt sits down with Dr. JoAnn Gurenlian, ADHA's director of education, research and advocacy, and Dr. Ann Eshenaur Spolarich, assistant dean for research at the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health at A.T....

Dental hygienists don't diagnose." It's one of the most persistent misconceptions in the profession, and it's wrong. Podcast host Matt Crespin sits down with the three co-authors of ADHA's newly released white paper "Dental Hygiene Diagnosis" (DHDx) to set the record straight. Darlene Swigart, Krista Beaty, and Toni McLeroy explain where this misconception came from, why the language we use shapes...

What does truly integrated care look like – and what role should dental hygienists play in it? As National Children's Dental Health Month comes to a close, host Matt Crespin sits down with two speakers from ADHA's first-ever Integrated Care Summit to explore how medical-dental integration is reshaping patient care. Nevada hygienist Jessica Woods shares real-world cases – from cardiologist referral...

Nursing achieved self-regulation a century ago – so why not dental hygiene? Your host Matt Crespin explores this with Cindy Gadbury-Amyot and Sylvie Martel, lead authors of the ADHA’s newly released white paper on self-regulation. With 97% of Canadian dental hygienists self-regulated, Sylvie shares lessons from a 30-year journey of patience, resilience and coalition-building. Meanwhile, Cindy soun...

The Journal of Dental Hygiene turns 100 in 2026 – and Editor in Chief Cathy Draper joins Matt Crespin to preview the year-long celebration: congratulatory letters from association and industry partners, social media scavenger hunts through the archives, "then and now" features comparing dental hygiene in 1926 versus today, vintage cover showcases, and festivities at ADHA26 in Fort Worth. Believe i...

When competitive eating champion meets dental hygiene student, you get a episode unlike any other. Matt Crespin welcomes Miki Sudo – an 11-time Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest champion who holds the world record of 51 hot dogs in 10 minutes and is preparing to graduate from the dental hygiene program at Hillsborough Community College in spring 2025. Miki shares her unexpected journey from professi...

Matt sits down with Australian dental hygienist and entrepreneur Tabitha Acret for a conversation that moves from career inspiration to life-saving advocacy. Tabitha shares how she discovered dental hygiene while working as a dental assistant during law school, then built a dynamic career across clinical practice, academia, her own periodontal education company, and co-hosting Disrupting Dentistry...

Workplace violence in healthcare is reaching crisis levels – and dental hygienists aren't immune. Host Matt Crespin sits down with Jeff Schill, Vice President of Training at the Crisis Prevention Institute, to tackle a challenge many face but few discuss. With 81% of healthcare workers experiencing workplace violence in the past year, the need for de-escalation skills has never been more urgent. J...

Discover your power to drive change in dental hygiene. Derik Sven reveals model legislation for dental hygiene autonomy—a blueprint hygienists can champion in their states. Federal lobbyist Quardricos Driskell shares how to amplify your voice through federal advocacy and Congressional relationships. Abby Rennau demonstrates the impact of taking action—applying for the Esther Wilkins Scholarship tr...

Final day from the ADHA25 exhibit floor brings conversations on collaboration, global leadership, and innovation. Amber Mendoza of Heartland Dental discusses building career ecosystems for 6,000 hygienists through mentorship infrastructure. Dr. Bill Paveletz with VOCO chats with Matt about the latest prevention products on the market.  IFDH President Jill Rethman shares the federation's global whi...

ADHA25 Podversations Saturday (Ep 167)   Day two from the ADHA25 exhibit floor features conversations on prevention and professional longevity. Haley Buckner of Elevate Oral Care highlights their All Day Dry Mouth line and reveals how combining povidone iodine with fluoride varnish prevents 31% more decay than varnish alone. Ergonomics specialist Katrina Klein introduces Philips' new Sonicare 7400...

Straight from the Long Beach Convention Center, Matt takes you to the exhibit floor of the ADHA25 Annual Conference. Joining him is Jennifer Hill, ADHA CEO in her first appearance on the program discussing ADHA's recent governance transformation to a competency-based board, the newly completed three-year strategic plan focusing on autonomy for the profession, and she shares exciting news about a r...

Matt Crespin welcomes Michelle Strange as co-host for a timely conversation with Michelle Lee from the Association for Dental Safety (ADS) during Dental Infection Control Awareness Month (DICAM). When the CDC eliminated its Division of Oral Health back in April, ADS stepped up to fill the gap. They launched the ADS Institute for Dental Safety and Science to oversee the dental infection prevention...

Get ready for ADHA's Annual Conference returning to California for the first time in 25 years! ADHA Director of Meetings, Leah Johnson, joins host Matt Crespin with everything you need to know before heading to Long Beach, Oct. 4-6. Discover exciting new events including Colgate's Science Hub demo, fireside chats, free professional headshots, rapid-fire education sessions, beach cleanup, and celeb...

ADHA President Lancette Van Guilder join host Matt Crespin for the conversation every dental hygienist needs to hear right now. ADHA's modernized governance structure is finally enabling rapid response to today's real legislative threats that challenge your livelihood, while ADHA pushes toward self-regulation – hear why this matters for your career. Their candid conversation addresses barriers to...

When Nevada's Senate Bill 495 threatened to eliminate educational requirements for dental hygienists, ADHA and local Nevada hygienists sprang into action. In this must-listen episode, ADHA President Elect Lancette VanGuilder of Nevada together with Dr. JoAnn Gurenlian, Nevada's Karen Solie and host Matt Crespin - all ADHA past presidents - reveal the inside story of the legislative strategy and su...

Malia Taylor, RDH shares her incredible journey of obtaining licenses in nine states since graduating in 2019. What started as a necessity for her during the COVID-19 pandemic became a unique career showcasing the challenges and opportunities of multi-state practice. Malia shares her insider perspective with Host Matt Crespin, including navigating complex licensing requirements, managing multiple...

In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Emily Boge brings her passionate advocacy to the forefront as she shares her journey from pharmacy student to influential voice in dental hygiene. Host Matt Crespin engages Dr. Boge in a candid discussion about how the profession's code of ethics and clinical standards serve as the bedrock of public trust. They tackle head-on the alarming industry trends thre...

Michelle Strange brings 20 years of dental hygiene expertise to this compelling episode, sharing her journey from practicing across multiple states to establishing her own independent hygiene practice in Colorado. She candidly discusses overcoming resistance to her independent model, navigating complex state licensure requirements and her unwavering focus on evidence-based care and infection contr...

Work culture can make or break dental practice success. Host Matt Crespin welcomes Kara Kelley, CEO of Clinical HR LLC, for a conversation about creating positive workplace environments in today's dental landscape. Kara shares valuable insights on effective communication, and helping dental hygienists understand practice owners' perspectives while advocating for their own needs. Discover how workp...

ADHA's pivotal Standards for Clinical Dental Hygiene Practice have been updated for the first time since 2016. Host Matt Crespin welcomes ADHA President Erin Haley-Hitz and Crest + Oral-B representatives Beth Jordan and Andrea Johnson to discuss this momentous release. Beth, who also served as a Content Expert on the Standards Committee, shares insights on key changes including the shift to person...