Hygiene Rising

Oral cavity and pharyngeal cancer affects over 700,000 individuals annually worldwide. Early cancer detection is critical to improving survival rates. To kick off Oral Cancer Awareness Month, Matt sat down with Dr. Bruce Lieberthal, Chief Innovation Officer at Henry Schein, Inc. to discuss early oral cancer detection. Dr. Lieberthal explains his personal connection and dedication to early detectio...

Don't miss this timely episode that addresses the importance of correct employment classification for dental hygienists. Your host Matt Crespin sits down with Joe Fogg, CEO at OnDiem, to uncover the complexities and pitfalls of incorrect classification and what that means for your taxes and beyond. They also highlight OnDiem's unique membership partnership with ADHA and the benefits that offers me...

Tune in for a compelling glimpse into the innovative intersection of dentistry and medicine. Matt discusses medical-dental integration with Dr. John Ahern, MB BCh BAO, BDentSc, MSc, PhD who is both a dentist and physician with a dedicated emphasis on public health and primary care. Dr. Ahern shares how he is championing the integration of oral health into medical care and how teledentistry can inc...

In celebration of National Children's Dental Health Month, we are shining a light on the remarkable work of two hygienists improving the oral health of children in their communities. Dr. Yvette Reibel, RDH, EdD, MSDH and Dr. Stacey Onofrietti, RDH, MS, PhD, CHP, FADHA share the impact that the Mars Wrigley Foundation's Healthier Smiles Grant from the ADHA Institute for Oral Health has had on their...

The International Federation of Dental Hygienists (IFDH) is a global organization that unites national dental hygienist organizations across the world, by fostering leadership and collaboration in the profession. ADHA is a member organization. In this special podcast episode, Matt is joined by IFDH President Wanda Fedora, RDH, and IFDH President-Elect Jill Rethman, RDH, BA, FADHA, as they fill us...

The ADHA Institute for Oral Health (IOH) Foundation offers scholarships, research grants and community service grants to fulfill its goals to advance the dental hygiene profession and expand access to oral health care. Matt is joined by IOH Chair and ADHA Immediate Past President Dawn Dean, RDH, MSDH, CTTS, FADHA, who explains what IOH is all about. IOH scholarship and grant recipients Jessica Sue...

The National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA) promotes access to oral health care for underserved populations. For this episode, Matt sat down with NNOHA Education Director Candace Hsu Owen, RDH, MS, MPH, at the recent NNOHA Annual Conference in Denver, CO. They chat about her journey and how she landed at the organization and the many resources and opportunities available through NNOHA. Mat...

Wrapping up National Dental Hygiene Month 2023, tune in as guests Gina Sharps, MPH, RDH, CTTS, FADHA, and Ren Reyes, MBA, HCA, BSDH, RDH, discuss the important work of the Dental Hygiene Liaison Project with your host Matt. Through a long-standing partnership between ADHA, The Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center and the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors, the DHL Proj...

In celebration of National Dental Hygiene Month, Matt chats with Colgate's Associate Manager for Community Oral Health, Anaika Forbes-Grant, CDA, RDH, MS, CSM, about Colgate's Bright Smiles, Bright Futures® oral health education and prevention program that she leads, which has reached more than 1.6 billion children since its inception in 1991.  Anaika is Everyday Extraordinary both in the world of...

ADHA is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month on this episode and chatting with ADHA President Dr. Becky Smith. Becky shares her journey and what HHM means to her growing up as a Cuban American in Florida.  Becky also shares her experiences as a Jai Alai player, which is a male dominated sport, along with updates on efforts the Board of Directors is working on.  Matt shares updates on his recent vis...

​Tune in to a new episode! Your podcast host, Matt Crespin, MPH, RDH, FADHA, welcomes Emily Berry and Mina Ghorbani, dental hygiene students from West Los Angeles College who recently won 1st Place in the #ADHA23 Undergraduate Student Professional Presentation Program sponsored by Haleon. Emily and Mina discuss their project on microchip tooth sensors and the impact these devices could have on ora...

On this episode, Matt welcomes Crest+Oral-B Hygienist Proud Student Award Winner, Darren Green, RDH, CPT. They chat about Darren's resilient journey and  his new experiences at the ADHA23 Annual Conference. He shares his views of the future of dental hygiene from a newly minted RDH perspective and the significance of being honored with this special student award. Darren shares how his role in law...

This special edition podcast features ADHA Director of Meetings and Corporate Events, IOH, Leah Johnson, CMP, DES, joins Matt to discuss everything you need to know before you head to the 2023 ADHA Annual Conference in Chicago! Get tips and updates on everything from shuttles and getting around, to what to do and what to expect. See you soon! 

In anticipation of ADHA's 100th Celebration at ADHA23, your host Matt Crespin, MPH, RDH, FADHA, is joined by multiple past presidents sharing memories, ADHA accomplishments and successes over the century. Matt also shares a tribute for former ADHA CEO and past president Ann Battrell, MSDH, who passed away June 7, 2023.

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness month, your host Matt Crespin talks with Leciel Bono, RDH-ER, MS, about mindfulness and the importance of bringing awareness to mental health. They discuss strategies one can use to practice mindfulness and Lecile shares a special sneak peek of what to expect at her course that she will present at ADHA23 in Chicago this July. With these valuable insights,...

Tune in as Andrew Smith, executive director at ADSO, and Summer Lamoureaux, RDH, director of PDS Institute & Hygiene Operations, join your host, Matt Crespin, in an illuminating discussion about the vital role of dental hygienists in ensuring patients' oral and overall health. They share insights into how ADSO and ADHA are teaming up to elevate the dental hygiene profession through legislative...

In recognition and support of Oral Cancer Awareness Month during April, Matt discusses the importance of oral and oral pharyngeal cancer screening with Jo-Anne Jones, RDH. Jo-Anne is an internationally recognized speaker from Canada and subject matter expert on this vital topic. Jo-Anne offers insights into the risk factors associated with oral cancer and what providers can and should be doing to...

On this episode, sponsored by Elevate Oral Care, Matt explores recently published research comparing the effectiveness of SDF (silver diamine fluoride) to sealants as a preventive for occlusal caries with Ryan R. Ruff, PhD, MPH, and Jeremy H. Keeper, DDS, PhD. You may be surprised by the results. Matt discusses study design and outcomes with Dr. Ruff, a principal investigator of the CariedAway sch...

How CMS addresses oral and overall health through partnership and policy Listen in as your host, Matt Crespin, MPH, RDH, FADHA, discusses oral and overall health with Natalia Chalmers, DDS, MHSc, PhD, the first-ever Chief Dental Officer in the Office of the Administrator at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Dr. Chalmers highlights ways in which CMS is collaborating with organiz...

In celebration of National Children's Dental Health Month, Matt dives deeper into medical-dental integration with both Thomas Huffer, MD, MS, FAAP, and Olivia Morzenti, RDH, CDHC, MS, of Previa Health. Previa is the first health system in Wisconsin to integrate a dental hygienist into their medical care teams. These two pioneers share why this integration makes sense and how it works. Matt also di...

This week Matt explores health equity with Matt Allen, DDS, and Abraham Nussbaum, MD, MTS, co-authors of a recently published paper that offers a fresh look at the topic. If you've seen the depictions of health equality vs equity of different height people at a baseball game or on different bikes or even trying to pick apples, Drs. Allen and Nussbaum offer a new perspective. Dr. Allen is the CEO a...

Matt kicks off 2023 and the start to ADHA's 100-year celebration with some history and some background of the new ADHA brand identity and logo. Then Matt chats with TempStars founder and CEO, Dr. James Younger, DDS about his career journey and how he thought "outside the box" to reimagine and solve the dental staffing issues he was experiencing. James also shares tips for hygienists about how to e...

This week Matt chats with Melissa Calhoun, RDH, MSDH, MAADH, who has moved states multiple times as a military spouse and been licensed in every single one. Melissa shares some of the professional challenges she faced moving from Florida to Tennessee to Maryland and now California, including having to re-take her clinical board exam in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic on a mannequin. Melissa is...

Improving value-based care, medical-dental integration and dental therapy are important initiatives that ADHA® member Misty Davis, RDH, BS, actively works on. Misty serves in a unique role, expanding and elevating these initiatives as the oral health program manager for the Michigan Primary Care Association (MPCA). Listen in as your host, Matt Crespin, RDH, MPH, uncovers what drives Misty's resolv...

This week, the ADHA podcast closes out National Dental Hygiene Month 2022 with our partner from Colgate®. Your host, Matt, focuses on the theme of empowerment and continues the conversation with Phyllis Martina, RDH, MBA of Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Mandy Dennis, RDH, Nicole Ortega, RDHAP, and Jessica Allbritten, RDH. Get empowered by these authors, entrepreneurs, direct access providers...