Talk Dental to Me

Have you ever heard of nanosilver technology in dentistry? Do you know that it's being used in oral care products with incredible outcomes compared to conventional products? If not, join Emma in this episode with the incredibly knowledgeable Dr Ryan Nolan. Ryan Nolan, DMD is a researcher who is leading the way with preventative oral care. He attended the University of Illinois in Chicago, wher...

“Everyone in dentistry has neck or back pain” Every dental professional has heard this comment but is it a guarantee with our profession?? Dental practitioners are indeed and unfortunately at high risk for musculoskeletal disorders and chronic pain which can lead to decreased career satisfaction, reduced income, and early retirement. But there are ways to combat this. In this episode, Emma is join...

I know the feeling. Sometimes there are days where you question if dentistry was the right choice for you or you’re feeling overwhelmed with the pressures of being a dental student new graduate clinician or you’re working in an environment you know is not aligning with your values or ethics. The good news is, there are mindful ways to conquer these and practical changes you can make to channel the...

Do you know that there are specific ways we can accomodate someone who is hard of hearing or deaf in the dental clinic? Tune in to this great episode which is the very first Talk Dental to Me episode that has a fully transcribed video on Youtube - search 'Emma Talks Teeth'. Growing up profoundly deaf was a unique experience for Amanda and she experienced many hurdles and even pushback from college...

I'm spilling some tea with my lovely RDH friend Britt Glauz aka @brushwithbritt on this episode with some big sis advice to help you if you are considering applying for a bachelor of dental hygiene or oral health therapy or if you have been accepted into a course (congrats!!!!)  With any career decision, it's important to do as much research as possible to see if a long term career in the res...

Welcome to 2023 on the Talk Dental to Me Podcast! This year we are starting off with a trend that's been circulating online "2023 in's and outs" and I thought it would be interesting to make a dental edition and what better place to chat about it than on the podcast.  Tune in to listen to me discuss 5 IN's I'd like to see more in 2023 for myself and 7 OUT's that I've left behind or what I'm workin...

Do you want to be a better dental professional? Of course you do. We have seen our profession move more and more towards a whole-health approach as we know it's not just teeth and gums when it comes to our patients health.   In this episode of the Talk Dental to Me Podcast, Jackie and I unpack the importance of why learning goes well beyond dental school and where dentistry is moving to...

Do the upcoming changes to apply for your own provider number have you feeling overwhelmed? I feel you.  Our professional associations have encouraged us all to apply for provider numbers (check your emails!) Is it easy? Does it cost anything? What if you were able to listen to an independant oral health practitioner with her own clinic fill us in about her provider number journey? One of the...

If you want to apply to a Bachelor's of Oral Health and you are NOT applying straight from high school - this episode is for YOU. This is exactly what Tia did after working as a dental assistant for several years. After learning about Oral Health Therapists (dental hygiene/therapy) and being inspired through already working in the industry, Tia had a desire to be on the other side and provide pati...

Dentistry is out of reach for BILLIONS of people - at the moment there are only 12 countries that include full dental care in their public health plans. Growing up in outback Australia, Kyle Turner was moving around constantly in Aboriginal community housing and they didn’t have any real access to dental care. As an adult and and now epidemiologist with a Public Health degree from the University o...

"I am an overseas registered dental hygienist and I want to move and work as a DH in Australia - how can I do this?" I have received this DM more times than I can count and I have not been able to help answer this question...until now!!  This is exactly what my guest today, Sarah Cash, has done! After living in the UK, Sarah and her family craved a sea change and Australia was on the list. No...

From having a food blog to creating webinars for other dental professionals, Amber Ojak is a great example of creating balance in a predominantly clinical profession. In this week's episode, Amber is giving you a sneak peek into life as a dental therapist/hygienist in Edinburgh, Scotland - plus she is opening up about how her post-covid life and mental health journey has looked like over the past...

As dental professionals, we have an obligation to make our patients feel safe and heard and we need to consider the values they hold without imposing our beliefs on them. How can we do this? Hassan also questioned this! Hassan quickly learned after entering clinical practice his passion for education and as such, took a non-conventional pathway very early into his career.  In this episode of...

Teeth whitening is one facet of the dental profession that has been the same since day one. However, with the uncomfortable and from many a patient's feedback "painful" side effects such as sensitivity, dehydration of teeth and gum burns - the question I have always had is: isn't there a better way??? With the changes in consumer driven pressure for healthier alternatives, myself (and others I'm s...

This episode is brought to you today by my friends at Hismile and it’s a highly anticipated one as I am answering the most FAQ’s that land in my Instagram DM’s and I’m not going to lie - some of these are heavy questions so I’m gonna dose you all with a bit of reality today like how to deal with conflict, avoid burnout but also practical topics and fun stuff like how to start a dental Instagram. A...

The use of vapes and e-cigarettes has increased in popularity in the last few years and as such, dental professionals must be on the forefront of the effects of vaping on oral health. Dr Amanda Phoon Nguyen is an Oral Medicine Specialist, clinical educator and speaker. There is much research yet to be conducted regarding vaping but Amanda is here to tell us that we should be educating our patients...

Stacy Bobak, a registered dental hygienist and cannabis educator, is here to give us a full run down of cannabis and oral health and how her journey led her to leave clinical dentistry and dedicate her life to this very niche field. Sure, it’s an unorthodox topic but these are the topics I loooove to learn about. Why? Because innovation is important but also I want us to understand the latest cann...

If you’re thinking about becoming an oral health therapist or dental hygienist but not quite sure of what the profession has to offer or what the advantaged specifically to the career or if you're a high school student or someone wanting to apply for dental hygiene school or a Bachelor of Oral Health - this episode is for you!  "Why oral health therapy?" "Out of all the allied health professionals...

"Will DH's and OHT's be able to do aesthetic treatments like botox and fillers???" This question has landed in my DM's multiple times and this episode is going to answer all your burning questions! Will OHT’s and dental hygienists be able to perform these treatments? What training is available? What needs to be done to move this forward? Why hasn’t it happened yet?? In this episode, Emma is joined...

You've been called for an interview! Great news! Now it's time to prepare. Dental hygiene job interview skills don’t happen naturally. It takes time and self-awareness to prepare yourself for interviews and how you can show a prospective employer why you’re on another level to other applicants and why they should hire you.  How should you prep before an interview? What should you do on the da...

This episode is sponsored by my friends at Hismile and I am so excited to bring this episode to you as we take a deep dive into their latest smile care range. The dental industry has seen immense innovation in the last few years and Hismile are on the forefront of moving the needle and challenging the oral care industry. Why did Hismile pivot into research and development? Why PAP+ over peroxide t...

With the rate of periodontal disease in adults in excess of 50% and now with the added knowledge of the dangers of chronic inflammatory oral disease to systemic health, it is well past time to try a more comprehensive and proven approach. Microbiological testing in dentistry has been around for decades. Unfortunately, it is poorly understood, and adaptation rates clinically are very low. So why do...

Thumb sucking, tongue ties, mouth breathing are often overwhelming terms for dental professionals, and while it can be easy to refer, quite often we don't know who to refer to or even what questions to ask when faced with patients with these issues in our clinical practice. So why do we need to have conversations with parents about thumbsucking? Why is tongue posture so important? Which pacifier i...

In this episode, Emma is joined by Amy Canard (@sayahh.dentalstudios) an Australian dental hygienist who has successfully launched and is continuously growing her independent dental hygiene studio in Adelaide, South Australia. We discuss her experience in opening her clinic from scratch, engaging the right contractors to get the job done as well as the important tools required to convince a bank t...

In this episode, Emma is joined by Amber Auger @amberaugerrdh a Boston based dental hygienist who is an international speaker and writer with over 15 years of experience in the dental industry. Amber not only works clinically but coaches and empowers dental hygienists to thrive in the op. We discuss the importance of excellent communication to excel in dentistry, how to deal with burnout, the non...