What makes one dental hygiene school or scholarship application stand out while another gets overlooked? In this episode, Dana shares the most common personal statement mistakes she sees after reviewing hundreds of dental hygiene school and scholarship applications. You’ll learn how to move beyond generic answers, tell a story that reflects who you are, and…
Guest Stephanie Botts, RDH and certified ergonomic assessment specialist, discusses the realities of chronic pain and career longevity in dental hygiene. Stephanie shares her journey from struggling with instrumentation in dental hygiene school to becoming certified in ergonomics and helping dental professionals prevent musculoskeletal injuries before they become career-limiting. The conversation also gets into her…
If you’ve ever sent a quick email and immediately moved on, this episode may challenge you—in a useful way. Dana walks through how everyday communication habits, especially over email or messaging, shape your professional reputation long before you meet someone in person. For dental hygiene students and early-career clinicians, this isn’t about being overly formal—it’s…
Dana is talking with dental hygiene student Julianna Page about the realities of returning to school after working in dentistry for over 20 years and what dental hygiene school has been like for her as she nears the end of her last semester. They discuss burnout in accelerated dental hygiene programs, the stress of finding…
One of the most challenging aspects of dental hygiene education is recognizing that your instructors are still learning, too. Dana reflects on the biggest mistakes she made as a dental hygiene educator, from navigating perfectionism and rigid, militant-like academic culture to learning how to support students without losing accountability. This conversation sheds light on the…
Sarah Payne’s journey to getting into dental hygiene school is truly motivating! Guest hosts Julio and current dental hygiene student Sarah offer a more accurate picture of how dental hygiene admissions actually work. From changing majors and failing prerequisites to being waitlisted, Sarah ultimately succeeded in gaining admission to a community college dental hygiene program…
In this episode, Dana walks through her go-to dental hygiene instruments—the 204S, Barnhart 12, Montana Jack, and the essential 11/12 explorer. She reinforces a key principle for dental hygiene students and new hygienists: once you understand adaptation, angulation, and activation, you’re not memorizing instruments—you’re applying a system. If you’ve been feeling behind in instrumentation skills…
AI isn’t replacing dental hygienists—but it is changing how you work day to day for the better. In this episode, Dana talks with Maria Jackson, RDH and owner of Dental AI Solutions, about how tools like voice charting and automated notes are already reducing time pressure in clinical practice. Her path wasn’t straightforward, and her…
Are you dealing with haters bringing you down in your dental hygiene journey? In this episode, Dana talks honestly about handling discouragement, comparison, and negative feedback while staying grounded in your own goals. This conversation explores imposter syndrome in dental hygiene school, why outside validation can feel so important, and how to stay connected to…
Richard Robinson’s RDH journey is a reminder that the path into dental hygiene doesn’t always start with a plan—it can start with exposure and a willingness to pivot. In this episode, Richard shares how he entered the dental hygiene profession later in life and built a 3.8 GPA despite undiagnosed dyslexia and test anxiety. His…