Share
Dental Hygiene Basics
160: Ignore the Haters
Season 1, Ep. 160
•
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 your “why” when self-doubt shows up. If you’re preparing for dental hygiene school, navigating toxic workplace dynamics, or learning how to trust yourself as a future dental hygienist, this episode offers a practical perspective: pay attention to the environments and people that support your growth, and don’t confuse someone else’s discomfort with your direction.
🟠Start here: Get dental hygiene school tips, free resources, and access to upcoming student events →https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/newsletter
🟠 When you're ready for boards: Become a StudentRDH VIP member → https://www.studentrdh.com/national-dental-hygiene-board-review-nbdhe-studentrdh-vip-club?utm_source=Referral%60&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=DHBasics&utm_content=DVIP3
🟠Want extra support + events? Get your free CloudU student membership (monthly events + giveaways) → http://clouddentistry.com/r/vxn1
🟠 Struggling in school? https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/pl/2148740487
🟠 Socials: @dentalhygienebasics
🟠 Scholarships: www.dentalhygienebasics.com/scholarships
🟠 See all FREE upcoming student events: www.dentalhygienebasics.com/events
More episodes
View all episodes
167. 167: Ergonomics and More in Dental Hygiene School with Stephanie Botts, RDH
28:45||Season 1, Ep. 167Guest 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 challenges in dental hygiene school, perfectionism in clinical care, and why many hygienists normalize pain when they should be paying attention to it. 🟠Start here: Get dental hygiene school tips, free resources, and access to upcoming student events →https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/newsletter🟠 When you're ready for boards: Become a StudentRDH VIP member → https://www.studentrdh.com/national-dental-hygiene-board-review-nbdhe-studentrdh-vip-club?utm_source=Referral%60&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=DHBasics&utm_content=DVIP3🟠Want extra support + events? Get your free CloudU student membership (monthly events + giveaways) → http://clouddentistry.com/r/vxn1
166. 166: Professional Etiquette for the Future RDH
25:11||Season 1, Ep. 166If 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 about being intentional. A clear subject line, a respectful greeting, a concise question, and a simple thank you are not extra steps; they are baseline professionalism in a field where first impressions travel quickly.🟠Start here: Get dental hygiene school tips, free resources, and access to upcoming student events →https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/newsletter🟠 When you're ready for boards: Become a StudentRDH VIP member → https://www.studentrdh.com/national-dental-hygiene-board-review-nbdhe-studentrdh-vip-club?utm_source=Referral%60&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=DHBasics&utm_content=DVIP3🟠Want extra support + events? Get your free CloudU student membership (monthly events + giveaways) → http://clouddentistry.com/r/vxn1
165. 165: Approaching Hygiene School Graduation with Julianna Page
22:31||Season 1, Ep. 165Dana 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 patients, balancing family life, and learning how to ask for support before reaching a breaking point. Julianna also shares how her background in oral surgery and periodontics shaped her passion for patient education, SRP, and public health dental hygiene. If you're a current or future dental hygiene student also navigating the pressure of school, boards, and the transition into clinical practice, know you are not alone, and learn the beauty of finding your outlet in this episode.🟠Start here: Get dental hygiene school tips, free resources, and access to upcoming student events →https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/newsletter🟠 When you're ready for boards: Become a StudentRDH VIP member → https://www.studentrdh.com/national-dental-hygiene-board-review-nbdhe-studentrdh-vip-club?utm_source=Referral%60&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=DHBasics&utm_content=DVIP3🟠Want extra support + events? Get your free CloudU student membership (monthly events + giveaways) → http://clouddentistry.com/r/vxn1
164. 164: What I Would Have Done Differently as a Dental Hygiene Educator
19:00||Season 1, Ep. 164One 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 pressure faculty face behind the scenes and how stronger student-faculty relationships can improve the learning environment for everyone. If you’re preparing for dental hygiene school or already in the middle of it, this episode is a reminder to pay attention not just to your study habits, but also to how you advocate for yourself, communicate with faculty, and build support systems that will carry you through the program and into practice.🟠Start here: Get dental hygiene school tips, free resources, and access to upcoming student events →https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/newsletter🟠 When you're ready for boards: Become a StudentRDH VIP member → https://www.studentrdh.com/national-dental-hygiene-board-review-nbdhe-studentrdh-vip-club?utm_source=Referral%60&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=DHBasics&utm_content=DVIP3🟠Want extra support + events? Get your free CloudU student membership (monthly events + giveaways) → http://clouddentistry.com/r/vxn1
163. 163: Life in Dental Hygiene School with Sarah and Julio
22:27||Season 1, Ep. 163Sarah 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 on the first try. Her experience highlights what often gets overlooked in dental hygiene school requirements and how to get into dental hygiene school: programs consider more than grades alone. Prior dental assisting experience, persistence through setbacks, and thoughtful preparation all carry weight in your application.🟠Start here: Get dental hygiene school tips, free resources, and access to upcoming student events →https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/newsletter🟠 When you're ready for boards: Become a StudentRDH VIP member → https://www.studentrdh.com/national-dental-hygiene-board-review-nbdhe-studentrdh-vip-club?utm_source=Referral%60&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=DHBasics&utm_content=DVIP3🟠Want extra support + events? Get your free CloudU student membership (monthly events + giveaways) → http://clouddentistry.com/r/vxn1
162. 162: Dana's Favorite Scalers
12:17||Season 1, Ep. 162In 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 or unsure what to focus on, this episode brings you back to what's important. A practical takeaway: choose one instrument this week and slow down your process—focus on fulcrum stability and consistent angulation before worrying about speed or efficiency.🟠Start here: Get dental hygiene school tips, free resources, and access to upcoming student events →https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/newsletter🟠 When you're ready for boards: Become a StudentRDH VIP member → https://www.studentrdh.com/national-dental-hygiene-board-review-nbdhe-studentrdh-vip-club?utm_source=Referral%60&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=DHBasics&utm_content=DVIP3🟠Want extra support + events? Get your free CloudU student membership (monthly events + giveaways) → http://clouddentistry.com/r/vxn1
161. 161: AI and Dental Hygiene with Maria Jackson, RDH
24:37||Season 1, Ep. 161AI 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 experience highlights a common gap: strong clinicians still need to intentionally position themselves for new opportunities. The core of dental hygiene—patient trust, education, and clinical judgment—remains unchanged. Check out Dental AI Solutions here: https://www.mariadentalai.com/🟠Start here: Get dental hygiene school tips, free resources, and access to upcoming student events →https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/newsletter🟠 When you're ready for boards: Become a StudentRDH VIP member → https://www.studentrdh.com/national-dental-hygiene-board-review-nbdhe-studentrdh-vip-club?utm_source=Referral%60&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=DHBasics&utm_content=DVIP3🟠Want extra support + events? Get your free CloudU student membership (monthly events + giveaways) → http://clouddentistry.com/r/vxn1
159. 159: The Importance of Your Why in Dental Hygiene School with Richard Robinson RDH
24:53||Season 1, Ep. 159Richard 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 strong study habits, along with a great support system, and managing his dyslexia and test anxiety have led him to success. He has found ways to give back to his community by starting the Richard Robinson Scholarship, providing mentorship to students, and starting a nonprofit organization, MyWhy, that you can check out here: https://www.thatsmywhy.org/about-us🟠Start here: Get dental hygiene school tips, free resources, and access to upcoming student events →https://dentalhygienebasics.mykajabi.com/newsletter🟠 When you're ready for boards: Become a StudentRDH VIP member → https://www.studentrdh.com/national-dental-hygiene-board-review-nbdhe-studentrdh-vip-club?utm_source=Referral%60&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_campaign=DHBasics&utm_content=DVIP3🟠Want extra support + events? Get your free CloudU student membership (monthly events + giveaways) → http://clouddentistry.com/r/vxn1