Here are some suggestions to bring newer or evolving services from the sidelines to the front lines, driving a whole new community of patients and profitability in the face of seasonal and market fluctuations.
The removal of a standardized clinical competency examination raises an important question: Is academic evaluation alone sufficient to ensure readiness for independent clinical practice?
For years, dental hygienists have searched for the perfect dental office. The perfect schedule. The perfect dentist. The perfect patients. The perfect culture. Eventually, most discover a hard truth: No dental office is perfect. Not because dentistry is broken. Not because teams do not care. But because every practice model carries trade-offs. Yet many dental … Read more
Patients don’t need a perfect dental hygienist. They need a present, prepared, and intentional one. The question is: Will you choose to stay comfortable…or will you choose to become unstoppable?
Who is prepared to admit that, sometimes, they love to “nerd out”? You have to admit, technology can do some pretty cool stuff today. How do you not get enticed by all the shiny new toys out there? We do it at home…and a lot of dentists love to do it in their practice But … Read more
How are you keeping up with digital dentistry? Dr. Aisling Whitaker, CEO of DentalHive, shares the importance of staying informed as technology evolves and how you can do this even if you are working in a practice that has not yet adopted the technology. Subscribe to Oral Health’s weekly e-newsletter to have the latest episode delivered … Read more
This month we are showcasing Krystal Afzalzada, B.Ed, RDH, CDAII Educator, advocate for aging populations, and public speaker. With two decades in the dental industry, Krystal empowers professionals with evidence-based tools to improve patient outcomes and elevate standards of care.
Are you a student or new grad? Then it’s time to find a dental mentor. Fiona Mattrasingh aka @mouthboxx shares how finding a mentor helped her career and gives a few tips for finding a mentor that is the right fit for you and your career goals. Subscribe to Oral Health’s weekly e-newsletter to have the … Read more
Why is pediatric dentistry even a specialty, and why does it take two to three years to train? What could take so long to learn? Isn’t prevention the same for children as adults—just brush your teeth?
One of the trickiest transitions following graduation is managing the relationship with the clinic owner as a fresh-faced associate. Here are three key considerations to support relationships that get off on the right footing.
Just like there are leaders and followers, there are joiners and non-joiners. This is quite true in our profession when it comes to organized dentistry.
This month we are showcasing Precious Rios, RDH, Myofunctional Therapist, and Ortho Coordinator. Precious is passionate about helping families understand the powerful connection between oral health, breathing, and overall wellness.
This month we are featuring Ahmed Fattal, a Dalhousie University graduate, Dental Officer with the Canadian Armed Forces, and co-founder of Spar Wear.
Fear is your friend If you haven’t already, I strongly recommend listening to the January 5, 2026, edition of The Current on CBC, which features an interview with Joe MacInnis. At 88 years old, Dr. MacInnis has lived a life most of us could not imagine. Widely regarded as one of Canada’s pre-eminent underwater researchers, his … Read more
Hygiene Spotlight: Fatimah Datoo is a dental hygiene educator currently working full-time as a Dental Hygiene Professor at George Brown College and is the creator of the online education platform “Dental Hygiene Made Easy.”
People often ask what made me step away from day-to-day dentistry and into the world of AI and tech innovation. It wasn’t a single event but a series of experiences that pushed me to ask, “what if…” and think bigger.
Dental hygienists, here is your weekly reminder from Dr. James Younger, CEO and Founder of TempStars, to think about your career holistically. Your hourly rate and compensation matter, but so does your sense of belonging, being respected, opportunities for CE and much more. Consider all of these aspects when deciding where you would like to … Read more
Luminita Dica, RDH, has been named a 2024 Sunstar RDH Award of Distinction winner. She operates Lumi’s Dental Hygiene Care, an independent dental hygiene clinic serving the Kitchener–Waterloo area. Dica graduated from a dental hygiene program in 2008 after returning to school from a previous career as a dental assistant. Since then, patients have come … Read more
To my students, past and present: your questions, challenges, and successes have shaped me as an educator and continue to remind me of the privilege of teaching in this profession. “Sweetie, make sure you choose a career that you love, because adults spend a lot of time at work.” – R. Pawelczyk, my dad This simple … Read more
When I first began practicing dental hygiene, I quickly realized that our profession had incredible potential—but there were also gaps. Voids that left me asking: why isn’t anyone doing something about this? That question became the spark that ignited my entrepreneurial journey. Spotting the voids My first realization was with instrumentation. Early in my career, … Read more