The Dental Handoff

Let’s stop using the wrong end of the toothbrush! This show is about passing you the knowledge, the habits, the systems and the strategies to lead your teams, lean on your tech, and listen to your gut, while you take care of teeth, and let’s get honest, the overall health, of our communities. By identifying the gaps, recognizing the plaque and extracting the truth with other experts in the field we will share their stories, empower you to own yours, and elevate your passion in the process. Show topics to include: Education, Tech, Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Communication, Connection and Confidence

Episodes

39 minutes ago

28 min

Debora Carrier, RDH, spent more than 30 years in the dental industry as a hygienist and CPR instructor. She got into hygiene school at 17, after a guidance counselor told her she never would, and left as the youngest person ever to sit the state boards in Illinois. She built a parallel runway modeling career alongside hygiene, co-founded The CPR Sisters with her own sister 31 years ago, and started Twice As Nice Uniforms, a temperature-regulating, antimicrobial scrub line. At 55, where she's now Founder and CEO.
In this episode of The Dental Handoff, Dr. Kelly Tanner talks with Debora about what happened about four months before this recording: a certification guideline change made her CPR company's virtual business model unworkable almost overnight, and on the same day, her uniform factory of 15 years shut down. Debora walks through what it took to rebuild both, including the "no goal networking" approach she credits for most of her opportunities, and why customers who'd gone quiet for a decade came back with bigger orders than ever.
This conversation is for dental hygienists thinking about a side business, practice owners who've had a business model disrupted by something outside their control, and anyone who needs a real account of what it looks like to start over more than once.Subscribe to The Dental Handoff on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.  New episodes every week.
Connect with Debora Carrier:
Debora Carrier, RDH Founder & CEO, Twice as Nice Uniforms | Co-Founder, The CPR Sisters | 2025 Sunstar GUM/RDH Award of Distinction – Entrepreneur Category WinnerLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/deboracarrierhttps://twiceasniceuniforms.com/
Where to Find Dr. Kelly:
Let's Connect! Book a Call today to see how I can help you create high-performance teams, discuss educational programs, or how I can be of assistance.
https://calendly.com/drkellytanner/30min
Visit us at https://www.nextleveldentalhygiene.com
 

39 minutes ago

28 min

Sep 15, 2026

30 min

Michael Cembrola spent more than 20 years on the payer side of dental insurance, including six years running the national sales team for Delta Dental of California and all their affiliated states. He has been inside FBI investigations into dental fraud. He has sat in rooms where insurance companies decided which new technologies, they would not cover. And he has watched the gap between carriers and providers quietly damage both sides while patients absorb the cost.
In this episode of The Dental Handoff, Dr. Kelly Tanner sits down with Michael to talk about what fraud looks like from the inside, why most of it is unintentional, and what happens when an honest coding mistake turns into a six-figure fine. Michael is building an AI behavioral fingerprinting tool that detects fraud in one month versus the carrier average of one year. Kelly also tells the story of her first dental job as a 22-year-old baby hygienist, the office manager who tried to pin an embezzlement charge on her, and why not knowing what petty cash was is what saved her.
This conversation is for dental hygienists, dentists, practice owners, office managers, DSOs, and anyone working with dental insurance. If your practice files claims or accepts insurance, this one is directly relevant.Subscribe to The Dental Handoff on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.  New episodes every week.
Connect with Michael Cembrola:
Company: MJC Growth Advisors | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mikecembrola
Where to Find Dr. Kelly:
Let's Connect! Book a Call today to see how I can help you create high-performance teams, discuss educational programs, or how I can be of assistance.
https://calendly.com/drkellytanner/30min
Visit us at https://www.nextleveldentalhygiene.com

Sep 15, 2026

30 min

Sep 8, 2026

42 min

Howard Farran, DDS, MBA, MAGD, built Dentaltown in 1999 because he believed no dentist should ever have to practice alone. Since then, he has grown it to 250,000 plus members in 43 countries, hosted 1,700 plus episodes of Dentistry Uncensored, lectured in 50 countries, and written Uncomplicate Business: All It Takes Is People, Time and Money.
 
In this episode of The Dental Handoff, Dr. Kelly Tanner sits down with the man who made dentistry talk about money when talking about money was considered gross. Howard brings his blunt, warm, and wildly practical perspective to fear as the root cause, the invisible sell, the parking lot test, one-chair practices, three strikes firing, and why the man in the mirror is the only thing standing between most dentists and the practice they actually want.
 
This episode is for every dentist, hygienist, and practice owner who has ever blamed Delta Dental, their associate, or the economy for a problem that started with a decision they made themselves.Subscribe to The Dental Handoff on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.  New episodes every week.
Connect with Howard Farran, DDS, MBA, MAGD:
Dentaltown: dentaltown.com  |  Personal site: howardfarran.com
Practice: Today's Dental  |  9633 S 48th St, Suite 200, Phoenix, AZ 85044
Email: Howard@DentalTown.com  |  Phone: (480) 445-9712
Facebook: HowardFarran
Where to Find Dr. Kelly:
Let's Connect! Book a Call today to see how I can help you create high-performance teams, discuss educational programs, or how I can be of assistance.
https://calendly.com/drkellytanner/30min
Visit us at https://www.nextleveldentalhygiene.com
 

Sep 8, 2026

42 min

Sep 1, 2026

26 min

Dr. Shahin Safarian, DMD, MBA, graduated from Tufts School of Dental Medicine in 2001 with $400,000 in debt. By 2008 he had three locations and $2 million in debt. He pressed restart. Today his practice is 800 square feet, one operatory, powered by AI, and running on $30,000 a month in overhead.
 
Before dentistry, he was a professional soccer player for the Puebla F.C.A.s and the San Diego Sockers. He lettered in six sports in high school in Utah, got cut by every team for his first two years in San Diego, trained seven days a week until he made it, and then applied that same grit to dental school at 29.
 
In this episode of The Dental Handoff, Dr. Kelly Tanner sits down with Dr. Safarian to talk about radical self-responsibility, burnout as over-leverage, the 50% payroll rule, the hygiene profitability squeeze, and why AI diagnostics accuracy is already above the human average.
 
This episode is for dentists, practice owners, and any dental professional who wants to understand the business side of dentistry through the lens of someone who got it wrong, rebuilt from scratch, and built something leaner, smarter, and more sustainable.Subscribe to The Dental Handoff on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.  New episodes every week.
Connect with Dr. Shahin Safarian, DMD, MBA:
LOVE BITES Dental: lovebitesdental.com  |  858-255-9689
Capital Dental Group: capitaldentalgroup.com
YouTube:@drshahinsafarian
Weekly Live Show: Dr. Shahin Safarian on YouTube at @drshahinsafarian
Where to Find Dr. Kelly:
Let's Connect! Book a Call today to see how I can help you create high-performance teams, discuss educational programs, or how I can be of assistance.
https://calendly.com/drkellytanner/30min
Visit us at https://www.nextleveldentalhygiene.com
 

Sep 1, 2026

26 min

Aug 25, 2026

39 min

Dr. Jay Neugarten, DDS, MD, FACS, is a world-renowned oral and maxillofacial surgeon who was class valedictorian at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, earned his medical degree from Stony Brook, and completed his OMFS residency at Long Island Jewish. He is the Managing Partner and Medical Director of the New York Center for Orthognathic and Maxillofacial Surgery, an associate clinical professor at Weill Cornell, North Shore, and LIJ, and the founder of the Zaga Center New York City.
 
He is one of the earliest adopters of the Yomi robotic dental surgery platform and in 2024 published a landmark study in the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants showing that haptic robotic guidance is more accurate than any other implant placement method. He has placed more than 800 implants robotically since 2020.
 
In this episode of The Dental Handoff, Dr. Kelly Tanner sits down with Dr. Neugarten to talk about the philosophy behind everything he does, the technology transforming how he delivers care, and the three pillars he gives every young clinician he mentors: care, get involved, and find mentorship.
 
This episode is for dentists, dental hygienists, dental educators, and any dental professional who wants to understand where surgical robotics is headed, what world-class mentorship actually looks like, and why the standard you set for yourself matters more than the technology you use.Subscribe to The Dental Handoff on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.  New episodes every week.
Connect with Dr. Jay Neugarten, DDS, MD, FACS:
Practice: nycoms.com |  501 Madison Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY
LinkedIn: Jay Neugarten DDS MD FACS | Zaga Center NYC: zagacenters.com/zaga-network/dr-jay-neugarten/
Where to Find Dr. Kelly:
Let's Connect! Book a Call today to see how I can help you create high-performance teams, discuss educational programs, or how I can be of assistance.
https://calendly.com/drkellytanner/30min
Visit us at https://www.nextleveldentalhygiene.com

Aug 25, 2026

39 min

Aug 18, 2026

31 min

It is much easier to destroy tooth structure than to conserve it.
In this episode of The Dental Handoff, Dr. Michael Morgan, DDS, shares the minimally invasive and direct composite philosophy that has shaped 25 years of his clinical work.
Dr. Morgan explains his “add first, subtract second” approach, why preserving natural tooth structure can keep future treatment options open, and how he applies this philosophy to complex clinical cases.
He takes us inside a hypocalcification case and a fractured central incisor case while discussing:
Why preserving tooth structure takes more skill and patience   • His “add first, subtract second” philosophy   • Direct composite for younger patients   • His three-part composite “secret sauce”: dentin, enamel, and white tint   • Hypocalcification and peg lateral cases   • Digital versus analog workflows   • Clinical photography and self-evaluation   • Building referral relationships with orthodontists and pedodontists   • The ethics of treating the whole patient   • The business reality of high-level composite dentistry
Dr. Morgan’s philosophy ultimately comes down to one principle:
Add first. Subtract second.
Because once natural tooth structure is removed, you can’t simply give it back.Subscribe to The Dental Handoff on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.  New episodes every week.
Connect with Dr. Michael Morgan, DDS
Website: hinsdalefamilydentist.com
Instagram: @dentistrybydesignhinsdale
LinkedIn: Michael Morgan on LinkedIn 
Where to Find Dr. Kelly:
Let's Connect! Book a Call today to see how I can help you create high-performance teams, discuss educational programs, or how I can be of assistance.
https://calendly.com/drkellytanner/30min
Visit us at https://www.nextleveldentalhygiene.com

Aug 18, 2026

31 min

Aug 11, 2026

30 min

What separates a thriving dental practice from one that's simply staying busy?
According to Kelly Fox-Galvagni, CEO of Smile Potential, the answer often isn't clinical skill, it’s leadership, accountability, and the willingness to address difficult conversations before they become expensive problems.
With more than 30 years in dentistry, Kelly has helped practice owners improve profitability, strengthen team performance, and create operational systems that support sustainable growth. In this episode of The Dental Handoff, she introduces the concept of the "Avoidance Tax", the hidden cost practices pay when they delay important decisions, tolerate inconsistency, or avoid conversations that directly impact patient care and business performance.
Through practical examples, including a practice that uncovered more than 1,800 patients who hadn't been contacted since 2019, Kelly explains how overlooked systems can quietly reduce patient retention, team engagement, and long-term profitability.
Whether you're a practice owner, office manager, dentist, or team leader, this conversation offers practical leadership insights you can implement immediately to build a stronger, healthier dental practice.
In this episode, you'll learn:
      What the "Avoidance Tax" really means for dental practices
      Why busy practices often struggle to achieve sustainable growth
      How neglected patient recall systems affect profitability
      The leadership habits that create high-performing dental teams
      Practical strategies to improve accountability and operational consistency
      How small leadership decisions influence the patient experience
Subscribe to The Dental Handoff on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.  New episodes every week.Connect with Kelly Fox-Galvagni
Website: www.smilepotential.comInstagram: @smile_potential
Where to Find Dr. Kelly:
Let's Connect! Book a Call today to see how I can help you create high-performance teams, discuss educational programs, or how I can be of assistance.
https://calendly.com/drkellytanner/30min
Visit us at https://www.nextleveldentalhygiene.com

Aug 11, 2026

30 min

Aug 4, 2026

32 min

Dr. Joy Void-Holmes, DHSc, RDH, got her start in dentistry at 16, answering phones at her dentist's office through the Marion Barry DC summer youth employment program. She watched how the practice ran, learned the front desk, and eventually went to Howard University for dental hygiene after a conversation with a security guard and a dentist who told her to try hygiene first.
 
She is now the creator of the P3 Hygiene Growth System, Protocols, Performance, and Profitability, a consulting and training platform she built after nearly walking away from the profession. P3 has trained more than 2,000 hygienists since 2022 and expanded into in-office consulting for large group practices and DSOs. The P3 Certified designation launches August 1, 2026.
 
In this episode of The Dental Handoff, Dr. Kelly Tanner sits down with her longtime colleague and friend to talk about what hygienists are really asking for right now, why practice owners speak numbers and most hygienists do not, and how learning to speak the same language changes everything about how your career gets treated.
 
This episode is for dental hygienists, practice owners, and dental educators who want to understand the business side of dental hygiene and why the hygienists who learn it are the ones who stop feeling invisible.Subscribe to The Dental Handoff on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.  New episodes every week.
Connect with Dr. Joy Void-Holmes, DHSc, RDH:
Website:  drjoyrdh.com
Email:  info@DrJoyRDH.com
LinkedIn:  linkedin.com/in/dr-joy-void-holmes-5092222/
Where to Find Dr. Kelly:
Let's Connect! Book a Call today to see how I can help you create high-performance teams, discuss educational programs, or how I can be of assistance.
https://calendly.com/drkellytanner/30min
Visit us at https://www.nextleveldentalhygiene.com

Aug 4, 2026

32 min

Jul 28, 2026

37 min

Joshua Austin, DDS, MAGD, is a national lecturer, Editorial Director at Dental Economics, and a full-time restorative dentist in San Antonio, Texas. He is also the son of a dentist who passed away in 1990 when Josh was 10, and who he thinks about every single day he walks into his operatory.
 
In this episode of The Dental Handoff, Dr. Kelly Tanner sits down with Josh to talk about how restorative dentistry has changed in the past 50 years, what his father's 35mm slide cases reveal about how far materials have come, and the practical four-product system he uses today to handle every restoration in his practice with one universal bonding agent, one cement, and two composites.
 
They also cover the iTero simulation workflow that transformed his case acceptance, the Cindy story that shows what a long-term lab relationship actually produces, and a fluoride varnish incident that is the funniest thing to happen in a dental operatory in recent memory.
 
This episode is for dentists, hygienists, and dental team members who want to simplify their restorative systems, understand which materials to use when, and be reminded of why they got into this profession in the first place.Subscribe to The Dental Handoff on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.  New episodes every week.
Connect with Joshua Austin, DDS, MAGD:Email: jaustindds@me.comInstagram: instagram.com/JoshuaAustinDDSPractice: joshuaaustindds.comSeminars and Speaking: austindentalseminars.com  |  (210) 408-7999
 
Where to Find Dr. Kelly:
Let's Connect! Book a Call today to see how I can help you create high-performance teams, discuss educational programs, or how I can be of assistance.
https://calendly.com/drkellytanner/30min
Visit us at https://www.nextleveldentalhygiene.com
 

Jul 28, 2026

37 min

Jul 21, 2026

29 min

Dr. Syeda Andaleeb Zaidi is a prosthodontist who built a dental marketing agency from a single Facebook post in 2017 and then added an AI layer to it after getting an automated reminder call mid-procedure while her hand was in a patient's mouth.
 
She is the founder of Techie Dentist, a dental marketing agency based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and HASI, an AI-powered patient engagement system that handles booking, recall, voice response, and lead follow-up across multiple channels.
 
In this episode of The Dental Handoff, Dr. Kelly Tanner sits down with Dr. Andaleeb Zaidi to cover speed to lead (the 32-second booking window most practices never hear about), why ChatGPT and Gemini are now reading your Google reviews before recommending you to patients, why LinkedIn is the most underutilized platform in dentistry, and why the email list is the only marketing asset a dental practice truly owns.
 
This episode is for dentists, practice owners, dental hygienists, and dental educators who want to understand what dental marketing and AI actually look like in practice, not in theory.Subscribe to The Dental Handoff on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.  New episodes every week.
Connect with Dr. Syeda Andaleeb Zaidi:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drandaleeb/Techie Dentist: techiedentist.comEmail:andaleeb.zaidi296@gmail.com 
Where to Find Dr. Kelly:
Let's Connect! Book a Call today to see how I can help you create high-performance teams, discuss educational programs, or how I can be of assistance.
https://calendly.com/drkellytanner/30min
Visit us at https://www.nextleveldentalhygiene.com
 

Jul 21, 2026

29 min

Jul 7, 2026

30 min

Tammy Reavis, RDH, MPH, has spent her career stuck in what she calls a piston feeling. Chairside in periodontics, she can get gum disease under control, but she cannot touch the diabetes, the high blood pressure, or the chronic inflammation sitting underneath it. So, she went and built the second half of her career around fixing exactly that.
 
Tammy completed a year-long program through the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy and a concurrent year with the Functional Nutrition Alliance, on top of an MPH from Liberty University. She now runs Grace & Grit Functional Health LLC, a fully telehealth coaching practice, alongside her continuing work chairside.
 
In this episode of The Dental Handoff, Dr. Kelly Tanner sits down with Tammy to talk through the personal crisis that pushed her into this work, including the two weeks she spent reversing her husband's liver damage with juicing and micronutrients, and what she has learned since about gut health, root cause thinking, and the questions every dental provider can start asking today.
 
This episode is for dental hygienists, dentists, and practice owners who want to understand the gut and oral health connection and who are curious what it looks like to build a second career around root cause care.
Subscribe to The Dental Handoff on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.  New episodes every week.
Connect with Tammy Reavis, MPH, RDH, BCFWC:
Website: www.graceandgritfunctionalhealth.com
Email: hello@graceandgritfunctionalhealth.com
Where to Find Dr. Kelly:
Let's Connect! Book a Call today to see how I can help you create high-performance teams, discuss educational programs, or how I can be of assistance.
https://calendly.com/drkellytanner/30min
Visit us at https://www.nextleveldentalhygiene.com

Jul 7, 2026

30 min

Jun 30, 2026

26 min

Most hygienist career transitions start with burnout and end with uncertainty. Tiffany Bairos, RDH, MPH, took a different path. After 18 years in clinical hygiene, a combination of physical wear, a research certificate, a temp job, a full-time leap, and a master's in public health brought her to a faculty role she had not planned and could not have mapped.
 
She now teaches caries risk assessment to dental students at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston. She is the only person in her department without a doctorate. And she is building a course and coaching program for dental practice owners who want to stop losing the hygienists they spent time and energy hiring.
 
In this episode of The Dental Handoff, Dr. Kelly Tanner sits down with Tiffany to talk through every stage of that journey, from the front desk job at 18 that started it all to the telehealth caries education model her students now complete as a formal competency.
 
This episode is for dental hygienists considering a move outside clinical practice, dental school educators, and practice owners who want to understand what their hygiene team actually needs to stay.
 
Subscribe to The Dental Handoff on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. New episodes every week.
Connect with Tiffany Bairos, RDH, MPH:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffany-bairos/
Where to Find Dr. Kelly:
Let's Connect! Book a Call today to see how I can help you create high-performance teams, discuss educational programs, or how I can be of assistance.
https://calendly.com/drkellytanner/30min
Visit us at https://www.nextleveldentalhygiene.com
 

Jun 30, 2026

26 min

Jun 23, 2026

30 min

Global dental hygiene is a growing profession recognized in over 30 countries. Germany is not one of them. Anyone can use the title. Anyone can claim it. And a six-hour course can technically qualify an assistant to scale subgingivally.
 
Carmen Lanoway, RDH, BScDH, has practiced inside that system for most of her 38-year career. She is currently Secretary of the International Federation of Dental Hygienists, IFDH, serving the 2024 to 2026 board. She works at the Huerzeler/Zuhr Clinic in Munich, one of Europe's most respected periodontal and implant centers. She has co-published in Quintessence International, lectured across Germany and the UK, and is the person that referring practices call when every other option has failed.
 
In this episode of The Dental Handoff, Dr. Kelly Tanner sits down with Carmen to talk about what 38 years of practicing in an unregulated system actually teaches you about clinical standards, professional advocacy, self-awareness, and the kind of earned respect that no credential can manufacture.
 
This episode is for dental hygienists, dentists, and practice owners who want to understand what global dental hygiene actually looks like and what building a career on clinical excellence without a system to back you up requires as a human being.
 
Subscribe to The Dental Handoff on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. New episodes every week.
Connect with Carmen Lanoway, RDH, BScDH:
Instagram: @carmrdhLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmen-lanoway-8721272b/
https://www.bulbapp.com/CarmenLanowayRDH/portfolio Clinic: Huerzeler/Zuhr Clinic, Munich, Germany
Where to Find Dr. Kelly:
Let's Connect! Book a Call today to see how I can help you create high-performance teams, discuss educational programs, or how I can be of assistance.
https://calendly.com/drkellytanner/30min
Visit us at https://www.nextleveldentalhygiene.com
 

Jun 23, 2026

30 min

Jun 16, 2026

35 min

Barbara Tritz returns to The Dental Handoff to discuss the powerful connection between hormones and oral health. Women with excellent oral hygiene are developing sensitivity, dry mouth, bleeding gums, tooth decay, and bone loss. Barbara explains why the answer is often not brushing harder but understanding what is happening biologically inside the body.Subscribe to The Dental Handoff on Apple Podcast and Spotify. New episodes every week.Connect with Barbara Tritz: Website: https://queenofdentalhygiene.net LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-tritz-2021 Email: contact@queenofdentalhygiene.net / barbaratritz@gmail.com
Where to Find Dr. Kelly:
Let's Connect! Book a Call today to see how I can help you create high-performance teams, discuss educational programs, or how I can be of assistance.
https://calendly.com/drkellytanner/30min
Visit us at https://www.nextleveldentalhygiene.com

Jun 16, 2026

35 min

Jun 9, 2026

30 min

There is a version of dental hygiene most hygienists never encounter. No production targets. No same-day schedule pressure. Care measured by how many lives you reach, not how many patients fit in the hour.
 
Jessica L. Woods, MPH, RDH has been living that version for over a decade. A clinician who spent years in public health and alternative practice settings, she was the first hygienist employed by a county health department in the state, and ran one of the largest zero-to-five oral health prevention programs in the country before moving into national speaking and consulting work.
 
In this episode of The Dental Handoff, Dr. Kelly Tanner sits down with Jessica to talk about what the RDHAP path actually looks like, why salivary diagnostics are shifting the hygiene role toward a true medical model, and what the oral health connection to fertility means for patients and providers who have never heard it discussed. Jessica also opens up about losing her father to suicide and why mental wellness has become part of her speaking platform.
 
This episode is for dental hygienists, dentists, public health professionals, and practice owners who want to understand the full range of what hygiene can be and do.
Subscribe to The Dental Handoff on Apple Podcast and Spotify. New episodes every week.
Connect with Jessica L. Woods, MPH, RDH:
Website: executiverdh.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/executiverdh 
 
Where to Find Dr. Kelly:
Let's Connect! Book a Call today to see how I can help you create high-performance teams, discuss educational programs, or how I can be of assistance.
https://calendly.com/drkellytanner/30min
Visit us at https://www.nextleveldentalhygiene.com

Jun 9, 2026

30 min

Jun 2, 2026

29 min

In this episode of The Dental Handoff, Dr. Kelly Tanner sits down with Dr. Derik J. Sven, DHSc, RDH, CDT. He is a doctoral researcher, 2025 to 2026 VDHA President, ADHA Fellow, and one of the most clear-eyed voices on hygiene workforce policy in the profession today.
 
Dr. Sven's perspective is genuinely rare. He grew up in a dental laboratory, pursued a seminary education, was rejected from one hygiene program and accepted by another, and spent ten years earning advanced degrees while practicing clinically. His doctoral dissertation at The George Washington University mapped scope of practice across all 50 states against four decades of political and regional cultural data. The findings challenge what most hygienists assume about why their scope looks the way it does.
 
The conversation covers the real mechanisms of hygiene burnout, why the dental association's Missouri pilot project doesn't meet basic research standards, how supragingival scaling without full debridement creates oral dysbiosis, and why Dr. Sven believes the most strategic career move for a hygienist who wants to shape policy may not be another master's degree. It may be law school.
 
For RDHs questioning what their license actually allows, dentists who want to understand workforce dynamics, practice owners navigating team culture, and anyone in dentistry who wonders why the same degree produces dramatically different careers depending on where you live.
You'll Learn:
Why regional culture predicts scope of practice more reliably than political party affiliation
What the dental association's Missouri pilot project actually measured. A customer satisfaction survey is not a health outcome study.
How supragingival scaling without full debridement creates oral dysbiosis and patient harm, regardless of who performs it
The way private equity and DSO production tallies are quietly bending clinical decisions toward unnecessary restorative intervention
Why hygienist law school may be the most strategic career move for RDHs who want to shape policy and what the prerequisites actually are
What 1 percent of 220,000 hygienists choosing a JD would mean for antitrust arguments in state legislatures
What practicing with full autonomy in Colorado feels like compared to a supervision-heavy Southern state
Subscribe to The Dental Handoff on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Podbean. New episodes every week.
Connect with Dr. Derik J. Sven, DHSc, RDH, CDT:
Website: drderikrdh.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/derikjsven
Instagram: instagram.com/drderikrdh
YouTube: youtube.com/@drderikrdh
Facebook: facebook.com/drderikrdh
TikTok: tiktok.com/@dr..derik.rdh
Where to Find Dr. Kelly:
Let's Connect! Book a Call today to see how I can help you create high-performance teams, discuss educational programs, or how I can be of assistance.
https://calendly.com/drkellytanner/30min
Visit us at https://www.nextleveldentalhygiene.com
 

Jun 2, 2026

29 min

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