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Hygiene Rising

Hygiene Rising

American Dental Hygienists' Association 189 Episodes Oct 13, 2026

Hygiene Rising is the official podcast of the American Dental Hygienists' Association, offering real talk on oral health. Each episode features discussions of relevant ideas, trends, and best practices for dental hygienists across the United States. The show is aimed at professionals in the field who want to stay current and exchange practical insights. Listeners are also invited to share topic ideas through the show's social media channels.

Episodes

Where Dental Hygiene Doctoral Education Goes Next (Ep 189)
Where Dental Hygiene Doctoral Education Goes Next (Ep 189) Oct 13, 2026 00:38:17 ​By 2040, dental hygienists could be working in every setting where health happens, and education has to lead the way. Recorded live at ADHA26 in Fort Worth, this episode features Leciel Bono, RDH-ER, MS, EdD, FADHA, department chair at Idaho State University, who helped write ADHA’s doctoral white paper, and Lancette VanGuilder, BS, RDH, PHEDH, CEAS, FADHA, ADHA President, 2025-2026, who reviewed
ADHA26 PODversations - Bonus (Ep. 188)
ADHA26 PODversations - Bonus (Ep. 188) Sep 30, 2026 00:36:06 Ask a room of dental hygienists how they found the profession, and many give the same answer: their own hygienist brought it up. Live from ADHA26 in Fort Worth, Hygienist Inspired ambassadors Lali Williams and Pamela Graboso-Saul share their paths into dental hygiene and how they spread the word to patients, parents and high school students. Holli Seabury, Delta Dental Foundation Executive Directo
ADHA26 PODversations: Sunday, September 27 (Ep 187)
ADHA26 PODversations: Sunday, September 27 (Ep 187) Sep 28, 2026 00:37:51 Day three of ADHA26 in Fort Worth brings a lineup of partners doing the work alongside dental hygienists. Live from the exhibit floor, host Matt Crespin talks with Michele Lash of Dentsply Sirona about how research and the voice of the customer drive product innovation, plus the Graduate Student Research Program, now in its 19th year. GoTu's Thalía Diedrick and Cassidy Miller preview the fourth an
ADHA26 PODversations: Saturday, September 26 (Ep 186)
ADHA26 PODversations: Saturday, September 26 (Ep 186) Sep 27, 2026 00:47:24 Trust comes up again and again on the ADHA26 exhibit floor, from spotting a patient in danger to recommending fluoride with confidence. Live from Fort Worth, dental hygienist and licensed professional counselor Kandice Swarthout explains how to recognize the signs of human trafficking in the dental chair and why survivors most want dignity and a resource on hand. Deland Basora and Andrea Johnson o
ADHA26 PODversations: Friday, September 25 (Ep 185)
ADHA26 PODversations: Friday, September 25 (Ep 185) Sep 26, 2026 00:23:18 Even Hygienists Have Yellow ZonesEven a dental hygienist with years of chairside experience can miss a spot, and the newest Philips Sonicare proves it. Live from the ADHA26 exhibit floor in Fort Worth, host Matt Crespin welcomes first-time guest Heather McGuire of Philips Oral Healthcare, who traces her path from dental assistant to clinician to building hygiene departments for two DSOs. Heather p
ADHA26 in Fort Worth, Texas: Know Before You Go! (Ep 184)
ADHA26 in Fort Worth, Texas: Know Before You Go! (Ep 184) Sep 8, 2026 00:31:40 Leah Johnson returns for the annual Know Before You Go episode, this time with Texas on the itinerary. She walks Matt through the biggest change attendees need to know about, the move to first come, first serve seating for all sessions, and explains what building a personal schedule online does and does not reserve for you. Leah covers getting from DFW to downtown Fort Worth on the TexRail for two
The Oral Side of GLP-1s: Dry Mouth, Disclosure and Dental Care (Ep 183)
The Oral Side of GLP-1s: Dry Mouth, Disclosure and Dental Care (Ep 183) Sep 1, 2026 00:40:08 GLP-1 medications are everywhere, and dental teams are already seeing the effects at the chair. Pharmacist Anne Misher joins host Matt Crespin for a conversation rooted in the oral-systemic link, and why these drugs are far more than a weight-loss story. She explains how GLP-1s work across diabetes, weight management, heart disease, fatty liver, and sleep apnea, and how their anti-inflammatory eff
Live from Milan: Voices from ISDH Podversations from the live event (Ep 182)
Live from Milan: Voices from ISDH Podversations from the live event (Ep 182) Jul 21, 2026 00:27:56 Host Matt Crespin brings you voices from Milan, where dental hygienists from 47 countries gathered for the International Symposium on Dental Hygiene. Outgoing IFDH President Jill Rethman describes what it was like to sit on a World Health Organization panel as the only dental hygienist in the room, alongside dentists and health ministers from around the world, and what she learned about how many c
Your Mouth, Your Brain: The Alzheimer's Connection Dental Hygienists Need to Know (Ep 181)
Your Mouth, Your Brain: The Alzheimer's Connection Dental Hygienists Need to Know (Ep 181) Jun 16, 2026 00:38:34 Anne Rice, RDH, BS, has spent more than 35 years as a clinical dental hygienist — and the last several years working at the intersection of oral health and Alzheimer's prevention. In this live conversation recorded at ADHA's Integrated Care Summit 2026, Anne joins host Matt Crespin to talk about why reducing oral inflammation is a direct act of brain health protection, how blood pressure is a non-
From the Clinic to the Capitol: ADHA's Advocacy Day in Action (Ep 180)
From the Clinic to the Capitol: ADHA's Advocacy Day in Action (Ep 180) Jun 2, 2026 00:27:00 ADHA has been building its federal presence, and this spring marked a milestone: members on Capitol Hill for the profession's first formal lobby day in 20 years. President Lancette VanGuilder and Advocacy Advisory Committee Chair Alyssa Aberle sit down with Matt Crespin to break down what brought the Advocacy Advisory Committee, ADHA leadership and sponsoring organizations to Washington on April 1
Integrated Care Summit 2026:
Podversations from the live event (Ep 179)
Integrated Care Summit 2026: Podversations from the live event (Ep 179) May 19, 2026 00:46:52 What does truly integrated care look like in practice? Host Matt Crespin captured the conversations at ADHA's first-ever Integrated Care Summit in Broomfield, Colorado this past weekend — bringing together physicians, dentists, periodontists, and public health professionals making the case for breaking down silos. (1:56) Dr. Mychi Nguyen, Chief Medical Officer at Asian Health Services, shares how
Staffing in Dental Hygiene: It's Not a Shortage. It's a Retention Crisis (Ep 178)
Staffing in Dental Hygiene: It's Not a Shortage. It's a Retention Crisis (Ep 178) May 12, 2026 00:41:41 Is it simply a dental hygiene "staffing shortage" or does the data reveal a more complex retention issue? Host Matt Crespin sits down with Thalía Diedrick and Amaya Johnson to unpack the findings of GoTu's recently released 2026 State of Work Report, the largest survey of the U.S. dental workforce, developed in partnership with ADHA. The numbers are striking: 60% of hygienists report burnout, 53.8

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