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The Dental Handoff

Dr. Kelly Tanner

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

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#228
Tuesday · 31 min
Episode 225 | The Self-Talk That Never Goes Away, Even 30 Years In | Emme Sanders, RDH
Emme Sanders, RDH has spent more than 30 years in dental hygiene as a clinician, speaker, executive coach, and writer. She is the author of “Welcome to Work: Inspiring Positive Change in the Workplace” and, with Lois Banta and Dana Watson, co-founder of COLLABricon, a two-day team-synergy summit for entire dental teams. In this episode of The Dental Handoff, Dr. Kelly Tanner and Emme talk about the negative self-talk that doesn't fully go away no matter how experienced or credentialed you become, where Emme's own self-talk started (something she says she has never shared on a podcast before), and the “ladder” she uses to describe how far a dental hygienist's role can grow. They also get into the real reason COLLABricon exists: teams would leave a conference energized, go home, and watch the plan fall apart, and Emme, Lois, and Dana built a format to fix exactly that. This conversation is for dental hygienists, practice owners, office managers, and anyone who has ever caught themselves repeating a negative thought they'd never say to another person. Subscribe to The Dental Handoff on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. New episodes every week. Connect with Emme Sanders: Website: https://www.emmesandersrdh.com COLLABricon: https://www.collabriconcrew.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
#227
October 6 · 29 min
Episode 224 | Invited Into Dental School, She Said No: What a Hygienist Would Change Looking Back | Kathryn Gilliam, BA, RDH, MAAOSH, HIAOMT
After doing well on her national board exam, Kathryn Gilliam was invited into the next dental class. She decided not to go. Looking back, she says she would change that, and that she would have her own dental hygiene practice if she were starting over. She built a career in dental hygiene instead, with decades in clinical care and a coaching career that grew alongside it. In this episode of The Dental Handoff, Dr. Kelly Tanner talks with Kathryn about growing up as a dentist's daughter, how journalism led her to hygiene, and the opportunities open to hygienists beyond clinical care, including writing, speaking, coaching, sales and teaching. She shares why she believes hygienists should speak up and own "the business within the business," what imposter syndrome taught her, and why she says probably half of what she learned in school is no longer true. Kathryn also talks about "loving people back to health," the idea behind her upcoming book, High Impact Hygiene, and why she says she has not been burned out in 40 years. This conversation is for hygienists wondering what else their career can hold, students deciding where to start, and any dental professional who has said no to something that made them nervous. Subscribe to The Dental Handoff on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. New episodes every week. Connect with Kathryn: PerioLinks: periolinks.com/meet-kathryn LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kathryn-kamish-gilliam-18062bb3 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
#226
September 29 · 31 min
Episode 223 | From a Job That Didn't Feel Right to Chairing the ADEA Corporate Council | Wendy Bebey, RDH, BS
Wendy Bebey's first job out of dental hygiene school didn't sit right with her, from how instruments were handled to whether the role was helping her grow, and she knew it. So she left, and started a path that would eventually take her from clinical hygiene into more than 20 years across Professional Relations, Sales Management, and continuing education at companies like Procter & Gamble, HuFriedyGroup, and Young Innovations. Today, she chairs the ADEA Corporate Council Administrative Board. In this episode of The Dental Handoff, Dr. Kelly Tanner talks with Wendy about the jobs that weren't the right fit, the chance connections and mentors that changed her direction, and what it actually took (real patience, deliberate networking, about four years of positioning herself) to make the jump from clinic to industry. Wendy also shares her belief that leaving clinical practice doesn't mean leaving the profession: "once a hygienist, always a hygienist." This conversation is for hygienists wondering if their current job is the right fit, and anyone considering a move from clinical practice into industry, education, or leadership. Subscribe to The Dental Handoff on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. New episodes every week. Connect with Wendy Bebey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendybebey/ 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
#225
September 22 · 28 min
Episode 222 | Two Businesses, One Terrible Day: A Dental Hygienist's Story of Starting Over Twice | Debora Carrier
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 Winner LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/deboracarrier https://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
#224
September 15 · 30 min
Episode 221 | $12 Billion in Dental Fraud: What Every Dental Practice Needs to Know from the Payer Side | Michael Cembrola
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
#223
September 8 · 42 min
Episode 220 | Selling the Invisible: Fear, Trust, and the Business of Dentistry | Howard Farran, DDS, MBA, MAGD
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
#222
September 1 · 26 min
Episode 219 | From $2 Million in Debt to a $30K AI Practice: Grit, Radical Self-Responsibility, and the Infinite Game | Dr. Shahin Safarian
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
#221
August 25 · 39 min
Episode 218 | Management of the Face in Space: Robotics, Zygomatic Implants, and the Standard Behind World-Class Surgery | Dr. Jay Neugarten
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
#220
August 18 · 31 min
Episode 217 | Add First, Subtract Second: The Composite Philosophy Behind Minimally Invasive Dentistry | Dr. Michael Morgan, DDS
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
#218
August 11 · 30 min
Episode 216 | The Avoidance Tax: Why Busy Dental Practices Stop Growing | Kelly Fox-Galvagni, RDA
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.com Instagram: @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
#217
August 4 · 32 min
Episode 215 | AI, Biofilm, and the Business of Dental Hygiene | Dr. Joy Void-Holmes, DHSc, RDH
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
#216
July 28 · 37 min
Episode 214 | The 4-Product Restorative System Every Dentist Needs | Joshua Austin, DDS, MAGD
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.com Instagram: instagram.com/JoshuaAustinDDS Practice: joshuaaustindds.com Seminars 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
#215
July 21 · 29 min
Episode 213 | AI, Speed to Lead, and the Dental Marketing Gap Most Practices Don't Know They Have | Dr. Syeda Andaleeb Zaidi
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.com Email: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
#214
July 7 · 30 min
Episode 212 | Functional Medicine, Gut Health, and the Hygienist Who Treats the Root Cause | Tammy Reavis, RDH, MPH
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
#213
June 30 · 26 min
Episode 211 | From Clinical Burnout to Dental School Faculty: A Hygienist Career Transition Story | Tiffany Bairos, RDH, MPH
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
#212
June 23 · 30 min
Episode 210 | Practicing Dental Hygiene in Germany for 38 Years in a Country That Never Recognized the Profession | Carmen Lanoway, RDH, BScDH
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: @carmrdh LinkedIn: 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
#211
June 16 · 35 min
Episode 209 | Hormones, Women's Oral Health, and the Future of Dental Hygiene | Barbara Tritz
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
#210
June 9 · 30 min
Episode 208 | Public Health, RDHAP, and a Career Built Beyond the Operatory | Jessica L. Woods, MPH, RDH
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
#209
June 2 · 29 min
Episode 207 | Scope, Autonomy, and the Case for RDH-JDs - Dr. Derik J. Sven, DHSc
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
#208
May 26 · 30 min
Episode 206 | OSHA Compliance, Immune Amnesia, and the Documentation System Every Dental Practice Needs | Mary Govoni, CDA, RDA, RDH OSHA Outreach Trainer, Speaker, Author
In this episode of The Dental Handoff, Dr. Kelly Tanner sits down with Mary Govoni, CDA, RDA, RDH OSHA Outreach Trainer, Speaker, Author, a compliance consultant who has spent decades helping dental practices close the gap between what they think they are doing and what their documentation actually shows. Mary walks through what she finds in practice after practice: the workaround mindset that creates liability, the mask habits that never fully corrected after COVID, and the quiet moment when a team member leaves and takes the OSHA binder with them. She also shares one of dentistry’s most urgent public health alerts right now, the return of measles and a phenomenon called immune amnesia that can erase years of accumulated immunity. This episode is for dental hygienists, dentists, dental assistants, and practice owners who want to move from compliance anxiety to a system that actually holds up when it needs to. You’ll learn: Why most dental offices are not as compliant as they think, and exactly where the gaps usually hide The mask-in-the-pocket habit that is still happening in clinical settings and why it matters more than people realize What immune amnesia is, why measles is back, and how dental teams need to respond right now The difference between OSHA law and CDC guidance, and why guidance does not mean optional Why documentation is the first thing OSHA inspectors look for, and what happens when it walks out the door with a departing team member The new OSHA Hazard Communication Standard changes taking effect in November 2025 and what practices need to update through 2028 The Association for Dental Safety at myADS.org, one of the best resources in dentistry that almost nobody knows about FX EFFEX at dental.effex.cloud, the centralized compliance platform Mary recommends for practices ready to ditch the binders Subscribe to The Dental Handoff on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Podbean. New episodes every week. CONNECT WITH Mary Govoni, CDA, RDA, RDH OSHA Outreach Trainer, Speaker, Author: Website: https://www.marygovoni.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-govoni-and-associates/ Services: OSHA Compliance and CDS Infection Prevention and Control, HIPAA Compliance and Cybersecurity, Ergonomics and Efficiency, Human Resources Manual Development (powered by Bent Ericksen and Associates) 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

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