A Tale of Two Hygienists Podcast

In this episode of A Tale of Two Hygienists, Jessica and Dave sit down with Dr. Lee Sheldon to take a closer look at nonsurgical periodontal therapy and what it takes to deliver exceptional periodontal care. They explore clinical techniques, dentist-hygienist collaboration, and the evolving role of dental hygiene in periodontal health.   What We Talked About   Common misconceptions about nonsurgical periodontal therapy   How dentists and dental hygienists can work together to improve outcomes for patients with periodontal disease   Clinical habits and techniques that separate good periodontal therapy from great periodontal therapy   What is most exciting about the future of periodontal care and the evolving role of the dental hygiene profession   Call to Action Connect with Dr. Lee Sheldon and follow him work on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drleensheldon/   If you're passionate about improving periodontal outcomes, use this conversation as an opportunity to rethink your clinical approach, strengthen collaboration, and continue advancing the standard of care.   Contact the Hosts Jessica Atkinson: [email protected] Dave Torres: [email protected]

In this episode of A Tale of Two Hygienists, Jessica and Dave sit down with Camille Zenobia to explore the growing science behind the oral microbiome and its connection to overall health.   What We Talked About   How the oral microbiome influences overall health   The emerging research that excites Camille most   Helping patients understand the oral-systemic connection   The role of diagnostics and modern hygiene care   Where the field of oral health may be heading over the next decade   Call to Action Explore Camille Zenobia's work and connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camillezenobia/ Stay curious about the science behind the oral-systemic connection, and continue bringing evidence-based conversations into everyday patient care.   Contact the Hosts Jessica Atkinson: [email protected] Dave Torres: [email protected]

JoAnn Gurenlian returns to explore two essential parts of the dental hygiene process of care: evaluation and documentation. What may feel like routine clinical responsibilities can have a lasting impact on patient safety, continuity of care, professional accountability, and risk management.   Jessica, Dave, and JoAnn discuss how thoughtful evaluation and accurate documentation can strengthen clinical decision-making, support treatment modifications, and help dental hygienists deliver high-quality, patient-centered care.   What We Talked About The role of evaluation within the dental hygiene process of care   Why documentation is far more than a legal requirement   Common documentation mistakes and how to avoid them   How documentation supports continuity of care and patient outcomes   The relationship between evaluation, critical thinking, and treatment modification   Risk management and provider protection through accurate records   Documentation best practices for today's dental hygienist   How educators can better prepare students for real-world documentation expectations   Call to Action Take a fresh look at your documentation and evaluation process. Ask yourself whether your records clearly communicate what you assessed, what you found, how the patient responded, and why clinical decisions were made. Strong documentation is more than recordkeeping—it is part of quality patient care.   Resources and Links JoAnn Gurenlian on LinkedIn   Contact the Hosts Jessica Atkinson: [email protected] Dave Torres: [email protected]

In this episode of A Tale of Two Hygienists, Jessica and Dave explore what happens after assessment and diagnosis: turning clinical findings into meaningful, individualized care. Karen Palleschi and Jennifer Pieren discuss how dental hygienists can use critical thinking, clinical judgment, and the ADHA Standards of Care to create person-centered plans that reflect each patient's needs, values, risks, and goals.   What We Talked About:   Translating assessment findings into meaningful dental hygiene diagnoses   Building individualized, person-centered care plans instead of "one-size-fits-all" treatment   The role of critical thinking and clinical judgment in implementation   How the ADHA Standards of Care support consistency, accountability, and professional autonomy.   Patient communication, shared decision-making, and behavior change   Challenges clinicians and students face when moving from diagnosis to implementation   Adapting care plans based on patient needs, values, risks, and outcomes   Call to Action: Providers, take a closer look at how you move from diagnosis to action. Consider whether your care plans truly reflect each patient's individual needs, priorities, risks, and goals. Look for opportunities to involve patients more fully in decisions about their care.   Contact guest via: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-pieren-476804a1/ Instagram: @prof_jennifer_rdh ADHA Standards   Contact the Hosts Jessica Atkinson: [email protected] Dave Torres: [email protected]  

Assessment and diagnosis are at the heart of patient-centered dental hygiene care. In this episode of A Tale of Two Hygienists, Jessica and Dave are joined by JoAnn Gurenlian, Ann Eshenaur Spolarich, and Darlene Swigart to explore how dental hygienists can move beyond simply collecting patient data to interpreting findings, developing accurate dental hygiene diagnoses, and making informed clinical decisions.   The conversation examines the critical-thinking skills needed to connect assessment findings to treatment planning, documentation, and improved patient outcomes while also considering the future of dental hygiene diagnosis and professional autonomy.   What We Talked About   The distinction between assessment and diagnosis   Why diagnosis is an essential component of the dental hygiene process of care   Common challenges clinicians face when interpreting assessment findings   The role of critical thinking in moving from collected data to clinical decisions   How assessment and diagnosis influence treatment planning and patient outcomes   Documentation considerations related to assessment and diagnosis   Strategies for teaching diagnostic reasoning to students   The future of dental hygiene diagnosis and professional autonomy   Call to Action The next time you complete a patient assessment, pause before moving directly to treatment. Ask yourself what the findings mean, how they connect, and what they tell you about your patient's individual needs. Use that clinical reasoning to strengthen your dental hygiene diagnosis, treatment planning, documentation, and patient care.   Resources and Links Darlene Swigart on LinkedIn Ann Eshenaur Spolarich on LinkedIn JoAnn Gurenlian on LinkedIn Swigart, DJ, Gurenlian, J. Bringing Social Determinants of Health into the Dental Hygiene Diagnosis. Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. 2026;24(1):32-35. Swigart, DJ, Gurenlian, J, McCracken, A. Integrating Social Determinants of Health Screening in Student Dental Hygiene Clinical Practice. J Dent Hyg. 2025;9(6):52-63. Swigart, DJ, Gurenlian, JR, Rogo, EJ. Dental Hygiene Diagnosis: A Qualitative Descriptive Study of Dental Hygienists. Can J Dent Hyg. 2020;54(3):113-123. Gurenlian, JR, Swigart, DJ. Dental Hygiene Diagnosis: The Link Between Assessment and Care. Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. 2018;16(12):36-39. Gurenlian, JR, Sanderson, TR, Garland, K, Swigart, DJ. Exploring the Integration of the Dental Hygiene Diagnosis in Entry-Level Dental Hygiene Curricula. J Dent Hyg. 2018;92(4):18-26.   Contact the Hosts Jessica Atkinson: [email protected] Dave Torres: [email protected]