Hygiene Rising

Our recent Listerine-sponsored Oral Care Counts webinar was a highlight of National Dental Hygiene Month, and the oral health pros brought more questions than we had time to answer. So Dr. JoAnn Gurenlian and Dr. Ann Spolarich are back on Hygiene Rising to take them on. Only about a third of people floss, so what does that mean for disrupting biofilm at home? They explain why flossing and rinsing work together rather than compete, separate fact from myth on alcohol, essential oils and SLS in mouthrinse, and sort out what the research says about one- versus two-minute brushing. They also cover rinsing during pregnancy, the best order for a home care routine, and where nasal saline rinses fit in. The conversation closes with the growing role of hygienists in hospitals and nursing homes, where controlling inflammation is essential for whole-person care. Ultimately, the best routine is the one your patients will actually follow.Guests: JoAnn Gurenlian, RDH, MS, PhD, AAFAAOM, FADHA, Director of Education, Research and Advocacy, ADHA; Ann Spolarich, RDH, PhD, FSCDH, Professor and Associate Dean for Research, Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health, A.T. Still UniversityHost: Matt Crespin, MPH, RDH, FADHATop Host Voting: https://tophost.org/2026/matt-crespinRinse Resource Center: https://www.adha.org/rinseRecorded Webinar "Redefining Periodontal Disease Management": https://ow.ly/w7nm5105cut White Paper "Redefining the Management and Prevention of Periodontal Disease": https://www.adha.org/RedefiningPerioWhitePaper

​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 it. They lay out the proposed pathways, from a doctorate of oral health practice to an entry-level doctorate, and explain why the policy is a long-term position, not a mandate. They also address the misinformation circulating online, including the idea that every hygienist must go back to school. Matt Crespin, MPH, RDH, FADHA, hosts. Dental hygiene is defining its own path.Guests: Leciel Bono, RDH-ER, MS, EdD, FADHA, Department Chair, Department of Dental Hygiene, Idaho State University; Lancette VanGuilder, BS, RDH, PHEDH, CEAS, FADHA, ADHA President, 2025-2026Host: Matt Crespin, MPH, RDH, FADHA

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 Director, explains how the chairside recruitment program has grown to 12 states and why anyone can take the ally pledge. Then ADHA Standout Seven honoree Sarah Jackson of Curaprox closes out the exhibit floor with iTOP (individually trained oral prophylaxis), a hands-on approach that trades the unopened goodie bag for touch-to-teach instruction right in the patient’s mouth. Healthier patients start with better teaching.Guests: Lali Williams, RDH, FADHA, Hygienist Inspired Ambassador; Pamela Graboso-Saul, MPH(c), MSDH, BSDH, RDH, FADHA, Hygienist Inspired Ambassador and President, New Jersey Dental Hygienists' Association; Holli Seabury, EdD, Executive Director, Delta Dental Foundation; Sarah Jackson, RDH, MSDH, FADHA, Head of Education and Professional Relations, CuraproxHost: Matt Crespin, MPH, RDH, FADHA

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 annual State of Work survey and Best in Dental, a program recognizing offices that treat temporary professionals as part of the team. Chikako Amendola and Amanda Booth of Henry Schein share the Empowering You webinar series and a growing push for medical-dental integration. And Kari Ann Kuntzelman of the American Dental Therapy Association explains where dental therapy stands across the country and how hygienists can pursue it. Four conversations, one message: the profession is moving forward.Guests: Michele Lash, RDH, BA, FADHA, CDIPC, Senior Manager, Clinical Research, Dentsply Sirona; Thalía Diedrick, Chief Marketing Officer, GoTu; Cassidy Miller, Director of Advocacy and Community, GoTu; Chikako Amendola, Executive Director, Henry Schein; Amanda Booth, Senior Marketing Specialist, Henry Schein; Kari Ann Kuntzelman, DT, Executive Director, American Dental Therapy AssociationHost: Matt Crespin, MPH, RDH, FADHA

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 of Crest + Oral-B preview the 30th anniversary of their continuing education program and trade favorite Oral-B iO features. Amber Mendoza of Heartland Dental asks how new technology and AI will realistically fit into a packed Monday morning schedule. Erin Haley-Hitz of Solventum shows how caries risk assessment turns a fluoride recommendation into comprehensive care, no sales pitch required. Insurance determines reimbursement. Risk determines clinical need.Guests: Kandice Swarthout, MS, RDH, LPC; Deland Basora, Head of U.S. Professional Oral Health, Procter & Gamble; Andrea Johnson, RDH, MS, Senior Manager, Scientific Relations, Crest + Oral-B; Amber Mendoza, RDH, Director of Hygiene Operations, Heartland Dental; Erin Haley-Hitz, RDH, BSDH, MS, FADHA, MAADH, Key Opinion Leader, SolventumHost: Matt Crespin, MPH, RDH, FADHA