S5 E1: Leadership in Dentistry: How to Build a High-Performing Team (Without Burnout)

S5 E1: Leadership in Dentistry: How to Build a High-Performing Team (Without Burnout)

What’s really holding your dental team back—systems, or leadership? In this episode of the Inspired Hygiene Podcast, I sit down with lead coach Emme Sanders to unpack the real reason many dental practices struggle to create lasting change. We’re kicking off Season 5 by diving into leadership—the foundation of every successful, aligned, and thriving team. We talk about what happens when positive leadership is missing, why teams drift from expectations, and how to lead in a way that actually sticks (without frustration or burnout). Emme shares practical strategies you can start using immediately, including her powerful “Agree Shift, Agree Pact, Agree Drift” framework to help you create clarity, accountability, and momentum in your practice. If you’re a dentist, practice owner, office manager, or hygienist ready to elevate your leadership and get your team aligned—this episode is for you. 🔑 What You’ll Learn: * Why leadership—not just systems—drives real results * How to stop “team drift” and maintain consistency * Simple ways to lead effectively in everyday moments * How to address accountability without creating tension * A step-by-step approach to implementing lasting change 🔗 Resources Mentioned: Emme’s book: Welcome to Work CollabriCon (Team Training Experience) Free Assessment: 17 Mistakes That Destroy Collaboration (Links in description) If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to 👍 like, 💬 comment, and 🔔 subscribe for more insights on building a thriving, high-performing dental practice. And if this resonated with you—share it with a colleague who needs to hear it.

S4 E10: Invest Now in the Future of Dental Hygiene in Your Community

Invest Now in the Future of Dental Hygiene in Your Community | Season 4 Episode 10 Finale Access the resources mentioned in this episode here! [https://keap.page/zrj88966/lunch-and-learn-kit.html] In this Season 4 finale of the Inspired Hygiene Podcast, Rachel wraps up the conversation on rebuilding the dentist-hygienist relationship with a hopeful and practical look at how dental practices can invest in the future of the hygiene profession. After a season filled with powerful conversations about leadership, legislation, culture, expanded duties, and collaboration, this episode shifts the focus toward solutions. Rachel shares what she recently learned from visiting her own alma mater, Guilford Technical Community College, and explains why dental teams have more influence than they may realize in shaping the future of dental hygiene in their communities. From supporting local hygiene programs to mentoring students and creating better pathways into practice, this episode is packed with actionable ideas for dentists and dental teams who want to make a real impact. In this episode, you’ll hear: * Rachel’s personal story of how she “accidentally” found dental hygiene * What it was like returning to the hygiene school where her career began * Encouraging news about new and expanding dental hygiene programs * The difference between a “shortage” and reduced hygiene capacity in private practice * Practical ways dental teams can support local hygiene schools and students * Why scholarships, lunch-and-learns, shadowing, equipment donations, and advisory roles matter * Why practices should stop waiting for hygienists to “find them” and start building those relationships now Practical ways your practice can help grow the profession: * Sponsor a dental hygiene scholarship * Offer lunch-and-learn sessions for local hygiene students * Donate usable equipment that could support training * Join a school’s advisory board * Invite students to shadow in your practice * Include students and faculty in local CE events * Create a practice culture that makes new grads feel supported and confident Rachel also shares insights from her research into new and expanding hygiene programs across the U.S., and explains why this is good news for the future of dentistry. This episode is a reminder that every dental professional has the power to influence the profession in a positive way, whether through leadership, mentoring, education, or simply one meaningful conversation. If you care about the future of dental hygiene, team dentistry, and access to high-quality patient care, this is an episode you won’t want to miss!   #InspiredHygienePodcast #DentalHygiene #Dentistry #DentalLeadership #TeamDentistry #DentalEducation #DentalHygienist #PracticeCulture #WorkforceDevelopment #FutureOfDentistry

S4 E9: Solving Dental Workforce Challenges Without Lowering Standards  Dr. Kyle Bogan

Solving Dental Workforce Challenges Without Lowering Standards  Dr. Kyle Bogan In this episode of the Inspired Hygiene Podcast, Rachel sits down with Dr. Kyle Bogan to talk about leadership, solving workforce challenges, elevated patient care, and what it means to create a practice culture where hygienists are empowered to think critically, practice fully, and feel valued. Dr. Bogan shares his journey from associate dentist to startup owner, the principles that shaped his practice, and how stepping into the role of President of the Ohio Dental Association has given him a broader perspective on dentistry, workforce development, and access to care. This is an important conversation for dentists, hygienists, and dental leaders who want to move beyond tension and build a healthier, more collaborative future for the profession. In this episode, you’ll hear: * Why Dr. Bogan built his practice around patient experience and whole-person care * How leadership at the state level has expanded his perspective on dentistry * His take on the dental hygiene workforce shortage * What Ohio is doing to support workforce development and access to care * Why he believes in protecting the integrity of CODA-accredited dental hygiene education * How his team empowers hygienists as diagnostic partners * The role of salivary diagnostics in leveling up patient care * What dentists and hygienists can do to rebuild trust and collaboration * Why clarity, courageous conversations, recognition, and shared learning matter so much A few standout themes from this conversation: * Better dentistry starts with clear communication * Great teams need mutual respect and shared purpose * Hygienists thrive when they are trusted as healthcare professionals, not just task-doers * Workforce challenges are real, and lowering standards is not the only answer * Strong culture is built through recognition, training, and leadership that stands side by side with the team Dr. Bogan also shares insight from his book, Lead from the Bottom [https://www.amazon.com/Lead-Bottom-Successfully-Cultivating-Team-First/dp/1642251720/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2FXBOPSWPWZGO&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.rJ5odaUHkbMG6vtPBWGNsw.a0gy2XlN0LJTyjnnty9Hc4q9yH0My61qJAG8rCQ9D5A&dib_tag=se&keywords=books+by+dr+kyle+bogan+lead+from+the+bottom&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1776362245&sprefix=books+by+dr+kyle+bogan+lead+from+the+bottom%2Caps%2C143&sr=8-1], and explains why he believes the best leadership model in dentistry is not top-down, but built on support, alignment, and collaboration. If you care about the future of dentistry, the hygiene workforce, and creating a practice where patients and teams both thrive, this episode is for you. #InspiredHygienePodcast #DentalLeadership #DentalHygiene #DentistHygienistRelationship #PracticeCulture #PatientCare #DentalWorkforce #LeadershipInDentistry #DentalPracticeGrowth #DrKyleBogan

S4 E8: Healthy Culture and Practice Profitability Aren’t Mutually Exclusive | Dr. Bill Keith | Inspired Hygiene Podcast

Welcome back to the Inspired Hygiene Podcast! In this episode, Rachel is joined by Dr. Bill Keith—Kansas City dentist, longtime Dental Success Network / Dental Success Institute contributor, and a leader who’s built a high-performing, multi-doctor, multi-op practice with a strong focus on culture, systems, and sustainable growth. Rachel and Dr. Keith first connected through DSN, then Dr. Keith hired Inspired Hygiene to help calibrate his large hygiene team around shared standards, aligned protocols, and consistent patient care—and the results were real. What you’ll hear in this conversation: * Dr. Keith’s unconventional path: engineering → finance/accounting → entrepreneur → dental school * Why culture + profitability are not mutually exclusive (and what “too profitable” can signal) * The metrics that actually matter to teams—and how to talk about numbers without killing morale * A practical model for assisted hygiene that protects quality while improving flow * What it takes to rebuild the dentist–hygienist relationship at the grassroots level AI spotlight: PowerVox (AI Receptionist) Dr. Keith also shares what he’s learned building PowerVox, an AI receptionist designed for after-hours + overflow phone calls—helping practices improve answer rates, reduce friction for patients, and capture opportunities that would otherwise be missed. “We’re not replacing the front desk—we’re catching the calls that would go unanswered.” A message for the industry This episode ends with a direct challenge: reduce the social media noise, increase the collaboration, and get back to what matters—patient care, aligned teams, and sustainable dentistry. ✅ Subscribe for more episodes on practice systems, leadership, hygiene growth, and the dentist–hygienist partnership 👍 If this helped you, hit Like and share it with your team 💬 Comment below: What’s one change you could make this month to improve alignment between doctors and hygiene? #InspiredHygiene #DentalHygiene #Dentistry #DentalSuccessNetwork #DSN #DentalHygiene #ProfitableDentalHygiene #DentalLeadership #PracticeManagement #AssistedHygiene #DentalDSO #AIinDentistry #PowerVox #DentalPodcast #HygieneTeam #PracticeCulture #PatientExperience

S4 E7: From Chairside to C-Suite: Leading 260+ Hygienists + Building a Culture of Support w/ Misty Mattingly, RDH | Inspired Hygiene Podcast

From Chairside to C-Suite: Leading 260+ Hygienists + Building a Culture of Support w/ Misty Mattingly, RDH | Inspired Hygiene Podcast Welcome back to the Inspired Hygiene Podcast! This season is focused on rebuilding the dentist–hygienist relationship—because when providers collaborate with trust and respect, it creates a win for patients, the team, and the practice. In today’s episode, Rachel is joined by Misty Mattingly, RDH—Chief Dental Hygiene Officer at Sage Dental, where she supports and leads 260+ full-time hygienists. Misty shares her remarkable journey—from entering dentistry at 14, putting herself through hygiene school, and working across nearly every role in a dental practice… to stepping into executive leadership inside a growing DSO. This is a candid, practical conversation about what it really takes to retain hygienists, build alignment between providers, and lead change with clarity—without losing the human side of dentistry. In this episode, you’ll learn: * Misty’s path from clinical hygienist to Chief Dental Hygiene Officer * What respect and support looks like in real-life leadership * How Sage drives strong retention and builds hygienist engagement at scale * Why doctor–hygiene case review meetings matter (calibration, alignment, confidence) * How DSOs can create a “peer-to-peer” dynamic between doctors and hygienists * The role of communication + change management (and why it starts months early) * What’s happening with hygiene staffing, compensation pressure, and access to care * Practical ways hygienists and dentists can support each other today  Check out Misty’s podcast: 🎧 Hygiene Happy Hour — real conversations (with cocktails or mocktails) about dentistry and life outside the op. If you’re a hygienist, dentist, practice owner, or DSO leader trying to build a culture where people feel valued, heard, and aligned—this episode is for you. ✅ Subscribe for more episodes on rebuilding the hygiene–dentist partnership 👍 Like, comment, and share with your team—especially if this sparked an idea you want to implement. #InspiredHygiene #DentalHygiene #Dentistry #DSO #DentalLeadership #Hygienist #PracticeCulture #DentalTeam #Retention #LeadershipDevelopment #DentalPodcast #SageDental #HygieneHappyHour #PatientCare #Communication #ChangeManagement 🎧  Hygiene Happy Hour Podcast Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hygiene-happy-hour/id1730365557] Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/episode/1da8NoQVHQUp7zu2Gt2lYP] Flow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/hygienehappyhour/]