Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH

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Oral Cancer
What the oral cancer guidelines don’t tell you: How to talk to the patient in the chair
Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH, explains how to talk with dental patients during oral cancer screenings.
November 3, 2026
Headshot of Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH, DrBicuspid's hygiene editor.
Insurance
Why CDT codes tell a bigger dental story than we realize
A CDT code isn't solely for insurance claims, it's part of the patient's clinical story, writes Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH.
September 30, 2026
Headshot of Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH.
Smile Design
Ozempic is on the dental patient's health history. Now what?
When GLP-1 medications appear on a patient health history, dental professionals must ask sharper clinical questions.
September 23, 2026
Headshot of Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH, DrBicuspid's hygiene editor.
Dental Hygiene
When SRP doesn't resolve the inflammation, here's what to ask next
A site that keeps bleeding after scaling and root planing (SRP) is information and deserves a different question, writes Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH.
August 17, 2026
Headshot of Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH.
Fluoride
CAMBRA says assess 1st, but what happens when the patient still says no to fluoride?
The most effective fluoride varnish is one the dental patient accepts. Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH, provides coaching on how to get there.
August 11, 2026
Headshot of Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH.
Dental Hygiene
The CDT codes every dental hygienist should be able to defend in an audit
Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH, details three periodontal coding decisions that fall apart under audit and how to fix them.
July 1, 2026
Headshot of Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH.
Periodontics
3 things every practice should be doing with AAP staging and grading
Staging tells you how bad it is. Grading tells you where it's going, and most practices skip that step. Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH, explains how to fix that.
June 25, 2026
Professional headshot of Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH.
Dental Practice
The 90-second read: How dental team members can build patient trust before the dentist walks in
Your dental team gets 90 seconds to build patient trust. Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH, gives you a game plan on how to do it.
May 28, 2026
A woman dental assistant smiles while sitting next to a dental chair.
Team Management
Quiet patterns that erode trust on a dental team
Dental teams lose their best people quietly. Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH, describes exactly what's happening and how to stop it.
May 5, 2026
A woman rolls her eyes and exhales to relieve stress.
Team Management
Here's why high-performing dental teams keep getting better
Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH, reveals the counterintuitive secret separating thriving dental practices from merely busy ones.
April 13, 2026
Smiling dentist, dental hygienist, and young patient in a modern dental office.
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Top Stories
Close-up of a man exchanging a letter with another man. A man is turning in his written resignation letter.
Dental Education
Dental school dean resigns over anti-Semitic images in course work
A dean of dentistry resigned following an external investigation concerning the use of anti-Semitic imagery in course materials.
A professional man sitting in a modern office holds his jaw with a pained expression.
TMJ/TMD
TMDs may be ruining patients’ lives
Dental Trade Alliance podcast cover image featuring Rachel Spivey, the alliance's director of government affairs.
Regulatory Updates
Inside the Dental Trade Alliance’s strategy for Capitol Hill
Two lawyers in business attire shake hands over a desk with legal documents resting on top. Nearby is a gavel and a legal scale.
Legal Issues
Charges to be dismissed against ex-dental employee
Cover image of the Just A Minute, Doc YouTube series with Dr. Tom Giacobbi.
Office Management
Dr. Tom Giacobbi on rethinking your dental practice's scheduling habits
More in Home
Dental school dean resigns over anti-Semitic images in course work
By Melissa Busch
A dean of dentistry resigned following an external investigation concerning the use of anti-Semitic imagery in course materials.
November 13, 2026
Close-up of a man exchanging a letter with another man. A man is turning in his written resignation letter.
TMDs may be ruining patients’ lives
By Melissa Busch
Jaw pain may be costing patients more at work than they realize.
November 13, 2026
A professional man sitting in a modern office holds his jaw with a pained expression.
Inside the Dental Trade Alliance’s strategy for Capitol Hill
By The Dental Trade Alliance
DTA's Rachel Spivey unveils how the association will take its "Oral Health Can’t Wait" message to a new Congress.
November 13, 2026
Dental Trade Alliance podcast cover image featuring Rachel Spivey, the alliance's director of government affairs.
Charges to be dismissed against ex-dental employee
By Melissa Busch
A former dental employee accused of embezzlement has reached a deal to have the charges dismissed against her.
November 12, 2026
Two lawyers in business attire shake hands over a desk with legal documents resting on top. Nearby is a gavel and a legal scale.
Dr. Tom Giacobbi on rethinking your dental practice's scheduling habits
By DrBicuspid.com staff writers
Your practice's schedule is telling you something. Dr. Tom Giacobbi addresses how to build a schedule that benefits everyone.
November 12, 2026
Cover image of the Just A Minute, Doc YouTube series with Dr. Tom Giacobbi.
Who’s using in-house restorative CAD/CAM systems?
By Melissa Busch
Discover the surprising demographic profile of dentists using restorative dentistry with CAD/CAM technology.
November 12, 2026
A dental assistant uses an intraoral scanner to scan a woman patient's maxilla.
3 dental imaging and CAD/CAM stories that mattered
By Kevin Henry
Catch up on the most impactful dental imaging and CAD/CAM stories of 2026.
November 12, 2026
A dental mold rests on a piece of dental lab equipment. In the background is a computer screen displaying the mold.
Up 20, tied, or down 20? A championship coach shares how dental leaders should finish the year.
By Kevin Henry
Coach Matt Doherty explains what dental leaders should tell their teams in the fourth quarter, whether they’re up, tied, or down.
November 12, 2026
DrBicuspid.com Podcast cover image featuring a masked cartoon dentist and a microphone.
Dental board makes licensing decision in patient death case
By Melissa Busch
A dentist's license has been revoked, but other complaints are pending.
November 11, 2026
Close-up of microphones integrated with a conference room table.
The X-factor in curing: A clinical look at the Valo X
By Dr. Robert Frey, MPH
The right curing light delivers power, an appropriate wavelength spectrum, and a uniform beam profile, and the Ultradent Valo X delivers.
November 11, 2026
Figure 1: Clear aligner attachments visualized using the Valo X black light diagnostic feature, providing enhanced visualization of clear aligner attachments for easy removal.
How menopause shows up in the dental chair
By Dr. Monique M. Nadeau
Dr. Monique Nadeau explains how menopause affects the salivary glands, gums, sleep, and smile and how dental teams can help patients.
November 11, 2026
An older woman holds her jaw as she talks to her dentist.
Why dentistry's hiring problem isn't easing
By Kevin Henry
The hygienist shortage isn't easing, but ADA Economist Marko Vujicic forsees a "golden era."
November 11, 2026
DrBicuspid.com Podcast cover featuring microphone and dental professional logo.
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