Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH

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Setting the standard in your operatory: Aligning dental teams and elevating care

Excellence in your operatory is not about perfection. It’s about delivering consistent care your patients can count on, writes Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH.

August 28, 2025

Is dental hygiene really a stable profession?

Dental hygiene remains a stable, rewarding career ... if supported by the right environment, personal growth, and advocacy, writes Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH. Success depends on navigating challenges, avoiding burnout, and embracing career development.

August 4, 2025

Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH.

Team Management

When silence speaks loudly: Why dental team members shut down

Silence in your dental practice isn’t harmless. It can indicate deeper issues with trust, safety, and communication, writes Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH.

July 18, 2025

Where else can this go? A path to possibility in dental hygiene.

Stay ahead in your dental hygiene career with expert insights and actionable tips from Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH.

July 10, 2025

Replacing dental hygienists to solve workforce shortages can put patients at risk

Dental hygiene is increasingly seen as a technical function rather than a science-based, patient-focused profession, writes Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH.

June 19, 2025

Upgrading your thoughtware: How dental professionals can break free from limiting beliefs

Your dental career is not a fixed entity -- it's a dynamic expression of your values, skills, and chosen beliefs, writes Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH.

May 30, 2025

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Fluoride, hydroxyapatite, and honest conversations: What we owe our patients

Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH, says the fluoride conversation is about understanding function, science, and how we educate patients without creating confusion.

May 19, 2025

The true cost of raising the bar in dental hygiene

If you're a dental hygienist stuck inside "a prophy mill," Dr. Kelly Tanner is here to help, diving into what it really takes to elevate dental hygiene protocols and why it's worth it.

April 14, 2025

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Let's have a real talk about dental hygienist salary numbers in 2025

Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH, believes it's time for a deeper conversation about dental hygienist salaries. Here's why, what it means, and how it impacts the profession and the bottom line of the dental practice.

March 17, 2025

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Finding joy in dental hygiene again: Beyond the burnout conversation

Dental hygienists, are you ready to create an environment where you thrive personally and professionally while providing the excellent care your patients deserve? Kelly Tanner has advice that can help.

March 5, 2025

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Image of a courtroom interior with a gold eagles and the scales of justice.

Dentist, practice arraigned on 40 crimes

A dentist and his practice were arraigned on more than three dozen crimes.

Not all evidence is created equal: Dr. Richard Nagelberg on reading the dental research

A police car is shown with its blue overhead lights illuminated at night with city lights in the background.

Man accused of abducting, assaulting, terrorizing dental employee

Two professionals review documents during a business meeting, representing formal discipline.

Dentist accused of lax infection control suspended

Close-up of a hand holding a clear mouthguard.

Mouthguards plus this may protect swimmers' teeth

Where dentists stand on antibiotics for arthroplasty patients

By Melissa Busch

Dentists and surgeons appear to be divided on antibiotic protection for joint replacement patients undergoing dental work.

September 24, 2026

Green-and-white antibiotic capsules, tablets, syringes, and medication bottles arranged around an Antibiotics document.

What you need to know about the cleanliness of your dental unit waterlines

In this DrBicuspid.com Podcast episode, learn what happens inside dental waterlines and why consistency is critical.

September 24, 2026

What those ages 18 to 21 need to know about gum disease

By Melissa Busch

Gum disease may signal a hidden health problem before young adults know it.

September 23, 2026

A male dentist talks to a young woman sitting in a dental chair.

New data show a wide gap between what dental practices think they're collecting and reality

A new Wisdom survey reveals a confidence gap in dental billing: Most practices have red flags, and nearly 70% prefer AI plus human oversight.

September 23, 2026

Dental tools rest on top of $100 bills.

Ozempic is on the dental patient's health history. Now what?

By Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH

When GLP-1 medications appear on a patient health history, dental professionals must ask sharper clinical questions.

September 23, 2026

Patient portals: You built them. Your patients ignore them. Here's why.

Take our short survey on what's working with patient portals, what isn't, and what dentists need from vendors.

September 23, 2026

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Oral surgeon dies in freak accident

By Melissa Busch

An Idaho oral surgeon is remembered for decades of patient care and humanitarian work following a tragic accident.

September 22, 2026

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Dentists feel burdened, and here's why

By Melissa Busch

A new study reveals the factors that affect dentist performance and well-being.

September 22, 2026

A man wearing turquoise scrubs furrows his brow and closes his eyes.

Your website's tracking pixel just cost a DSO $18.7 million. Here's what to check on yours.

By Marshall Strisik

Aspen Dental’s $18.7 million tracking pixel settlement is a wake-up call. Even if you're an independent practice, you're still at risk.

September 22, 2026

Dentist gets jail time for fraud

By Melissa Busch

A Washington, DC, dentist convicted of a billing scheme was sentenced.

September 21, 2026

Two hands grip black metal prison bars.

Healthy aging via good oral health? Maybe.

By Melissa Busch

Gums may hold the secret to healthier aging.

September 21, 2026

An older man with a beard smiles at the viewer. In the background, blurred, is a city street.

Your dental team bio may be doing more marketing than you think

By Kristine Grey

A generic dental bio undersells your team, but asking the right questions can turn your credentials into the connection anxious patients need.

September 21, 2026

A laptop screen displays a wireframe design of a generic website.

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