A year ago, Kelly Tanner, PhD, RDH, wrote about why National Dental Hygiene Month matters. Checking in to mark this year's observance, she and host Kevin Henry observe a profession that has shifted more in the past 12 months than either expected.
In this episode of The DrBicuspid.com Podcast, Tanner, DrBicuspid.com's hygiene editor, reflects on a year defined by structural change: the American Dental Hygienists' Association's adoption of a policy path toward a doctoral degree by 2032, continued state-by-state adoption of the oral preventive assistant (OPA) role, and growing momentum behind license portability through interstate compacts.
Tanner, who also serves as president of the Virginia Dental Hygienists' Association, discusses weighing in on proposed OPA regulations in her state and the tension of navigating a role she says hygienists didn't necessarily invite but now must help shape responsibly, with public protection as the priority.
Looking ahead, Tanner shares her predictions for 2027. She expects license compacts to solidify further, giving hygienists real mobility between states. She also predicts growing interest in continuing education tied to emerging clinical tools, pointing to saliva testing, lasers, and chairside diagnostics like blood glucose testing as areas that could reshape day-to-day practice, even in states that don't yet permit them. Her boldest prediction: increased movement toward hygienist self-regulation, following a path she says nursing, dentistry, and medicine have already taken.
Much of the conversation also centers on burnout and reigniting passion in the profession. Tanner argues that what reenergizes many hygienists isn't a looming threat to their scope of practice but genuine curiosity sparked by new clinical tools and continued education, the kind of "lightbulb moment" she says got her excited about hygiene again. She encourages hygienists to think of their chair as their own business and to stay open to opportunities, including relocating to practice in a new state, as license portability expands.
Tanner closes with a reminder that burnout isn't always about the job itself. Reconnecting with why someone fell in love with the profession, through mentorship, education, and community, can matter as much as any policy change.
Tanner can be reached at nextleveldentalhygiene.com, where she offers group coaching and one-on-one sessions, or through her Substack.
Listen to the full conversation below.
