Celebrating Dental Hygienists: 6 Voices, 6 Stories, One Profession
Celebrating National Dental Hygiene Month
Behind every smile is a dental hygienist making a difference. From building meaningful relationships with patients to inspiring the next generation, the impact of dental hygienists goes far beyond oral health. It's found in the lives they touch, the confidence they build, and the care they bring to every patient.
This National Dental Hygiene Month, we're celebrating six of our Key Opinion Leaders whose stories reflect the heart of this profession. We asked them to reflect on their journeys, share what they love most about being dental hygienists, and offer advice to the next generation.
Meet these six hygienists and hear their stories in their own words.
Nancy Miller, RDH, BA
With 55 years in dental hygiene, Nancy's experience spans clinical practice, consulting, teaching, and instrument design and testing. She especially enjoys mentoring patients, clinicians, and manufacturers.
What inspired you to become a dental hygienist?
My family dentist in Menominee, Michigan hired me to help in the office when I was 15. He was kind and enjoyed his profession and we all loved him. I didn't know what a hygienist was until he encouraged me to become one so I investigated and enrolled in Ferris State College to start my journey.
What's one thing you love most about being a hygienist?
The patients and students! It is so rewarding to stay on top of the profession and keep current and be able to guide and help them understand the wonderful world of dentistry. I love dispelling myths about the profession and helping them make good choices for their dental health.
What advice would you give to a new or aspiring dental hygienist?
Please do not get into it for the "money". While that can be good it is a very challenging and important 'one on one' relationship that you will have with patients, employers and the world. They deserve a care provider that loves their profession and delivering care and information not just punching a time clock.
Also, I have taught ergonomics for years which is why I am virtually pain free after 55 years so pay attention to the availability of proper equipment and your body's signals.
Danielle Rulli, DHSc, MS, BA, RDH
At The Ohio State University College of Dentistry, Dr. Rulli serves as Associate Professor and Director of the Graduate Dental Hygiene Program, focusing on advancing dental hygiene education and its role in overall health.
What inspired you to become a dental hygienist?
I was originally in nursing school and my dental hygienist used to banter with me at each visit that I didn't really want to be a nurse, I should be a dental hygienist. She would tell me all the reasons why she felt it would be a much better health care career.
At one of my regular recall visits, she found a lesion on my right tonsillar pillar that hadn't been there 6 months previously. I ended up having multiple surgeries. During the recovery period from the second surgery, I began to look at dental hygiene very, very differently. Needless to say, I never went back to nursing school.
What's one thing you love most about being a hygienist?
That we are able to make a positive impact on our patients' health in just one visit.
What advice would you give to a new or aspiring dental hygienist?
Dental hygienists have a unique opportunity to positively impact patient health outcomes. We see our patients two to four or more times a year. Do not be shy about sharing your knowledge in the form of pertinent information with patients.
Whether it's the side effects of their medications, systemic condition complications, or how your dental hygiene therapy can have significant influence on their health and wellbeing, seize the moment with confidence. Your patients will see the positive outcomes, further strengthening their trust and perceived value of you as an integral part of their health care team.
Dr. Silky Sharma, Ed.D., RDH
Bringing more than two decades of clinical experience in periodontal care, Dr. Sharma serves as Clinic Director and Professor at Harper College, helping dental professionals connect research with everyday clinical practice.
What inspired you to become a dental hygienist?
I have always been drawn to helping others, so healthcare naturally came first in my career choices. What particularly appealed to me about dental hygiene was the opportunity to provide preventive care and to help patients protect their health before disease develops.
As my career developed, periodontal care became a particular passion. Helping patients understand their health and seeing the difference that thoughtful, individualized care can make continues to inspire me, and that eventually led me to teaching.
What's one thing you love most about being a hygienist?
I love seeing the moment when understanding turns into confidence. It may be a patient who finally understands their periodontal condition, a student who masters a challenging skill, or an experienced clinician who discovers a better, evidence-based approach to care. Being part of that growth is deeply rewarding.
What advice would you give to a new or aspiring dental hygienist?
Build strong fundamentals, stay curious, and never stop growing. Don't just learn what to do, but ask why you do it and why things happen the way they do. That deeper understanding will help you make thoughtful clinical decisions rather than simply follow routines.
Seek mentors, evaluate the evidence, and remain open to learning throughout your career. Just as importantly, listen to your patients. Your knowledge and skills matter, but so does your ability to help someone feel heard, respected, and involved in their care.
Erin Ryan, RDH
Through her work as an executive coach and Co-Director of Hygiene Mastery, Erin helps dental teams strengthen clinical care, build confidence, and develop thriving hygiene departments.
What inspired you to become a dental hygienist?
My interest in dental hygiene started in third grade! I remember my dad taking my sister, brother, and me to our dental appointments one summer and telling him I wanted to become a dental hygienist. I loved the atmosphere and the relationships our family had with the entire team. From the women at the front desk to the hygienists, assistants, and doctor, everyone made us feel welcomed and cared for. That experience stayed with me.
As I grew older, that early interest became a deeper appreciation for dentistry's role in overall health. I'm passionate about helping patients understand how their oral health impacts their bodies, giving them meaningful education, and making sure they feel cared for throughout their experience.
What's one thing you love most about being a hygienist?
The relationships and the opportunity to make a meaningful difference. There's something so rewarding about helping a patient understand their health, earning their trust, and seeing them become invested in their own care.
What advice would you give to a new or aspiring dental hygienist?
Stay curious, ask questions, and surround yourself with people who encourage you to grow. You don't have to know everything on day one, but being willing to learn in this ever-evolving industry will take you so far.
Find mentors, invest in yourself, and remember that your voice matters. You bring valuable knowledge, education, expertise and perspective to the team, and your patients benefit when you have the confidence to share it.
Tami Wanless, MEd., RDH
Tami is a dental hygienist, educator, and speaker who teaches clinical and didactic courses as adjunct faculty in the Dental Hygiene Program at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. She is always looking for ways to grow, evolve, and contribute to the profession.
What inspired you to become a dental hygienist?
My dental career actually started somewhat by accident when I was 15. I arrived at my babysitting job one day and was surprised to see that there was another babysitter there. The mom, who was a dentist, told me she thought I would make a great dental assistant since hers quit that day. She invited me into her office, taught me how to assist, and I immediately fell in love with dentistry.
When I graduated from high school, I applied to dental hygiene school, and it didn't take long for me to realize I had found the perfect fit. One of my favorite full-circle parts of my dental hygiene story is that I still practice in the same building where my dental journey began when I was 15.
What's one thing you love most about being a hygienist?
There are so many things I love about this profession, but one of the biggest is the impact we can have on our patients. I strive to save the world one tooth at a time!
As dental hygienists, we often have the privilege of caring for people over many years and through different stages of their lives, I enjoy taking care of generations of families in my office. We build relationships, earn their trust, educate them, celebrate their successes, and sometimes help identify changes that can have a significant impact on not only their oral health, but their overall health.
What advice would you give to a new or aspiring dental hygienist?
Never stop growing, and never assume that being a dental hygienist has to look like just one thing. Stay curious, find great mentors, build relationships, attend courses, ask questions, and say yes to opportunities that may stretch you a little. You never know which opportunity will lead you down an entirely new path.
Most importantly, never underestimate the impact you can have on your patients. The clinical skills are important, but so are listening, educating, encouraging, and making someone feel cared for.
Lisa-Dowst Mayo, RDH, BSDH, MHA
Combining 26 years of clinical experience with 16 years in dental hygiene education, Lisa-Dowst is a published author, international continuing education speaker, and national clinical educator specializing in early-stage caries treatment.
What inspired you to become a dental hygienist?
I became fascinated with the allied health care field my third year in college. After thoroughly reviewing many career choices, I decided dental hygiene best fit my personality. I have always been a caretaker at heart with an innate ability to empathize with others and put the needs of others above my own. Just ask any of my 4 siblings or my 2 kiddos!
And it also doesn't hurt, as my mother would say, that I have "the gift of gab...Lisa has never met a stranger in her life, just friends she hasn't spoken to yet!"
What's one thing you love most about being a hygienist?
That's easy, I love being a part of the only health care profession founded on the principles of prevention. What a special claim-to-fame we all have, especially because we practice in a country whose free-market enterprise health care system is founded on treating disease rather than preventing it from occurring in the first place.
We are bucking the system and advocating for our patients' health. We are the leaders and trailblazers of the health care preventive field.
What advice would you give to a new or aspiring dental hygienist?
As a dental hygiene educator for the last 16 years, I always tell my students to enter this field with the goal of 'paying it forward'. Take what you have learned and always give 100% of yourself to your patients each day. Treat every patient as a member of your family.
And pay it forward to your profession. Give back to your profession through ADHA membership, advance the field, be a life-long learner, and support the next generation that enters the field behind you. We learn better together and we grow as individuals when we help others.
Celebrating the People Behind the Profession
Every journey is different, but the heart of dental hygiene remains the same: caring for others, making connections, and continuing to grow together. To all the dental hygienists who make a difference every day, thank you for the care you give, the knowledge you share, and the impact you make. Happy National Dental Hygiene Month!