Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode of Straight Up With Steph, I am joined by Samantha Coxe, the creator and founder of Flaus, the first-ever electric flosser. As a lawyer and not a dental clinician, Sam brings a unique advantage point to her invention with a patient-first perspective. Flaus has received recognition on sho…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode of Straight Up With Steph, I am joined by dental hygienist and educator Kristin Evans to learn more about what is known as the silent killer: osteoporosis. That’s right! Osteoporosis is not just a condition reserved for “little old ladies.” Rather, it’s a serious disease (that affects bo…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! Have you ever wondered what the tongue tells us about our overall health? In this episode of Straight Up With Steph, I am joined by Lani McBeth, an expert in tongue mapping and holistic dental hygiene, to unpack a unique corner of the dental world: how we can use tongue mapping to open the door for comp…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode of Straight Up With Steph, Dr. Mark Burhenne, famously known as “Ask the Dentist,” and I are diving deeper into the hot topic debate of fluoride vs. nano-hydroxyapatite. With the rising controversy over the use of fluoride, Dr. Burhenne shares his insights on the systemic issues with flu…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In honor of Oral Cancer Awareness Month, I wanted to bring you a special bonus episode of Straight Up With Steph, where Susan Cotten, a returning podcast guest, seasoned dental hygienist, and oral cancer specialist, presents a masterclass in oral cancer education. This year, it’s estimated that about 59…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode of Straight Up With Steph, Dr. Marc Liechtung and I are unpacking the critical role that hygienists play in dental practices and the dynamics within the hygiene department. The sad truth is that hygienists are often underestimated and undervalued, focusing more on their daily production …

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode of Straight Up With Steph, Kathryn Gilliam and I are tackling one of the most pressing challenges faced by dental hygienists today: time management. While the expectations of dental hygienists keep growing, the time we have to meet these expectations is not, leaving many of us overwhelme…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode of Straight Up With Steph, certified biological hygienist Kristen King joins the podcast as we explore a fascinating yet underutilized tool: dental microscopes. She shares her expert insights on how to incorporate a microscope into your practice, what training looks like to introduce thi…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode of Straight Up With Steph, I am joined by Dr. Jennifer Eisenhuth (aka Dr. Jen, Founder of Dr. Jen Natural) to unpack a hot topic in dentistry: nano-hydroxyapatite vs. fluoride. With controversy over fluoride arising, Dr. Jen introduces an alternative to remineralization and enamel protec…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode of Straight Up With Steph, Sade Morel, another dental hygienist who made the leap from traditional practice models, outlines her path to building an independent dental hygiene practice in California. Driven by the desire for autonomy and frustration with outdated business models limiting…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode of Straight Up With Steph, dental hygienist and entrepreneur Jazmine Chavez shares her insights into breaking off from the norm and opening up an independent practice. With changes to legislation and the future of our profession shifting as we speak, I wanted to bring on a guest who can …

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode of Straight Up With Steph, I am joined by returning guest Alyssa Aberle to take a closer look at the Dental Access Model Act, specifically looking at the Certification of Oral Preventive Assistants (OPA) section as introduced by the American Dental Association (ADA). We unpack what this …

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode of Straight Up With Steph, Melissa Groves Azzaro and I are unpacking the intricate relationship between nutrition, exercise, and hormonal balance! She dives into conditions such as PCOS and perimenopause, as well as shedding light on some of the root causes of fatigue, acne, weight gain/…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode of Straight Up With Steph, I am joined by Dr. Laura Brenner, a dental career coach, to unpack something I get asked about often: how to make the shift to a career outside of the operatory. While I did this myself, I had a natural calling to ergonomics so the transition felt seamless. But…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode of Straight Up With Steph, I’m joined by Teresa Power to explore how better sleep can transform overall health and well-being. Drawing on her experience with oral appliances and sleep education, Teresa shares actionable tips on improving sleep hygiene, recognizing sleep disorder signs, a…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode of Straight Up With Steph, brain health expert and dental hygienist Anne Rice returns to dive deeper into brain health. This time, we tackle stress, depression, and loneliness—key factors often overlooked in cognitive health. Anne shares how elevated cortisol from stress impacts the brai…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode of Straight Up With Steph, Hannah Hutson and I are unpacking the number one reason people avoid taking the first step to bettering their health– there is just too much overwhelming and conflicting information out there! Hannah is a no-B.S. fat loss coach who, after healing her own relati…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode of Straight Up With Steph, I sit down with Tina, a dental hygienist, educator, and entrepreneur who has built an impressive career both in and out of the operatory. We dive into her journey into teaching, the transition from classroom to online platforms, and how her clinical skills have…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode, I chat with Sarah Thiel, the co-founder of CE Zoom, about her incredible journey building a successful CE tracking platform from scratch. Sarah shares how she started with zero business experience, tackled technical and entrepreneurial challenges, and navigated the unexpected opportunit…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode of Straight Up With Steph, we dive into the inspiring journey of Janet, a trailblazing dental hygienist who combined her passion for holistic health and mobile care to create a thriving practice. Janet shares her background in dentistry, how she built her company from the ground up, and …

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode of Straight Up With Steph, we dive into the often-overlooked topic of menopause and its impact on women's health, especially for those balancing demanding careers like dentistry. I share my personal experience navigating menopause and offer insights into recognizing perimenopause symptom…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode of Straight Up With Steph, we dive into the journey of a hygienist turned entrepreneur who’s making waves with her mobile dental business. Shelley shares her favorite parts of being a dental hygienist, the ins and outs of launching a mobile practice, and how she navigates patient care ch…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! Join us for a deep dive into the career journey of Lynn, a trailblazing hygienist who’s leveraged her clinical skills in unique and impactful ways. From her insights on networking effectively to navigating common issues with vision and loupes, Lynn shares valuable advice for clinicians at every stage. W…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode, Jess shares her journey from dental assisting to becoming an educator and content creator. We discuss the importance of assistants and hygienists working harmoniously, her thoughts on assistants scaling, and solutions to the current hygiene shortage. Jess also dives into her path toward…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In our latest episode, Steph and Alyssa Aberle tackle a significant shift in the dental field: the ADA's recent resolution that allows internationally-trained dentists to work as hygienists in the U.S. without a board exam. The conversation starts by questioning the impact of this decision on dental car…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode of Straight Up With Steph, I catch up with Whitney, known to many as Teeth Talk Girl! We explore her journey through dentistry, her passion for battling healthcare misinformation, and how her entertaining videos blossomed into a thriving business. Whitney also shares why she’s working to…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode, Machele takes us on her journey into life coaching, sharing how she transitioned into this empowering field. We dive into the challenges of imposter syndrome and explore whether the thoughts we tell ourselves are actually true. Machele also gives practical advice for those navigating ne…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! Ever wondered how dental clinicians can expand their careers into aesthetics? On this episode, Katie takes me behind the scenes of her journey into neuromodulators, covering both the cosmetic and therapeutic applications. We discuss what makes dental professionals a great fit for this field, the steps t…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode of Straight Up With Steph, I sit down with Rafael, a dental hygienist who has navigated non-traditional roles in dental hygiene, from working in DSOs to coaching other hygienists. Rafael shares his journey, how his role as a hygiene coach makes an impact, and the challenges and opportuni…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode, I sit down with Susan to discuss her personal injury journey and the crucial role disability insurance plays in protecting one's financial future. We dive into key topics such as understanding disability insurance, the importance of policy portability, taxable vs non-taxable policies, a…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode, I sit down with Anne, a brain health expert and dental hygienist, to explore the essential topics surrounding cognitive well-being. We break down the differences between Alzheimer’s, dementia, and general cognitive decline, dive into the risk factors contributing to these conditions, an…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this special episode of Straight Up with Steph, I sit down with my former boss and friend, Dr. Brett Kessler, the American Dental Association's President-Elect. We dive into his goals for his presidency, with a focus on wellness for both patients and dental professionals. Dr. Kessler opens up about h…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! In this episode of Straight Up With Steph, I sit down with a fellow dental hygienist and entrepreneur Rachel Wall, who has built her own company dedicated to elevating hygiene teams and systems in dental practices. We dive into the importance of understanding the business side of dentistry, resolving th…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! Today, in part two of a two-episode series with my friend and corrective exercise specialist Brianne, we debunked myths about group fitness, posture bras, and bulking up. We also discussed exercises both to avoid and ones to focus on for hygienists. Brianne has been a Personal Trainer for 12 years and h…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! Today, in part one of a two-episode series with my friend and corrective exercise specialist Brianne, we chatted about the musculoskeletal issues hygienists face and how she helps them. Brianne has been a Personal Trainer for 12 years and has various certifications, including Corrective Exercise Special…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! Today, my friend Britt and I chat about how we met, the ups and downs of dental conferences, being a content creator, and more. Britt is the creator of BrushwithBritt, a practicing hygienist, content creator, podcast host, speaker, writer, and more! We discuss some things about attending shows and being…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! Today, I give you tips on patient positioning to reduce your pain and increase good ergonomics and efficiency. I demo occlusal plane placement and the difference between regular and ergonomic loupes. Timestamps: 00:00 - Why patient positioning is crucial for YOU 6:58 - On-demand course info 8:15 - Your …

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! Hi! I have had many questions from followers about doing something outside of the operatory. I'm sharing what I know in today's episode, I hope you enjoy it! To watch on YouTube, click here Timestamps: 00:00 - Curious about alternative careers? 2:00 - My experience 5:49 - Crucial questions to ask yourse…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! Today, we're dispelling myths about alcohol and discussing how it affects our physical and mental health. I hope you enjoy! To watch on YouTube, click here Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 4:02 - Why I gave up alcohol 14:47 - Myth #1: Alcohol is only bad for "alcoholics" 17:42 - What alcohol actually does in the…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! As a dental hygienist of 16 years, I'm excited to share what I wish I would have known as a new grad! Congrats on graduating school and I hope these tips are helpful. To watch on YouTube, click here Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 2:31 - From School to the Office 6:33 - Office Red Flags 10:05 - Office Green Fla…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! Today's episode we are discussing my favorite ergonomic products for dental clinicians! To watch on YouTube, click here 00:00 - Intro 2:26 - Hearing Protection 4:32 - Ergonomic Loupes 9:14 - Ergonomic Seating 14:29 - Suction Devices 16:42 - Ergonomic Instruments 20:49 - Cordless Handpieces 22:23 - Elect…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! Today's episode is covering the Top 5 ergonomic mistakes I've seen doing assessments over the past few years. 00:00 Intro 01:56 Not Establishing Neutral Posture 06:19 Twisting and Reaching 12:38 Not Taking Microbreaks 16:23 Improper Patient Positioning 21:14 Excessive Grip 23:46 Recap To watch on YouTub…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! Hi, I'm Stephanie, a practicing dental hygienist and ergonomics specialist. I help dental and office workers with their ergonomics and posture through my company, Polished Posture. In this episode, we discuss hand/wrist pain and how this ONE habit could be the cause of it all. Plus I give tips on ergono…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! Hi, I'm Stephanie, a practicing dental hygienist and ergonomics specialist. I help dental and office workers with their ergonomics and posture through my company, Polished Posture. In this episode, we discuss traditional vs saddle stools! 00:00 - Intro 1:57 - How to Adjust Your Stool 5:30 - My Beef with…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! Hi, I'm Stephanie, a practicing dental hygienist and ergonomics specialist. I help dental and office workers with their ergonomics and posture through my company, Polished Posture. In this episode, we discuss all things ergonomic loupes! I'll demonstrate the difference between ergo and traditional loupe…

Send me a message, I’d love to hear from you! Hi, I'm Stephanie, a practicing dental hygienist and ergonomics specialist. I help dental and office workers with their ergonomics and posture through my company, Polished Posture. In my very first podcast episode, we talk about how important posture is, not only to our spine and muscles, but other area…