Inside the Hygiene Insight Room

The Hygiene Insight Room is a monthly Women in DSO mastermind that I co-lead with Tammy Filipiak for hygiene leaders across DSOs.

It actually started at Women in DSO, when Tammi and I spoke up (loudly and lovingly) for hygiene to have a dedicated space for real leadership conversation. That moment turned into a room. And that room turned into a rhythm.

Each month, we gather to talk about what’s changing in hygiene, what leaders are carrying right now, and what it looks like to build teams that are clinically excellent and operationally sustainable.

This isn’t a “sit and get.” It’s a mastermind-style space where we can compare notes, share what’s working, and say the quiet parts out loud—without judgment.

Hygiene is expanding beyond preventive care

One thing that keeps coming up (and I love this) is how the hygienist role continues to grow, especially with the increasing focus on whole-body health, stronger patient education, and practicing at the top of scope.

The workforce pressure is real

Across organizations, we’re navigating many of the same challenges:

• Staffing shortages
• Burnout and retention
• Compensation expectations
• Protecting (and rebuilding) strong office culture

The common thread I heard in the room: leaders are working hard to support their teams while still keeping the operation healthy and sustainable.

Business literacy is a leadership opportunity

A big conversation was around helping hygienists better understand the business side of dentistry, things like reimbursement, production, and operational sustainability.

Not to “turn clinicians into accountants,” but to build shared understanding and reduce the us-vs-them tension that can creep in when people don’t see the full picture.

Leading across generations requires flexibility

A recurring theme was the need to adapt leadership and communication styles to support a multi-generational workforce.

What motivates one hygienist might completely miss the mark for another—and as leaders, we’re being asked to coach, communicate, and connect in more customized ways.

Mentorship, advocacy, and belonging are retention tools

Participants emphasized the importance of:

• Mentorship
• Advocacy
• Creating environments where hygienists feel valued, supported, and connected to a larger purpose

Because when people feel like they matter, they stay—and they grow.

We want to keep going (and keep going deeper)

There was strong interest in continuing conversations around:

• Leadership development
• Education and training
• Reimbursement trends
• Improving collaboration between doctors and hygiene teams

Topics to Cover in Future Insight Rooms

• Managing and leading across generations in the hygiene workforce
• Coaching conversations and delivering feedback effectively
• Hygiene compensation, profitability, and reimbursement trends
• Building stronger doctor-hygienist partnerships and office culture
• Technology, AI, and reducing clinical/administrative burden
• Developing leadership pathways for hygienists
• Recruiting and retaining hygienists in today’s market
• Practicing top-scope hygiene and elevating patient outcomes
• Advocacy, education, and influencing the future of the profession

To everyone who joined us this month: thank you for showing up with honesty, openness, and a willingness to share what you’re seeing in your organizations.

I’m excited to keep building this community with you, because the future of hygiene deserves leaders who are connected, supported, and equipped.