Healthy Mouth Healthy Life Podcast

Last year I had the pleasure of attending the Voices of Dentistry Podcasting Summit, and was delighted to sit down and spend some time with the one and only Gary Takacs. Gary is a seasoned podcaster, consultant, educator, and all around great guy! To date, he has consulted over 2,200 dental offices, and has interviewed over 250 guests on his podcast; I guess you can say he’s a someone who knows what successful dental professionals looks like! I wanted to pick Gary’s brain about what questions a person should ask themselves when they are faced with choosing a dentist and dental office.  Needless to say, Gary sees enough dentists to know what it takes in making a good choice when looking for a dental home that fits your needs. He recommends that you ask yourself the following questions after you visit the office for your initial exam: Did the doctor ask what my interests and concerns were, and did the office listen to my wants and needs? Ask yourself, “are they interested in my goals for my oral health, or are

I had the pleasure of an in person interview with Ed Harrold at the Inaugural FACE Conference in Washington DC this year. FACE is an organization that helps bring health care providers together and teach the screening of airway disorders, and Ed was there to motivate the group and teach us how to better take care of ourselves so that we can continue to help others. This is a great interview packed with tips on how to help stall aging, deal with stress, help our children’s health, get the most out of a workout and for our healthcare workers, tips on wearing a mask and having a clean nasal passage. He explains how you can control your breath to conserve energy both physically and mentally. Physically, when we control our breath, we can control our heart rate which then helps control blood pressure. Emotionally, when blood pressure is controlled, the brain can turn down the fear centers and turn up the learning centers When the brain senses relaxation it helps to burn fat and save glucose. He helps us learn how

Julia Worrell is a Nurse whose personal experience has changed the way she looks at someone’s health and how it relates to what the body needs to do in order to stay healthy, pain-free and working properly. Her journey through developing an underbite as a child that led jaw surgery which led to a cascade of health problems including snoring, weight gain and the inability to concentrate, put her on a personal quest to find answers for what she was struggling with. Being an ER nurse she sees many patients in crisis, and it's seeing these patients which have caused her to deeply understand the medical issues that someone deals with when the breath is brought into the body through the mouth vs the nose. No longer is this a cosmetic issue (mouth breathers faces grow long and narrow vs round and symmetrical), this is a life-saving quest for Julia as she now spends much of her day bringing professionals together to learn the importance of proper breathing? Did you know that nose breathing supplies oxygen to specific

Dani is like most moms I speak with. Someone who cares deeply for her children’s well-being, and feeling like a failure because her child has cavities that she cannot seem to control. To make matters worse, she’s not getting any additional help from her dental office when she visits for her kids twice a year cleaning and exam! “Just brush and floss and get fluoride treatments” were what she was instructed to do…but the problem is, she was ALREADY doing that.  MULTIPLE times a day! Dani shares her story of what it was like to take her son to the dentist for many years only to be told that he had multiple cavities that needed sedation each time. Her dentist wasn’t a scam artist doing a lot of unnecessary treatment, her son legitimately had multiple cavities at each visit regardless of how much she brushed, flossed and used fluoride. Listen in as Dani shares how we met (it wasn’t in a dental office!), and what she went through to help stop her son from getting any more cavities and needing any new dental work…no

Elijah and I meet up at for this interview at CDA (California Dental Association) annual conference. He catches us up on current affairs, and what behind the scenes looks like for him. He’s focusing on multiple businesses, but plans to focus primarily on Smiles at Sea soon. Cancun July 7-9 Fri-Sun (fri pm classes, sat am classes) this will focus on “rising stars”. (Discount code in links below) Elijah has gathered a new-found focus, we talk about the intention for that and how he is really looking at how he can mentor more people and raise them up and help get them to their next level. Although Elijah doesn’t have a coach or a mentor - he has many mentors, but no one that he calls his “personal coach”. As a high schooler, he was a motivational speaker to kids – now he has found that he gets the same feeling working with his peers and keeps him going! We talk about the bugs eye view vs. the bird’s eye view and how dental hygiene is a layered profession, that can bury you if you are at the bottom layer (think o

Xylitol is one of the things I talk about with anyone who will listen!  It has so many uses and misconceptions. People question the name and often confuse it with artificial sweeteners so they disregard it. But it isn’t a chemical artificial sweetener at all, it is a sugar that is found in birch trees and corn cobs...it also happens to be something that our body creates naturally, and supplementing with it in the mouth helps stop cavities SIGNIFICANTLY! The magic of xylitol is best realized when you understand WHY it works, and to best explain that I brought in Shirley Gutkowski. Shirley has been at the forefront of mouth transformations with xylitol, and she gets to the point instead of wasting your time with fluff! Whether you are a consumer looking for better outcomes at home or a dental provider, this episode is packed full of gems, and shouldn’t be missed! Have a listen and enjoy, and thanks Shirley! Links to products discussed: Ivoclar Chlorhexidine Varnish Find Shirley at: Primal Air: primal air Ema

Today’s episode has Angie Stone with us again, but this time it’s on location at CAREERfusion 2017 in Daytona Beach, FL! I wanted to capture the moment of CAREERfusion, because as an out of the box thinking hygienist, I’ve been told for many years by many peers that “I just needed to be there”. It took me years to, and thanks to the DebbieZ Pay It Forward Fund, I was chosen this year as a scholarship recipient! Angie and I spend time talking about what has helped her outside of the box career, where HyLife Oral Health Alliance is going, and what prompted her to write “Dying From Dirty Teeth” (Amazon Best Seller). She believes CAREERfusion is unique because nowhere else will you find the people who have the ability to help move you in the direction you that you are built for. It also can propel your career in ways you’d never imagine. It’s like a specialized tribe for dental hygienists! We get into the importance of pivoting when needed and investing in yourself We give shout outs to: Career Fusion – Angie’s

Today I brought in my friend Dr. Bilal Saib, DDS (Pronounced Bill-Al) aka Dr. B to talk about what a “night guard” does, why a good fitting guard is so important, what to expect in the impression and placement process and what to look for in a dentist who is recommending one, when you decide it’s time to invest it’s important to know what can happen in the mouth if someone decides to wear a “night guard” (both good and bad). Thankfully Dr. B walks us though the differences. Protecting your teeth from the strong forces of grinding may be important if you are trying to avoid teeth that break, crack, become sensitive, prematurely yellow or gums that recede. Also, much of the pain and destruction in the muscles of the head, neck and jaw joints can change when wearing a properly fitted guard, but can be worse if the guard isn’t properly fitted to your mouth, and adjusted as the muscles relax and begin to change. Dr. B and I spend a lot of time talking about this! As a travelling hygienist, I’ve had the opportunity

Jasmin Haley RDH on Investing in Yourself, Avoiding “Imposterism” and CAREERfusion. Jasmin and I got the chance to sit down at CAREERfusion the first week of January. We were both first-time attendees, and at the end of the third day, we took a few moments to reflect on the experience we were in the middle of. She opens up about how she has been able to be vulnerable here, and the validation she felt from this meeting. Jasmin is a hygienist carving her own path as a speaker, blogger, and podcaster. She is adjunct faculty in a hygiene program, and like many, she is temping part time. She schools me on Brick vs. The Brick, which I completely failed! She shares her takeaways from CAREERfusion Imposter syndrome has to go. Being in intentional with decision making and self-compassionate while working through her career path without holding back. We reflect on 2016 RDH Under One Roof’s Keynote speaker Colette Carlson’s talk about “making an ask out of yourself” Jasmin gives her thoughts about the importance of he

Dr Jon Engel DDS is not only an amazing dentist, he’s also a five time CAREERFusion attendee!  Today he sits down and tells us why he comes to CAREERFusion, and what he takes back to his team and patients. Dr. Engel is unlike any dentist I’ve ever met; he cares deeply for his patients, but he’s also in tune with his emotions.  And, in a perfect world he’d put himself out of business by preventing cavities if it were up to him.  Naturally, I picked his brain about the prevention he lives and breathes, and he’s kind enough to give the listeners some great insight about pH control, and how xylitol attacks the mouth bacteria responsible for cavities. He opens up about how in the past he used to take it personally when his patients didn’t accept his treatment recommendations, but how he now holds space for people and comes from the place of serving the patient vs. treating them.

Trust is a major factor in any relationship.  Have you ever experienced working with a dentist or hygienist that focuses on helping you get healthy (even if that means telling you things you may not want to hear) all while building your trust, because you can see in their eyes that they want the absolute best for your health? Have you ever had dental work done so that when you are finished you want to climb to the top of a mountain and shout out everyone about it (or post it to all of your social media accounts)? Believe it or not, some people have had positive life changing experiences in a dental office. Dr. Jonathan Abenaim of Jonathan Dental Spa talks with us today about the importance of finding the right team to trust when it comes to your dental needs and oral health concerns. In an age where we are constantly feeling rushed, it’s refreshing to hear from a health care provider that prides himself and his team member’s stance on taking the time to build trust with the patients he sees.  He shares what d

On this podcast episode, I talk with Christin Lincoln, RDH about the different types of hygienists you may find in every day offices, and things you can use to tell if a dental office is one that you want to invest in.  We piggy back on last week’s episode where Cindy Johnson and I talk about interviewing a health care provider to determine if they are the right fit for you and your values as a patient or employee. We explore why oral health matters and how hygienists and oral health coaches help guide you to better overall health…not just oral health. Christine talks about her website that is also designed for the consumer population and bacteria that triggers disease in the body, and the podcast she cohosts with a friend and fellow “momgienist”. We discuss how someone’s bite can lead to gum disease (periodontal disease) and why it’s important to look at both gum disease and bite when it comes to having dental work performed or repaired.We talk Pankey dentistry, its benefits, and the oral systemic link. This

In this episode of Healthy Mouth Healthy Life Podcast, I interview dental hygienist and mentor Cyndee Johnson on the importance of interviewing dental offices when you are choosing them both as an office to visit and an office to work with. Cyndee is the owner of Scaler2Scheduler, a mentoring company that helps dental offices become aligned with how to take care of patients at the top level, and how to include the oral systemic connection along the way. This helps the patient not only have a more pleasant experience at the office, but it keeps them coming back and valuing what you have to say as a dental professional. Many people feel that dentistry is expensive or traumatic, but Cyndee is one of those people in the dental word striving to change the perception of dentistry and the lifesaving services that it can provide the public when including the oral systemic connection, and when treating the patient with the utmost respect and care. Cyndee takes us through questions to ask a dental office that can help

Let’s face it; as an oral health coach, I spend a lot of time in groups answering questions about cavities and children. The stories I hear and the pictures I see break my heart daily. It also keeps me going when I feel like giving up. Many dental professionals will tell you that flossing, fluoride and dental visits help banish cavities, while many natural healing people will state that diet and nutrition are the keys to healing and halting them.  And while both dental visits and nutrition can be beneficial to controlling cavities, I also feel that there are bodily habits and functions that often are overlooked by both sides of the oral health world which contribute greatly to cavities. Stacey Fletcher, RDH, BS, OMT joins me on today’s podcast and we talk about how mouth breathing, tongue ties, breastfeeding and bacteria all play a major role in the cavities in kid’s mouths, and why (don’t worry we won’t be telling you that we think breastmilk causes them). Not only is Stacey is a dental hygienist, she also i

[smart_track_player url="http://traffic.libsyn.com/carrie/Carrie-Ibbetson-Danielle-Lickteig-Episode-10.mp3" ] Today’s guest Danielle Lickteig, RDH of OwnMyTone.com shares her life changing experience on being coachable and now coaching. As a child, it’s normal to work with a coach.  Many kids play sports and at the head of the team is someone who (hopefully) has a skill set greater than the team who can identify ways to work together to either make the outcome better or win the game. As we get older, the thought of being coached sometimes becomes uncomfortable for people as it often requires stepping out of your comfort zone or trusting that someone (other than you) has a method that may make life easier or make you more successful. It’s true that being coached, being coachable and coaching are often not easy things to do. Learn more about Danielle at own my tone Follow Danielle on Facebook Follow Danielle on YouTube Join Danielle's BeachBody Group “If you’re not willing to learn, no one can help you.  If y

Since 1956, the Swedish company, Tepe, has been creating home care tools for your mouth, focusing on the most challenging areas. What started out as a toothpick has led to over 20 different brushes styled to meet your needs and clean where the typical toothbrush misses. When toothbrushes and tools miss area, cavities and gum disease happens. The expense and heartache of being in the dental chair hurts your wallet and your soul. But that pain can be stopped! Toothbrushes and mouth tools aren’t created equally.  They vary from head design, bristle type, bristle density to handle design, and Tepe has spent 50 years perfecting home care tools. They bring health to oral and make home care easy, effective and cost efficient. Join Michelle Strange, RDH, and I as we talk about what it takes to use tools to clean the different areas of the mouth, and why gum stimulation/massaging is what really helps create a healthy mouth. Michelle helps the consumer understand why gum stimulation helps protect your teeth and gums, a

Angie Stone has been a dental professional for 30 years. Her professional journey has been anything but ordinary. While working in dental offices she has held the positions of dental assistant, receptionist, and clinical dental hygienist. Outside the dental office she has had articles published in an array of publications, both dental and medical. Angie has presented to dental professionals in 35 states and four countries, including Greece, Mexico, Canada and Puerto Rico. She has been a dental hygiene and dental assistant educator at the technical college level, hygiene consultant, editor in chief for a dental hygiene publication, and a manager of training and education for two companies.