At RDH Under One Roof, Katrina Sanders, RDH, delivered a powerful closing mega session that did far more than end the conference—it opened a door. With energy, courage, and unmistakable passion for our profession, she challenged dental hygienists to imagine a future in which we are no longer defined solely by “cleaning teeth,” but recognized for the full depth of our education, clinical judgment, preventive expertise, and ability to change lives. Katrina gave voice to a conversation our profession urgently needs, and she did it in a way that was bold, inspiring, and deeply affirming. Her message stayed with me long after the session ended and became the spark for this article. Thank you, Katrina, for using your platform to challenge us, champion us, and remind us that dental hygiene is capable of so much more.
This article is my attempt to continue that conversation—to move from inspiration into possibility and explore what practicing to the full potential of dental hygiene could actually look like.
Purple has long represented the dental hygiene profession. It symbolizes our identity, our history, our education, and the professional community we share. Perhaps it is time for purple to represent something even greater: a profession ready to rise. It is time for dental hygienists to step fully into our education, our licensure, our clinical judgment, and our potential—and to show the world just how much more dental hygiene can be.
It is time to let purple reign.
Dental hygiene is at a crossroads
The traditional dental hygiene appointment often follows a familiar sequence. We review the medical history, take radiographs, complete periodontal measurements, remove deposits, polish the teeth, apply preventive products, and provide home-care instructions. These services matter. Thorough periodontal instrumentation, biofilm removal, risk assessment, and patient education remain essential, but they should not represent the outer limits of our profession. Dental hygiene was never meant to be reduced to “cleaning teeth.” As technology advances and traditional procedures become increasingly delegated, automated, or redefined, we must decide what comes next. Do we protect our identity by holding more tightly to the tasks we have always performed, or do we demonstrate that our greatest value has never been found solely in our instruments?
Our greatest value is found in what we notice. It is in the questions we ask, the patterns we recognize, the risks we identify, and the diseases we help prevent. Why is this patient bleeding despite excellent home care? Why did caries activity suddenly increase? Why has the mouth become dry? Why is periodontal breakdown continuing after technically adequate treatment? Why is the patient exhausted, clenching, mouth breathing, or waking throughout the night? Why is a lesion not healing?
These questions are not distractions from dental hygiene. They are at the heart of it. When we stop asking why, we become technicians completing procedures. When we investigate the why, we become prevention specialists, periodontal therapists, clinical investigators, educators, coaches, and essential members of the health-care team.
Continue reading my blog, “Let purple reign: Unleashing the full potential of dental hygiene.”
More topics from my blog:
