A glimpse into clinical trends and emerging dental hygiene topics for 2025 and beyond

In July, I had the privilege of taking the stage at RDH Under One Roof to present the “Clinical Trends & Hot Hygiene Topics” course during Saturday’s Mega Session. This was a significant moment for me, as addressing such a large group of our colleagues is an honor I deeply appreciate. Preparing for the event, I felt the immense responsibility of having a single opportunity to spark positive change within our community, inspire professional development, and guide the future of dental hygiene.

After careful consideration and dialogue, I curated content that would define the contemporary dental hygienist—where we stand as a profession and an industry, our major concerns, and our future direction. Industry icons Noel Paschke, MS, BSDH, RDH; Rafael Rondon, BS, RDH, VP; and Lani McBeth, BSDH, RDH, IABDM, joined me for insightful discussions, sharing their journeys and expertise, along with practical advice.

I also endeavored to create a written summary, a road map of sorts, to serve as an additional resource. Whether you attended the presentation or not, these takeaways are designed to help you understand the significant transformations in dentistry and guide your future path. Times of change, I’ve observed, offer the best opportunities for both personal and professional growth.

Defining the dental hygienist of 2025

Who is the dental hygienist of 2025? Despite current industry challenges, the dental hygiene profession is resilient and here to stay. Here’s why: dental hygiene is not just a profession; it’s an expanding industry. Consider these statistics:

• The US oral care market was valued at USD 11.99 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 15.71 billion by 2030.¹
• The global oral care market was valued at USD 50.55 billion in 2024 with an expected growth to USD 77.13 billion by 2030.¹

Take note, “oral care market” does not include restorations, implants, and other clinical procedures; instead, it includes toothbrushes, floss, interdental cleaners, oral rinses, whitening, mouth guards, and other over-the-counter protective devices. The dental hygienist is about prevention, the oral care market is about prevention, and according to statistics, prevention is growing like never before!

Top hygiene topics for 2025

Throughout the past year, I’ve engaged in numerous discussions and surveys with hygienists nationwide to understand their pressing concerns. While not exhaustive, these topics frequently emerged, sometimes with great enthusiasm:

• Testing and maintaining the oral microbiome
• The rise of xerostomia and systemic implications
• Airway function, diagnosis, and therapy
• Practitioner ergonomics and wellness
• Career growth, pathways, and opportunities

Hygiene trends for the next decade

Each month, I have the chance to collaborate with product manufacturers, technology companies, advocacy groups, and industry leaders. Through this, I work hard to understand where dentistry is going in the future with the idea that if we can understand our goal, then we can have an easier time getting there. Here are four trends I predict will become even more important in the next 10 years:

Efficiency in clinical care: This includes working smarter not harder, utilizing technology so we can spend more time connecting with the patient, and understanding technology is rapidly changing everything we do. Artificial intelligence, computer vision, generative AI, and other innovative tools will now help us take our clinical care to places we never imagined!

Personalizing patient care: The gist? We no longer have to guess about our patients’ disease and progression to health. Tools like salivary tests and other oral tests that analyze biomarkers, cells, DNA, and risk are now in abundance both in the dental practice and direct to the patient. Patients and providers can now monitor health and disease in real time with wearable devices. There are several oral health devices currently being developed that will revolutionize remote patient monitoring.

Increase in communication: In our personal lives, we constantly communicate with texts, apps, pings, and dings. It won’t take long until dental practices begin to communicate with patients this way as well. The downside? Communication overload. The upside? More patient touchpoints like virtual care/teledentistry and oral health education via text will allow better follow-up and even automatic education via text.

Continued career growth: It has never been a better time to be a dental hygienist. We have more career opportunities than ever. Hygienists can now become executives, directors, coaches, consultants, founders, patent-holders, advocates, and more. To achieve these positions, it’s important to balance a professional social media presence with a professional in-person presence both locally and nationally. In our industry, sometimes it’s not necessary what you know, but who you know. Networking is valuable!

Insights from industry experts

Now you have a clear picture of who dental hygienists are, and we are here to stay! You understand we are not just a profession, but an industry set to grow in the coming years. You know our hottest concerns right now, and where we are going in the future. So now let’s hear from three iconic hygienists who have already helped shape the future—the future we are living today. Here are their answers to the question: What is the most important thing you’d like hygienists to know about your passion?

“Your ultrasonic inserts/tips (UITs) for magneto and piezo should work as hard as you do. Using worn UITs is an ergonomic issue that negatively impacts clinicians, causing increased grasp/pinch force and pressure. Wear affects the amplitude or sweep of the UIT. The standard has been 1 mm of wear decreases cleaning efficiency to 25%, and 2 mm of wear decreases cleaning efficiency to 50%. Imagine informing a patient the tools you’re using are only 50% efficient! To achieve scaling success, the clinician must then use more hand instrumentation on what is now likely to be burnished calculus. In 2023, a new magneto insert was introduced by Parkell that maintains 100% cleaning efficiency up to 3 mm of wear. Measuring your UITs is critical to maintaining your hand health, and there is quite a bit of excitement about combination piezo/powder streaming units with EMS, Woodpecker, the recent HuFriedy unit, and the soon-to-be Acteon unit (once it is FDA-approved). The concept of powder streaming is an ergonomic boon with lightweight handpieces, no vibrations, and contactless biofilm and stain removal. Power instrument ergonomics helps extend our careers as health-care providers.” —Noel Paschke, MS, BSDH, RDH

“The most important thing I want hygienists to know is this: our power lies in the fundamentals. When we return to the basic comprehensive assessments, clear patient education, and evidence-based care, we build trust, drive outcomes, and elevate our profession. Too often, we get pulled into time constraints or insurance benefits. But at the core, it’s the consistency in doing the small things like correct probing, charting, diagnosing, documenting, and communicating that makes the biggest impact on patient health and professional credibility. When we lead with purpose, uphold our standard of care, and advocate for our patients’ total health (not just their oral health), we don’t just clean teeth. We save lives. And in doing so, we elevate not only the value of what we do, but how the world sees dental hygiene as a vital part of health care.” —Rafael Rondon, BS, RDH, VP

“When we fully embrace and leverage our strengths as health-care providers, we open doors to opportunities we never could have imagined. Over the past 39 years as a clinical dental hygienist, this belief has guided every step of my career. Simon Sinek’s concept of understanding your “why” resonates deeply with me. Knowing what drives you forward is the foundation for professional growth and meaningful impact. My pivotal moment occurred during a continuing education course led by Dr. Thomas Nabors Sr. on the topic of salivary testing, which served as my gateway to understanding the powerful connection between the oral and systemic systems. From that day on, I shifted my mindset from being “just” a dental hygienist to becoming an oral-systemic hygienist. The conversations I had with patients transformed. Instead of waiting for disease to manifest, I began asking deeper questions. Our generation is witnessing, perhaps for the first time, the devastating impact of chronic disease on our parents and loved ones. As dental hygienists, we have both the responsibility and the privilege to alter this trajectory for future generations. Today there are multiple types of oral salivary tests available, each offering valuable insights and empowering you as a provider. What I’ve learned on this journey is that practice philosophy matters. Alignment—between team members, technology, and patient-centered values—is what accelerates the care we deliver and creates lasting impact on the health of future generations.” —Lani McBeth, BSDH, RDH, IABDM

The bright future of dental hygiene

The dental hygiene profession and industry have both undergone significant transformations in recent years, but they are on the cusp of a promising future. Whether you are just beginning your career or are an experienced professional, know that the future of dental hygiene is bright. It truly has never been a better time to be a dental hygienist! 

Editor's note: This article appeared in the November/December 2025 print edition of RDH magazine. Dental hygienists in North America are eligible for a complimentary print subscription. Sign up here.

Reference

1. Oral care global market report. The Business Research Company. https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/oral-care-global-market-report