New name designed to capture profession’s momentum toward autonomy and expanded practice.
The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) recently announced the rebrand of its podcast to “Hygiene Rising™,” reflecting the dental hygiene profession’s evolution as prevention specialists and essential healthcare providers.
The name “Hygiene Rising” captures dental hygienists stepping into expanded roles while advocating for professional autonomy. The show’s tagline, “Real Talk on Oral Health,” reflects its commitment to authentic conversations across the full spectrum of topics that matter to dental hygienists—from clinical innovations and career stories to legislative challenges and personal journeys—addressing topics impacting practitioners, educators, students, researchers and industry professionals throughout the dental hygiene community, the association stated.
ADHA CEO Jennifer Hill made the announcement during recordings in the podcast booth at ADHA25, the association’s annual conference that took place in Long Beach, California last fall. The first official “Hygiene Rising” episode launched during National Dental Hygiene Month in October 2025.
“Our podcast is a trusted platform for real conversations about important issues that matter to dental hygiene professionals, and ‘Hygiene Rising’ reflects that commitment,” Hill stated in a press release.
Recognizing that the podcast had long evolved beyond its original scope, ADHA President Lancette VanGuilder, BS, RDH, PHEDH, CEAS, FADHA, initiated the rebrand to reflect the professional advancement and advocacy efforts already happening across the dental hygiene profession.
“This rebrand reflects what we are seeing across our profession—dental hygienists rising to meet new challenges and create new opportunities, advocating for autonomy, and stepping into our roles as prevention specialists,” added VanGuilder. “Our podcast is already capturing this momentum, so it was time for the name to reflect the movement that’s already happening in dental hygiene.”
Originally launched during the pandemic while Matt Crespin, MPH, RDH, FADHA was ADHA president, the show continues under Crespin’s hosting and has expanded to encompass clinical innovations, legislative advocacy, workforce challenges, entrepreneurial opportunities and medical-dental integration. The podcast has grown far beyond its initial mission of providing organizational guidance.
“Hygiene Rising” serves as a free resource exploring oral health through the lens of preventive care professionals while discussing medical-dental integration, whole-body health connections and emerging career pathways. The rebrand aligns with ADHA’s broader organizational initiatives, including expanded federal advocacy and strategic partnerships.
The show will continue to build upon its more than 160 episodes available on all major podcast platforms, documenting the profession’s journey from pandemic-era challenges to current opportunities in healthcare integration and professional autonomy. Future episodes will feature guest co-hosts and select video content as the podcast continues to evolve, the ADHA stated.
ADHA’s podcast is available on all major podcast platforms. For links and more information, visit adha.org/pod.
