Today we Welcome Brittany Glauz @BrushWithBritt.

What happens when a dental hygiene student starts posting on social media during COVID and accidentally builds one of the most recognizable brands in the profession?

In this episode of The Unhinged Hygienists, Anastasia and Lauren sit down with the one and only Britt from Brush With Britt to discuss her journey from dental assistant to award-winning hygienist, educator, entrepreneur, podcast host, and one of the profession's most influential voices. Together, they explore what it means to advocate for patients, challenge outdated thinking, embrace innovation, and create a career that extends far beyond the operatory.

From surviving hygiene school during COVID to winning the World Hygienist Award, building a social media empire, navigating criticism, and championing prevention-focused care, Britt shares the lessons she's learned along the way and her vision for the future of dental hygiene.

This conversation is packed with laughs, inspiration, professional growth, and a healthy dose of unhinged honesty.

🦷 Britt's journey from dental assistant to internationally recognized hygienist

🏆 Winning the World Hygienist Award

📱 How Brush With Britt grew into one of the biggest hygiene brands online

🎙️ Building a community through social media and podcasting

💪 Developing confidence and thick skin as an advocate

🦠 Why prevention and oral-systemic health matter more than ever

✨ Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT), disclosing solution, and changing patient outcomes

🏥 Medical-dental integration and where hygienists belong in healthcare

👶 Fertility, pregnancy, cardiology, rheumatology, and the future opportunities for RDHs

🚀 Expanding the role of dental hygienists beyond the traditional operatory

"Create the content you wish existed. Find your people. Stay consistent. The opportunities will follow."

00:00 – Meet Brush With Britt

05:00 – Britt's path into dental hygiene

12:00 – Hygiene school during COVID

18:00 – The double-column debate

22:00 – Why GBT changed everything

30:00 – Building Brush With Britt

35:00 – Social media, trolls, and advocacy

40:00 – Hygienist-owned practices

46:00 – Medical-dental integration

49:00 – The future of dental hygiene

📱 Instagram: @brushwithbritt

🎙️ Podcast: https://brushwithbritt.buzzsprout.com/

Britt is an award-winning dental hygienist, educator, speaker, entrepreneur, content creator, and passionate advocate for prevention, oral-systemic health, and the advancement of the dental hygiene profession.

🌐 Website: www.theunhingedhygienists.com

💌 Join our email list for exclusive content, resources, updates, and upcoming guest announcements.

🌐 Lauren Kennedy: www.themyocoach.com

📸 Instagram: @theunhingedhygienists

Hosted by Anastasia Dallas, RDH and Lauren Kennedy, RDH, The Unhinged Hygienists explores the conversations healthcare providers need to have but often don't. Through candid discussions, expert guests, and plenty of humor, we're on a mission to elevate the profession, challenge outdated thinking, and highlight the powerful connection between oral health and overall health.

Unhinged? Maybe. Necessary? Absolutely. 🦷🔥🎙️

What if your bleeding gums, digestive issues, chronic fatigue, brain fog, autoimmune symptoms, and inflammation aren't separate problems at all?

In this episode of The Unhinged Hygienists, Anastasia and Lauren take a deep dive into the fascinating connection between oral health, gut health, inflammation, and immune function. We explore the emerging science behind the oral-gut axis, discuss why symptoms often show up in different parts of the body, and explain why the mouth may be one of the earliest places to reveal that something deeper is happening.

From oral dysbiosis and chronic inflammation to food sensitivities, autoimmune disease, airway health, sleep, stress, and nervous system regulation, this conversation challenges the outdated idea that the body should be viewed as a collection of separate systems.

Because here's the truth:

Your body doesn't recognize specialties. It recognizes connection.

🦷 The oral-gut axis and why it matters

🦠 How oral bacteria may influence inflammation throughout the body

🔥 Why chronic inflammation is one of the biggest drivers of modern disease

💤 The role sleep, stress, and nervous system regulation play in overall health

🌱 Small lifestyle changes that can create meaningful health improvements

🧠 Autoimmunity, immune dysregulation, and microbiome imbalances

👄 Why your mouth often provides clues before symptoms appear elsewhere

🦷 The importance of biofilm management and oral microbiome health

🍽️ Food sensitivities, processed foods, and creating sustainable habits

💡 Why asking better questions may lead to better health outcomes

✔️ The mouth is not separate from the body.

✔️ Chronic inflammation rarely stays localized.

✔️ Oral health and gut health influence one another.

✔️ Symptoms are communication, not character flaws.

✔️ Small, consistent lifestyle changes often outperform extreme interventions.

✔️ Healthcare providers should be connecting dots, not treating symptoms in isolation.

✔️ Your body is always communicating. Learning to listen may change everything.

• Eddie Pinero – Your World Within

• Dr. Heather Finley – Love Your Gut Podcast

Follow The Unhinged Hygienists for honest conversations about oral health, airway, inflammation, nervous system regulation, gut health, and the future of healthcare.

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theunhingedhygienists

🌐 Website: theunhingedhygienists.com

📧 Join our email list for exclusive content, episode updates, resources, giveaways, and upcoming events.

🌐 Lauren Kennedy, RDH | The Myo Coach themyocoach.com

If this episode helped connect a few dots in your own health journey, please share it with a friend, colleague, patient, or healthcare provider.

And remember:

The mouth is never just the mouth.

🎙️ THE UNHINGED HYGIENISTS

Michelle Strange, MSDH, RDH: Why Dental Hygienists Need to Stop Asking Permission

What happens when a dental hygienist refuses to accept "because that's the way we've always done it" as an answer?

In this episode, we sit down with Michelle Strange, MSDH, RDH—practicing hygienist, educator, entrepreneur, infection prevention expert, speaker, and owner of an independent dental hygiene practice.

Michelle shares her journey from feeling trapped in traditional hygiene to building a career that spans education, business ownership, infection prevention, travel hygiene, and healthcare advocacy.

We discuss:

✨ Why hygienists feel stuck—and how to break free

✨ The future of independent dental hygiene practices

✨ Why curiosity is the most important skill in healthcare

✨ Dental hygiene licensure frustrations across the United States

✨ Why "that's how we've always done it" is a dangerous mindset

✨ The importance of evidence-based thinking and challenging your own beliefs

✨ How to create change in dentistry without waiting for permission

✨ Why hygienists deserve a stronger voice in shaping the future of the profession

✨ The difference between being a scaler and being a healthcare provider

✨ Patient autonomy, informed refusal, and meeting people where they are

One of our favorite takeaways from Michelle:

"I got tired of asking permission to do the right thing."

If you've ever wondered whether there is more to dental hygiene than simply cleaning teeth, this episode is for you.

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CONNECT WITH MICHELLE STRANGE

📸 Instagram: @michellestrangerdh

🦠 Infection Prevention: @levelupinfectionprevention

🌐 www.michellestrangerdh.com

🌐 www.levelupip.com

🦷 www.smile-logic.com

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🎙️ Connect with The Unhinged Hygienists

🌐 Website: https://theunhingedhygienist.com

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theunhingedhygienists

🌐 Lauren Kennedy, RDH: www.themyocoach.com

💌 Join our community, access resources, and stay up to date with new episodes, guest announcements, and oral-systemic health content.

🎙️ New episodes every Wednesday

Have a guest recommendation, topic idea, or want to collaborate with us? We'd love to hear from you.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

✔ Stay curious

✔ Challenge your own assumptions

✔ Progress happens when people ask better questions

✔ Dental hygienists are healthcare providers

✔ The future of dentistry is collaborative

✔ You don't need permission to create change

🎙️ EPISODE 9: THE MOUTH IS THE MESSENGER

What if your bleeding gums, bad breath, cavities, fatigue, headaches, snoring, or even your child's bedwetting weren't random?

What if your mouth was actually trying to tell you something?

In this episode of The Unhinged Hygienists, we're diving into one of our favorite topics—the oral-systemic connection. We discuss how signs in the mouth can reveal deeper issues involving airway health, sleep-disordered breathing, nutrition, gut health, chronic inflammation, stress, and nervous system dysregulation.

Because your mouth isn't separate from your body.

It's the messenger.

🦷 In this episode: • Why bleeding gums are never normal • Why snoring isn't cute or harmless • Airway health and sleep quality • The connection between oral health and gut health • Nutrition, inflammation, and cavities • Stress, cortisol, and your oral microbiome • Why healthcare providers need to collaborate more

If your hygienist is asking about your sleep, your diet, your digestion, or your stress levels… now you know why.

📩 Want to be a guest on the podcast? theunhingedhygienists@gmail.com

⭐ Follow, subscribe, and share with someone who needs to hear this conversation.

#TheUnhingedHygienists #OralSystemicHealth #AirwayHealth #WholeBodyHealth #DentalPodcast

🎙️ Episode 8: Skip the Scrape? Challenging the Status Quo with Joy Davis, RDH

What if one of the most important things a dental hygienist can do is stay curious?

In this episode of The Unhinged Hygienists, we sit down with Joy Davis, RDH, educator, airway advocate, biofilm enthusiast, and founder of Skip the Scrape. Together, we challenge some of dentistry's most common assumptions and explore what happens when hygienists stop accepting "that's how we've always done it" as the answer.

From air polishing and Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT) to airway health, thyroid screenings, burnout, Medicaid dentistry, and the myth of the six-month recall, this conversation is packed with practical insights and plenty of unhinged moments.

Joy shares her journey from working in public health and Medicaid dentistry to becoming an educator who trains dental teams across the country. We discuss how curiosity can transform patient care, why hygienists should feel empowered to identify concerns beyond the teeth, and how embracing new evidence can help prevent burnout while improving outcomes.

In this episode, we discuss:

🦷 Air polishing and biofilm management

🦷 Why six-month recalls aren't one-size-fits-all

🦷 Airway health and sleep-disordered breathing

🦷 Thyroid screenings and oral-systemic health

🦷 Burnout in dental hygiene

🦷 Expanded scope of practice

🦷 Evidence-based dentistry

🦷 Patient-centered care

🦷 The importance of staying curious

One of our favorite takeaways:

✨ "Be curious, not judgmental."

IG Joydavisrdh

Skipthescrape.com

Whether you're a hygienist, dentist, healthcare provider, or someone passionate about preventive health, this episode will leave you questioning old assumptions and thinking differently about patient care.

🎧 Follow, subscribe, and share with a fellow hygienist who is ready to challenge the status quo.

#TheUnhingedHygienists #JoyDavisRDH #SkipTheScrape #DentalHygiene #HealthcareHygienist #AirwayHealth #GBT #BiofilmManagement #OralSystemicHealth #DentalPodcast

Episode 7: Imposter Syndrome, Trauma Responses & Why We Started Talking Anyway

You've got the degree. The license. The experience.

So why do you still feel like you're not enough?

In this deeply personal episode, Tasia and Lauren discuss imposter syndrome, trauma responses, comparison, people pleasing, perfectionism, nervous system dysregulation, and the hidden self-doubt that follows many healthcare providers throughout their careers.

Tasia shares how childhood experiences shaped her confidence and how overwhelm can impact her mentally and physically. Lauren talks about building confidence through action, embracing discomfort, and why waiting until you're "ready" is often the thing keeping you stuck.

This conversation isn't about having all the answers.

It's about being honest about the journey.

• Imposter syndrome in healthcare • Childhood trauma and confidence • Nervous system regulation • Comparison and self-doubt • People pleasing and perfectionism • Public speaking fears • Building confidence through action • Personal growth and healing

If you've ever felt like you weren't qualified enough, smart enough, or ready enough, this episode is for you.

🎧 Follow, subscribe, and share with a fellow healthcare provider who needs this conversation.

Because confidence isn't the prerequisite. It's the result. 💥

🎙️ EPISODE 6: From Free Scrubs to Functional Medicine with Amanda Hale

What starts as a quest for free scrubs can sometimes turn into a complete career transformation.

This week on The Unhinged Hygienists, we sit down with Amanda Hale, better known as The Curvy Scaler—a dental hygienist, educator, biological dentistry advocate, functional medicine enthusiast, podcast host, and future MBA student.

Amanda shares her incredible journey from clinical hygiene to becoming a respected voice in oral-systemic health and whole-body wellness. We dive into the power of continuing education, finding your passion, and why some of the biggest opportunities in life happen when you're willing to step outside your comfort zone.

We also get into: 🦷 Biological dentistry and what it really means 🦷 Functional medicine and root-cause healthcare 🦷 Gut health, inflammation, and chronic disease 🦷 Sleep, healing, and overall wellness 🦷 Entrepreneurship and career growth for hygienists 🦷 Imposter syndrome and finding confidence 🦷 Why prevention should be the future of healthcare

Amanda also shares her personal health journey, including losing 80 pounds through lifestyle changes, functional medicine, and a completely different approach to wellness.

Whether you're a hygienist feeling stuck, a healthcare provider looking to expand your perspective, or someone searching for answers beyond symptom management, this episode will challenge you to think differently about health, healing, and what's possible.

Because at The Unhinged Hygienists, we believe there is a body attached to every mouth—and healthcare starts by connecting the dots.

Connect with Amanda: 📲 Instagram: @thecurvyscaler 🎙️ Functional Roots Podcast

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow, subscribe, and share it with a fellow healthcare provider who needs to hear this conversation.

EPISODE 5 IS LIVE 🎙️🦷 “What We Actually Do With Our Patients (That Most Offices Don’t)”

Spoiler alert: dental hygienists do NOT “just clean teeth.” 😵‍💫

In this episode, we’re exposing what actually happens during an appointment with a whole-body, airway-focused hygienist — from screening for gum disease and oral cancer to recognizing signs of sleep-disordered breathing, clenching, mouth breathing, dry mouth, nutritional deficiencies, and systemic inflammation.

We’re talking about: ✨ Airway & sleep health ✨ Mouth breathing & tongue posture ✨ Gum disease explained ✨ Oral-systemic health connections ✨ Why “just a cleaning” is outdated ✨ Patient education without shame ✨ Why hygienists are WAY more than tooth cleaners

If you’ve ever been told: 🫠 “Your gums just bleed sometimes” 🫠 “You just need a cleaning” 🫠 “Grinding is normal” …this episode is for you.

We’re funny, slightly unhinged, and deeply passionate about changing the way people view dentistry and preventive healthcare.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts & all streaming platforms.

💬 Have you ever had a hygienist actually explain the WHY behind your oral health issues?

#TheUnhingedHygienists #DentalPodcast #DentalHygienist #RDH #OralSystemicHealth #AirwayDentistry #HolisticDentistry #DentalHygiene #SleepApneaAwareness #MouthBreathing #AirwayHealth #PreventiveHealthcare #GumDisease #PeriodontalDisease #OralHealth #HealthcarePodcast #WomenInHealthcare #DentalEducation #BiologicalDentistry #FunctionalHealth #DentalLife #HealthcareHumor #DentalHumor #SleepHealth #WholeBodyHealth #DentalProfessionals #PodcastForWomen #MedicalPodcast #WellnessPodcast #HealthcareWorkers