Beyond the Operatory: How One Dental Hygienist Transformed Career Burnout into Professional Growth
Finding fulfillment sometimes means charting an unconventional path in the ever-evolving landscape of dental careers. On a recent episode of The Dental Handoff podcast, Dr. Kelly Tanner sat down with Bethany Montoya, BAS, RDH—the editorial director of Dentistry IQ's Clinical Insights newsletter—to explore how dental professionals can recognize when it's time for change and discover new avenues for professional growth.
When Life Chooses Your Career Path
Like many young adults, Bethany's journey into dental hygiene wasn't a straight line. "My mom chose it," she laughs, recalling her indecision about career options during high school. After briefly studying music education and dropping out of college, Bethany married young and started a family before her twentieth birthday.
"The good thing that came with us starting a family at a young age is I realized I had to grow up very quickly," she explains. When considering returning to school, her mother suggested dental hygiene after a positive experience with her own hygienist. Weighing her options between nursing and dental hygiene, Bethany ultimately chose hygiene for its family-friendly schedule—a crucial factor for a mother of two young children.
The Journey from Full-Time Clinician to Industry Leader
After graduating in 2012, Bethany entered full-time clinical practice in a corporate dental setting. While she describes her experience as "somewhere in the middle" between positive and negative, she found herself taking on an unexpected burden.
"I happened to work in an office that had kind of a revolving door of dentists," she recalls. "The longer I was at the practice, I became the reason a lot of patients stayed because I was the familiar face, the one that they trusted." This became a heavy responsibility when patients would question their new dentists' diagnoses, turning to Bethany for validation.
Over time, she gradually reduced her clinical hours—first to four days weekly, then three, and most recently to just two days per week. This evolution created space for her expanding role as a writer, speaker, and key opinion leader in the dental industry.
When Adversity Becomes Opportunity
The turning point in Bethany's career came during the COVID-19 pandemic—a crisis that forced many dental professionals to reevaluate their paths. Already experiencing burnout before the pandemic ("I was crying in my car a lot"), Bethany was devastated when she was let go by her employer during the 2020 shutdown.
"I was told that I was the highest paid hygienist on the team, and they wanted to reduce costs," she shares. "I went through maybe a three-month period where I was deeply depressed."
This painful experience prompted Bethany to seek more control over her career. "When we hire on to a dental practice, we want to come in and be easy to work with and care for our patients in the very best way. But at the end of the day, it's our employer's decision whether or not we get to stay."
In search of guidance, she reached out to another hygienist who had successfully transitioned to a non-clinical role. This conversation led to an unexpected suggestion: writing. "She was like, the only reason that I'm bringing it up to you, Bethany, is you wrote me this private message on Facebook, and I could just tell that you're a good writer."
Within days, Bethany had written her first article about her experience being fired, which was well-received by RDH Magazine. This affirmation sparked a prolific writing period, submitting three to four articles monthly. Soon, she was being approached for product reviews, speaking engagements, and social media opportunities—roles she embraced despite having no previous experience.
Recognizing When It's Time for Change
One of the most valuable insights from Bethany's journey is understanding how to recognize when a work environment no longer serves you. Currently pursuing her MBA (expected graduation: Spring 2025), she offers a framework for evaluating professional satisfaction based on both business principles and human behavior.
"When we're experiencing something in life, we kind of go through this progression where whatever we're exposing ourselves to triggers thoughts inside of us," she explains. "The more that we allow those thoughts to take hold inside of our brain, those turn into attitudes that we have about something."
These attitudes eventually manifest in behaviors. For Bethany, the first sign is often in her facial expressions—side eyes and eye-rolling—eventually progressing to vocal complaints. She suggests a simple daily reflection practice, even just five minutes on your drive home: "What happened to me today? What were some of the memorable moments that I had today? How did those moments make me feel?"
This self-awareness allows hygienists to identify misalignments early and take appropriate action, whether that means having a heart-to-heart conversation with practice leadership or seeking a new position elsewhere.
The Importance of Core Values Alignment
When discussing why some workplace relationships fail despite communication efforts, both Bethany and Dr. Tanner emphasize the critical role of core values.
"Ultimately, that's what all of our big decisions need to come down to—establishing and recognizing our personal core values and comparing those to the values of the practice that we're in," Bethany states.
She notes that while some practices clearly articulate their core values, many don't put intentional thought into establishing and living by such principles. For job-seeking hygienists, she recommends asking two key interview questions:
"Can you tell me about your core values?"
"In what ways do you show value for your hygiene department?"
The answers—or lack thereof—can reveal whether a practice will be a good long-term fit before even accepting a position.
Moving Forward with Purpose
Despite the challenges and unexpected turns in her career, Bethany remains enthusiastic about her professional evolution. "This has been like a crazy journey for me professionally, but I've enjoyed every single moment. I've had some ups and some downs, but I've tried to learn my lessons along the way."
Her mission now extends beyond her own success to supporting other dental professionals: "Whatever I end up doing, I just want to be able to encourage and inspire other people to do the same thing. That looks different for everybody. But just being able to recognize that we're all works in progress and we're never at our final destination."
For dental professionals feeling stuck, burnt out, or simply curious about expanding their horizons, Bethany's journey offers a powerful reminder that career paths aren't limited to the operatory—and sometimes our greatest professional growth comes after our most difficult challenges.
Keywords: Dental hygiene career alternatives, professional burnout, career transition, dental writing, work-life balance, core values alignment, dental industry leadership, RDH Magazine, dental key opinion leader, The Dental Handoff podcast, professional growth, dental hygiene education