From Dental Chair to C-Suite: One Hygienist's Extraordinary Journey to Healthcare Leadership

Charo Earle and Kelly Tanner: The Dental Handoff Podcast

When six-year-old Charo Earl met a female dentist who made her feel comfortable during a routine appointment, she never imagined this encounter would spark a career trajectory leading from dental assistant to Chief Operating Officer. In a compelling conversation with Dr. Kelly Tanner on The Dental Handoff podcast, Charo reveals how embracing opportunity, building relationships, and focusing on patient education transformed her professional path in unexpected ways.

Finding Purpose Through Patient Connection

"People don't know what they don't know," Charo explains, reflecting on her early passion for dentistry. That formative childhood experience with a female dentist who "really knew her craft" created a lifelong commitment to educating patients and building trust.

While her mentor encouraged her to become a dentist, life led Charo to dental hygiene—a profession she embraced wholeheartedly after experiencing the meaningful patient connections it offered. "If you touch one person, I'm good for the rest of the day," she shares. "That one person will share what you taught them with others, and it'll just continue to go on."

This philosophy guides Charo's approach to patient care: "My superpower is connections and relationships." Unlike those who view treatment recommendations as "selling," Charo reframes the conversation: "I don't sell anything. I provide benefit and resources to educate my patients on why we are recommending care for them and how their partnership within those recommendations is going to lead to their success."

The Power of Effective Communication

Central to Charo's success is her emphasis on communication—not talking at patients, but talking with them. "Meet the patients where they are," she advises. "They don't know what they don't know."

This approach extends beyond chair-side conversations to include utilizing all available technology—intraoral photos, scanners, complete radiographs, and thorough periodontal charting—to educate patients about their oral health. She emphasizes starting with the medical history to highlight how oral health connects to overall well-being.

When facing resistance from patients who may decline treatment initially, Charo recommends persistence: "You don't stop there. You continue to educate." She developed a "comprehensive care sequence" that begins with creating a positive experience from the moment a patient enters the practice, clearly explaining what to expect during appointments, listening to chief complaints, and collaborating with doctors on co-diagnosis.

From Hygienist to Healthcare Executive

Charo's remarkable career evolution began humbly. After working as a dental assistant while in hygiene school, she graduated in 2001 and spent seven years developing her clinical and leadership skills. During this time, she learned to adapt to different doctors' styles while serving as "the doctor's right hand person."

After completing her Master's in Health Services Administration in 2008, the opportunity knocked when a large dental service organization (DSO) hired her as a retail product specialist. This role leveraged her clinical expertise while developing new skills in negotiation and business development as she worked with major oral healthcare companies.

Her career accelerated through increasingly responsible positions: client services manager and vendor relations manager for a group purchasing organization, then clinical service manager overseeing 122 dental hygienists across 67 offices in multiple states. Throughout this growth, Charo maintained her clinical practice one to two days weekly, ensuring she could "speak what I'm doing."

In 2023, she joined her current organization as director of production and dental hygiene. Seeing opportunities for improvement, she implemented new processes, standards, and protocols. Her initiative led to promotion to Chief Operating Officer after just eleven months—a position she "never thought about" attaining.

Leadership Philosophy: Lifting Others as You Climb

Despite her executive role, Charo remains committed to mentorship and development. She now supports a young female dentist who owns ten practices around Metro Detroit. "I want to see her win," Charo says. "I understand the difficulties with running an organization. With me here to help her live out her dreams, I'm living out my dreams."

As Vice President of National Network of Healthcare Hygienists, Charo advocates for recognizing connections between oral and overall health, encouraging hygienists to build relationships with physicians to better serve patients.

Her leadership style emphasizes listening rather than dictating: "A leader must be able to be led." By creating an "empowering culture" within the organization, she ensures this positive environment benefits patients through improved care and communication.

The Path Forward: Embracing Possibility

Charo's journey demonstrates the unexpected opportunities that emerge when dental professionals remain open to growth and step outside their comfort zones. Her story serves as inspiration for hygienists who may feel limited by traditional career paths.

By focusing on providing value rather than "selling," building relationships with patients and team members, and continually developing new skills, dental professionals can discover fulfilling careers that extend far beyond clinical practice—perhaps even to the C-suite.


Keywords: Dental hygiene career path, dental leadership, patient education, clinical to executive transition, dental service organization, healthcare communication, dental hygiene management, comprehensive care, patient relationships, career advancement, Chief Operating Officer, dental mentorship, The Dental Handoff podcast

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