"I was a weird kid always walking around my house, brushing my teeth and experimenting on my teeth, brushing with mouthwashes and hydrogen peroxide and baking soda," laughs Kari Carter-Cherelus, describing her early fascination with dental health. This childhood curiosity evolved into a 24-year career that has taken her from clinical practice to entrepreneurship, public speaking, and authorship.

When dental hygiene students approached ADHA President Erin Haley Hintz at a recent conference, their excitement to meet her felt surreal. "I wanted to turn around and look. Did you see her? Like, oh, that's me," she recalls with genuine humility in a recent interview on The Dental Handoff podcast with Dr. Kelly Tanner. Despite her prestigious position, Haley Hintz doesn't view her journey as extraordinary—yet her path from clinical practice to national leadership offers powerful lessons about resilience, reinvention, and finding purpose through professional engagement.

"I can't tell you very many things that I have learned from successes, but every failure is a learning opportunity." This insight from Dr. John Flucke, self-described "Technology Evangelist," encapsulates his approach to dentistry and innovation. In a recent conversation with Dr. Kelly Tanner on The Dental Handoff podcast at the Chicago Midwinter Dental Meeting, Dr. Flucke shared his remarkable journey from a three-year-old pulling his sister's tooth to becoming one of dentistry's most respected technology advisors.

In the world of dental hygiene education, where precision and standards reign supreme, finding moments of "chill" can be challenging. In a recent episode of The Dental Handoff podcast, host Dr. Kelly Tanner spoke with Jessica Atkinson, Senior Clinic Coordinator at Utah Tech University and co-founder of Hygiene Edge, about the evolving landscape of dental education, the joys of teaching, and the delicate balance between maintaining standards and creating a supportive learning environment.

"When you're scared to jump, that's exactly when you should do it." This philosophy has guided Jennifer Turner's remarkable career from clinical dental hygienist to DSO leader, educator, and regulatory president. In a recent interview with Dr. Kelly Tanner on The Dental Handoff podcast, Turner shared her extraordinary journey—one that began with a devastating accident that nearly claimed her life.

Twenty years ago, Heather McGuire was serving coney dogs at a Detroit restaurant, a single mother of three by age 24, when a friend's suggestion changed the trajectory of her life. Today, she's the Director of Dental Hygiene Development for Seva Dental Team, with leadership experience spanning pharmaceutical sales and DSO management. Her journey from clinical practice to corporate leadership offers powerful lessons for hygienists feeling that familiar "nudge" toward something more.