I know exactly what it feels like to fall out of love with being a dental hygienist, then fall right back in love with it again.
There was a period in my career when I would walk out of the office at the end of the day feeling like a complete zombie.
I had given everything, every ounce of mental and emotional energy, to my patients and my team. And by the time I got home, I had nothing left. Nothing for my husband. Nothing for my kids. Just exhaustion and a kind of quiet resentment that I didn't fully understand yet.
My breaking point came at a small-town practice. The kind with the "we are all family here" culture that sounds warm until you realize what it actually means. It means the hygienists work through lunch often, while the rest of the team gets a break. I begged for lunch breaks. I was promised lunch breaks. Those breaks rarely came.
That was my final straw.
I started coming home every single evening after work and opening Indeed. I spent hours tailoring my resume and cover letter to every remote role I could find. Most of the time, I heard nothing back. No response, no rejection, just silence. But I kept going, because I knew there had to be something better out there for me. I was determined to find a way to be happy professionally again.
Eventually, I found it. I landed a fully remote position as a National Clinical Educator, a role I still hold today, and it changed everything. Not just my schedule, but my sense of who I was as a professional. I remembered that I was good at this. I remembered that I had so much more to offer than just being a production unit in an operatory.
That experience is a big part of why I built Polished and Professional, RDH. But it is not the only part.
I have been a dental hygienist for 22 years. One of the most formative chapters of my career was the nine years I spent working for a doctor who was truly exceptional, not just as a clinician, but as a leader. He was deeply invested in the personal and professional growth of his team. He introduced me to coaches, books, and mentors that shaped the way I think about this profession and about people. That season of my career gave me a foundation I still draw from every single day and in my coaching style.
Before returning to dental hygiene in an educational capacity, I also spent time as a classroom teacher. And I won an Educator of the Year award during that chapter of my life. I know how to meet people where they are. I know how to take something complicated and make it make sense. And I know that real support is never one-size-fits-all.
When I work with a dental hygienist, I am not handing them a generic plan. I am sitting down with a real person facing a real situation, and I am bringing 22 years of clinical experience, a background in education, and the honest perspective of someone who has been exactly where they are.
I built Polished and Professional, RDH because I wished something like this had existed when I needed it most. I wanted a mentor. I wanted someone who had been in the op, navigated the hard stuff, made the leap, and came out the other side. Someone who could look me in the eye and say, "I know. And here is what helped me."
That is who I want to be for you.
"The best leaders I have ever seen did not just rise; they pulled others up with them. That is the kind of professional I have always tried to be, and it is exactly what I show up to do for every hygienist I coach."
Misty, BA, RDH
A Little More About Misty
- BA, RDH with 22 years of clinical experience
- National Clinical Educator, speaker, and author
- Former classroom teacher and Educator of the Year award recipient
- Diverse clinical background across multiple practice types and environments
- Founder of Polished and Professional, RDH
- Creator of "From Clinical to Remote: RDH Career Transition"
- One-on-one coaching for dental hygienists at every stage of their career
- Coaching hygienists nationwide
- Most importantly, Mom and Wife
Whether You Are Just Starting Out or Ready for Something Completely Different, You Belong Here.
Polished and Professional, RDH exists for dental hygienists at every stage of the journey. New graduates who need a foundation. Experienced hygienists who are burned out, undervalued, or navigating a difficult workplace. And hygienists who are ready to explore what else is possible for them beyond the operatory.
Wherever you are, there is support here.
See How We Can Work Together
You spend every day taking care of other people. Let someone take care of you for a change.
The discovery call is free, it is 30 minutes of your time, and it just might be the conversation that changes everything
