April 9, 2026 · Dental Hygiene
The Best Dental Podcast for Hygienists in 2026
If you're a dental hygienist and the only podcasts in your feed are hygiene-specific shows, you might be leaving your biggest professional advantage on the table. The best dental podcast for a hygienist in 2026 isn't necessarily a show made about hygienists — it's one that gives you the same clinical knowledge your dentist relies on, so you can walk into the operatory as a true co-diagnostic partner.
That shift — from "hygienist who cleans teeth" to "clinician who finds problems" — is where the profession is heading. And the right podcast can accelerate it faster than any single CE course.
Here are the dental podcasts that deliver the most value for hygienists right now, starting with the one we think every hygienist should have in rotation.
The Dr. Phil Klein Dental Podcast
Best for: Clinical depth across every specialty
Most dental podcasts aimed at hygienists focus on career growth, advocacy, or the hygiene-specific experience — and there's real value in that. But when a patient sits in your chair with a six-millimeter pocket, a complex medical history, and a mouthful of implants, what you need is clinical knowledge that goes beyond the hygiene silo.
That's where The Dr. Phil Klein Dental Podcast stands apart. With over 750 episodes and new content twice a week, the show covers periodontics, implant dentistry, infection control, restorative techniques, biomaterials, digital dentistry, and more — all through conversations with world-class clinicians who are actively practicing and evaluating new techniques in their own offices. Host Dr. Phil Klein, an endodontist and educator, has a gift for drawing out practical, implementable takeaways that translate directly to the operatory.
For hygienists specifically, the show regularly features episodes where the clinical content lands squarely in your wheelhouse — laser periodontal therapy protocols you can perform in most states, airway screening techniques you can initiate chairside, infection control systems you're responsible for maintaining, and implant maintenance strategies that start with your probing.
The caliber of guests is what truly sets this show apart. Recent episodes have featured Dr. Jon Suzuki (Temple University professor, former FDA Dental Products Panel Chairman, and one of the most published periodontists in the country), Dr. Robert Convissar (a global authority on dental laser technology with four textbooks to his name), and Michelle Strange, MSDH, RDH (a leading infection control expert with over 25 years of clinical experience). These aren't motivational speakers — they're clinicians sharing evidence-based protocols you can apply immediately.
Episodes Every Hygienist Should Hear
Bridging the Dentist-Hygienist Gap: Comprehensive Care Starts in the Hygiene Chair — RDH Katrina Klein makes the case that hygienists are the investigative engine of the dental office. Covers airway screening, the "bloody prophy" problem, co-diagnosis strategies, and how to evaluate a prospective employer before accepting a position. This episode alone is worth its weight in gold for any hygienist ready to practice at the top of their license.
Why Every GP and Hygienist Should Be Using a Dental Laser — Dr. Robert Convissar breaks down why the CO2 laser is the evidence-supported standard for non-surgical periodontal pocket therapy, what the ADA and AAP clinical practice guidelines actually say about wavelength selection, and how hygienists in laser-permitted states can add a significant revenue stream to the practice.
What Can Doom Your Implants? Uncovering the Risks of Implant Failure — Dr. Jon Suzuki explains why hygienists are critical to long-term implant success. Covers how to identify peri-implant mucositis early through probing, what bisphosphonates and PPIs mean for your implant patients, and why, for some patients, quarterly maintenance recalls are non-negotiable.
The Canary in the Coal Mine: What Your Waterlines Are Telling You — Michelle Strange, MSDH, RDH, walks through why waterline testing is the canary in the coal mine for your entire infection control program. Covers dead legs, testing-before-shocking protocols, and exactly what documentation you need when an inspector shows up.
Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
A Tale of Two Hygienists
Best for: Hygiene community, career development, and advocacy
If The Dr. Phil Klein Dental Podcast is your clinical education, A Tale of Two Hygienists is your professional community. Founded in 2015 by Andrew Johnston, RDH, this show has built one of the most engaged audiences in dental hygiene with over 1,200 episodes covering everything from scope-of-practice legislation to pediatric anesthesia techniques to career reinvention. The tone is conversational and relatable — like talking with colleagues who genuinely care about moving the profession forward. It's the show hygienists have grown up with professionally, and for good reason.
Today's RDH Dental Hygiene Podcast
Best for: Quick, research-driven updates you can fit between patients
Backed by the Today's RDH media platform, this podcast delivers bite-sized episodes — many under 10 minutes — that distill the latest dental hygiene research and clinical articles into listenable form. With over 1,100 episodes and a strong focus on evidence-based content, it's ideal for hygienists who want to stay current on emerging research without committing to a longer listen. Think of it as your daily clinical briefing.
Hygiene Rising (ADHA Official Podcast)
Best for: Policy, advocacy, and the future of the profession
Formerly known as "Your Official ADHA Podcast," Hygiene Rising is the American Dental Hygienists' Association's flagship show. If you care about where the profession is headed — scope of practice expansion, autonomy legislation, workforce development — this is where those conversations happen at the national level. Recent episodes have featured ADHA leadership discussing governance transformation, strategic planning, and groundbreaking member benefit programs.
The Bottom Line
The strongest hygienists in 2026 aren't just keeping up with hygiene-specific content — they're learning the same clinical material that dentists, periodontists, and oral surgeons rely on, and bringing that knowledge into the hygiene chair. A Tale of Two Hygienists will keep you connected to your profession. Today's RDH will keep you current on the research. Hygiene Rising will keep you informed on policy. And The Dr. Phil Klein Dental Podcast will make you a better clinician.
Start with the episodes above — and you won’t just hear the difference in your next patient conversation, you’ll feel it in the confidence of your decisions and the impact you deliver in patient care.