She Was Invited into Dental School and Said No | Kathryn Gilliam, BA, RDH, MAAOSH, HIAOMT

She was invited into the next dental class after doing well on her national board exam. She decided not to go. Looking back, Kathryn Gilliam says she would change that. In Episode 224 of The Dental Handoff, Dr. Kelly Tanner sits down with Kathryn Gilliam, BA, RDH, MAAOSH, HIAOMT, Founder of PerioLinks and Lead Clinical Coach for Inspired Hygiene, to talk about that decision, the career she built in dental hygiene, and the opportunities hygienists have beyond clinical care. Kathryn shares how growing up as a dentist's daughter and a job market that dried up after journalism school led her to dental hygiene, why she says probably half of what she learned in school is no longer true, why hygienists need to speak up, and what she means by "loving people back to health," the idea behind her upcoming book, High Impact Hygiene. In this episode: • Growing up as a dentist's daughter, and the childhood memories that pulled her toward dentistry. • Why journalism led her to dental hygiene instead. • Being invited into the next dental class, and why she decided not to go. • What she says she would change, and why she says she would have her own dental hygiene practice if she were starting over. • How a coach hired by a dentist she worked for sparked her own coaching career. • The opportunities open to hygienists beyond clinical care: writing, speaking, coaching, sales and teaching. • Why hygienists should speak up, own "the business within the business," and why she says great care and production don't have to be an either/or. • Imposter syndrome: why the more she admitted to it, the more other people admitted it to her. • Why she says probably half of what she learned in school is no longer true, and why staying current matters. • "Loving people back to health," her upcoming book, and why she says she has not been burned out in 40 years. 00:00 Welcome and Intro 00:35 Why Kathryn Started Saying Yes to What Scared Her 01:38 Growing Up as a Dentist’s Daughter 02:49 She Wanted to Be a Journalist, Then Everything Changed 03:36 The Dental School Opportunity She Turned Down 04:25 What She Would Do Differently Today 05:17 The Career Options She Never Knew Hygienists Had 10:00 The Mentor Who Changed How She Practiced 12:34 How Much of What We Learned in School Is Still True? 15:27 Why Hygienists Keep Their Voices Small 17:21 “We Belong in the Room” 17:54 The Imposter Syndrome No One Talks About 19:48 “Who Was I to Think I Could Write a Book?” 21:04 What “High Impact Hygiene” Really Means 21:33 Why She Says She Hasn’t Burned Out in 40 Years 23:32 The “Soft Skills” That Can Change Patient Care 27:31 Everybody Deserves the Career of Their Dreams Stay Connected with Us! Want to keep up with the latest in dental hygiene, leadership, and professional growth? Connect with Kathryn Gilliam: PerioLinks: periolinks.com/meet-kathryn LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kathryn-kamish-gilliam-18062bb3 📘 Follow us on Facebook: Next Level DH   / nextleveldh   📸 Join the conversation on Instagram: @nextleveldh 💼 Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn:   / kellygtanner   Your next level starts here – let’s grow together!