Hannah Neumann, RDH
Hannah Neumann, RDH, attended Lane Community College, where she received her associate’s degree in dental hygiene in 2011. After working as a clinical dental hygienist for over 10 years, she returned to school and graduated in 2024 with her Bachelor of Science at the Oregon Institute of Technology, with a dental hygiene major and a business minor. Hannah has previously spent time working at a health care clinic in Uganda, providing preventive care and aiding in restorative care to the underserved children in the community. After working as a clinical dental hygienist for over five years, Hannah took a sabbatical and lived in Paris and Switzerland for over two years, teaching English and creating a guided tour in Paris. Upon her return, Hannah created a teeth-whitening company and is also working as an advocate for advancing hygienists’ scope of practice in her home state of Oregon. Hannah enjoys spending time with her family in her home city of Portland, Oregon, and in her spare time, she plays piano, travels worldwide, and leads a book club.
Life as a Lefty: Perspective From a Left-Handed Hygienist
My older sister is the original hygienist out of the two of us. She convinced me to be a hygienist, walked me through all the various steps it would take, and brought me under her wing at her office as a newly graduated baby hygienist learning my first steps. We slowly became a sister hygiene duo who were nearly...
Embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Dental Hygiene
A growing concept that everyone seems to be equally fascinated by and nervous about is artificial intelligence (AI). AI brings up a plethora of nerve-wracking questions for all. Will it eventually outsmart humans? Will most of our jobs become obsolete? Can AI develop its own consciousness? Are we in the Matrix?!
While these fears are founded (mostly), AI's benefits and...
4 Things to Know About Disability Insurance for Dental Hygienists
If you’ve been in the dental hygiene profession for at least a few years, I’m willing to bet that you’re starting to feel some aches and pains. They may not be debilitating, but they’re there. All of those seemingly small, poor posture choices (craning your neck to see while your hands are occupied with the ultrasonic and suction -...
Bringing Style to Scaling: A Dental Hygienist’s Guide to Scrubs Fashion
Disclaimer: This article is not sponsored and does not contain affiliate links. It’s just for fun!
I’m always looking forward to the weeknights and weekends for many reasons. Obviously, one reason is to get away from the patients and routines that, let’s face it, sometimes drive me crazy. Another reason is to lounge for hours on my couch while eating...
Dental Hygienists’ Guide to Opportunities Abroad
A quote attributed to author H. Jackson Brown's mother in his book P.S. I Love You reads, "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines! Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream....
Deep Work: The Hidden Happiness and Peace Inside the Dental Hygiene Career
On a recent drive to work, I listened to an episode of one of my favorite podcasts called "Hidden Brain," which talked about how hard it is to avoid distraction in today's world of brimming technology. One segment of this episode touched on studies showing how certain technicians or craftsmen who work with very focused tasks can more easily...
Rock Climbing: A Healthy Hobby That Can Help Hygienists Physically and Mentally
It’s no secret that dental hygienists can become mentally and physically exhausted due to back, shoulder, and neck pain. However, what is a lesser-known fact is a particularly unique and fun way hygienists can help avoid this full-body burnout. While there is no quick and easy answer for hygienists to keep their working muscles flexible, healthy, and strong, many...
3 Tips for Dental Hygienists to Improve Likability Among Patients
Many health care professionals may have graduated from their programs with flying colors and have shown an ability to quickly understand technical concepts and are able to perform impressive clinical work. However, patients are still sometimes known to complain about a missing, somewhat enigmatic trait.
Likeability.
Can likeability, or chairside manner, be taught? Is it crucial for a clinician to...
Career Satisfaction: Golden Rules for a Happy Dental Hygiene Career
Throughout my career as a dental hygienist, I've gone through a wide range of phases regarding how I feel about the job. Sometimes, I absolutely despise the work, struggling with physical pain, mental exhaustion, and an overwhelming sense of repetitiveness. During other periods, I feel extremely happy and firmly believe hygiene is the best possible option I could have...
The Interstitium: New “Organ” Discovery and Its Potential Influence on the Oral-systemic Connection
During a recent commute to work, I listened to a particularly interesting episode of one of my favorite podcasts, “Radiolab,” which dove into a fairly recent and groundbreaking discovery in the human body called the interstitium. Until just a few years ago, doctors and scientists had missed an entire bodily organ of sorts, which was sitting right under our...
Human Error: Will Dentistry Discover Ways to Overcome Oral Health Barriers?
The path to good oral health is a complicated process, and it is one that requires proper motivation, skills, and habits ‒ all of which can often seem impossible to achieve. Different opinions and research exist about the most successful home care methods, and most of these approaches depend on proper human performance.
For example, some research addresses this dilemma...