RDH influencer of the month: Andrew Johnston, RDH
Why did you begin a career in dental hygiene?
It’s interesting to me that I am in this position, filling out this form about being an influencer, because I feel like I am just like 90% of hygienists everywhere. I see patients for 40-plus hours a week and try to do my best by them just like everyone else wants to do.
I lucked into this position cohosting the podcast A Tale of Two Hygienists and have an amazing business partner who really drives the content we can deliver. In 2015, I reached out to Michelle Strange to talk about the dental mission work that she had done. The idea was that I would use her connections and put it in the presentations that I was giving to help other people become more involved. As we continued talking, we both felt like it was a great decision to start the podcast. We had a solid foundation of honesty and trust.
Over the years we have evolved both personally and professionally, as has the podcast. And we became friends, not just business partners, which was a delightfully unexpected result! We really aim to help people in whatever subject they need to get better at. We vary the content, ranging from social, physical, and emotional support to clinical best practices. There are episodes for the student and the veteran.
I think one of my favorite parts about being associated with the podcast has been the friendships and relationships we have developed with people we might never have had a chance to meet otherwise. The passion and generosity of our guests each week has been astounding, and we are very thankful for them and their efforts and for the audience that receives them!