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Bethany Montoya • RDH Educator & Mentor

@humanrdh

17.2K

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883

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✍️ Columnist, @rdhmag
💻 Editorial Director, @dentistry___iq
🦷 Clinical Education Manager, @hufriedygroup
🇨🇱 Advocate, @lonestarhygiene

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Well, hello there! It’s been a while since I introduced myself and my world is always changing.

My name is Bethany. I’m an introvert who loves people and dental hygiene. I grew up in the arts; music, drawing, writing, and theater were my happy places. I thought I might end up doing some of those things professionally when I grew up. It wasn’t until my early 20s that I realized my true career calling was healthcare.

I graduated with my associate degree from Pueblo Community College in Southern Colorado in 2012. Shortly after school, my husband and I relocated to Fort Worth and we’ve been Texans ever since. We’ve got four kids ranging in age from 5 to 20.

A while back, I decided that I wanted to experience as many facets of our profession as I could. I started with published writing, which eventually led to speaking, clinical consulting for companies, social media content creation, working the exhibit hall at conferences and trade shows, and mentoring colleagues who want to expand their careers. I also earned my bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene in 2023.

Today, I work clinically in general practice twice a week, serve as adjunct faculty at Tarrant County College once a week, am an editorial director for DentistryIQ, an advisory board member for RDH Magazine, and a key opinion leader in the industry. I’m also finishing up my masters degree and plan to graduate in May.

Although my work is based in health science, I still find ways to access my creative side. This account is one of them. Dental hygiene is an awesome profession and I’m here to remind people of that.

What’s your favorite thing about being an RDH?
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hygiene mentor, RDH growth, clinical hygiene, hygiene problems, RDH humor, career development, dental hygienist, RDH #humanrdh #dental #rdh #dentalhygienist #hygienementor #rdhlife by @humanrdh

🖤🖤🖤 by @humanrdh

Have you ever thought, “What else can I actually do with my dental degree?”

Because you are NOT “just” a hygienist, assistant, dentist, or clinician.

@humanrdh is back on @straightupwithstephpod and we’re talking about what it really looks like to build a career beyond the operatory—including how to find opportunities when you don’t even know what you want to do yet.

We get into networking, transferable skills, corporate dental careers, whether you really need another degree, imposter syndrome, perfectionism, failure, and why sometimes you have to say YES before you feel completely ready.

If you’ve been wondering what else is out there for you, this episode is for you!

Episode 112 link in bio or:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2312744/episodes/19882760

#straightupwithsteph #dentalhygienist #dentalhygiene #dentalcareer #rdhlife by @humanrdh

This is just one benefit of working out of the operatory.

Have you ever thought, “What else can I actually do with my dental degree?”

Because you are NOT “just” a hygienist, assistant, dentist, or clinician.

@humanrdh is back on @straightupwithstephpod and we’re talking about what it really looks like to build a career beyond the operatory—including how to find opportunities when you don’t even know what you want to do yet.

We get into networking, transferable skills, corporate dental careers, whether you really need another degree, imposter syndrome, perfectionism, failure, and why sometimes you have to say YES before you feel completely ready.

If you’ve been wondering what else is out there for you, this episode is for you!

Episode 112 link in bio or:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2312744/episodes/19882760

#straightupwithsteph #dentalhygienist #dentalhygiene #dentalcareer #rdhlife by @humanrdh

Have you ever thought, “What else can I actually do with my dental degree?”

Because you are NOT “just” a hygienist, assistant, dentist, or clinician.

@humanrdh is back on @straightupwithstephpod and we’re talking about what it really looks like to build a career beyond the operatory—including how to find opportunities when you don’t even know what you want to do yet.

We get into networking, transferable skills, corporate dental careers, whether you really need another degree, imposter syndrome, perfectionism, failure, and why sometimes you have to say YES before you feel completely ready.

If you’ve been wondering what else is out there for you, this episode is for you!

Episode 112 link in bio or:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2312744/episodes/19882760

#straightupwithsteph #dentalhygienist #dentalhygiene #dentalcareer #rdhlife by @humanrdh

Sometimes we see a post on social media that really resonates with us. Maybe it’s the message being shared or the graphic design… or both! We might think, “I’ll just plug this into Canva or ChatGPT and post my own version. People will love it!”

We have to remember that social media content is intellectual property. Someone spent their time, energy, and talent to produce something that’s unique and original. Just like we can’t replicate an author’s written work or an artist’s painting and claim it as our own, we can’t take a content creator’s work and recreate it as our own.

There’s a fine line that separates imitation from inspiration. Reproducing the text and/or design of someone else’s work is not the same as participating in a viral trend. Sometimes those lines can feel blurry, especially in a digital world where ideas spread quickly and AI makes replication easier than ever.

But inspiration should spark creativity, not replace it.

If someone’s content resonates with you, celebrate it! Share their original post. Amplify their message. Give credit where credit is due.

Resist the temptation to crop out a creator’s name, reproduce their graphics with a few minor changes, or copy and paste their words as though they’re your own.

There’s room for everyone to create, contribute, and succeed. This isn’t about gatekeeping, competition, or being territorial. It’s about recognizing the value of creative work and treating fellow creators with the same respect we’d want for ourselves.

Share if you care. ❤️ by @humanrdh

Who doesn’t love a dress up day?! 👻 In our latest issue of @dentistry___iq Clinical Insights:

🩸 When iron gets locked away
😎 Elevating ergo with positioning cushions
🦷 Dental hygiene diagnosis

Sign up today! Link in bio. 🔗
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hygiene mentor, RDH growth, clinical hygiene, hygiene problems, RDH humor, career development, dental hygienist, RDH, DDS, DMD, RDA #humanrdh #dental #rdh #dentalhygiene #hygienementor rdhlife dds rda by @humanrdh

Trimming my nose hairs and minding my business. 😤 by @humanrdh

Courage is the mental or moral strength to face fear, danger, pain, or difficulty instead of running away.

As an RDh, it can look like:

🚫 Resisting the urge to participate in the gossip
💪🏽 Prioritizing patient needs over insurance benefits
😤 Standing on your values at all times
👏🏻 Choosing what’s right over what’s popular
🧐 Doing the research and deciding for yourself
👋🏻 Walking away from circles that exclude or demean
📣 Coming out of the shadows to publicly support someone or something

When’s the last time you had to exercise your courage? I’d love to hear your stories! by @humanrdh

IYKYK 🦷

Actual color: Bubbles Only by Essie gel couture. by @humanrdh

If that’s you, then you’re my people. 🖤 by @humanrdh

I love a good RDH clinical hack, and the sickle/discoid scaler design is one of them!

Have you tried it? by @humanrdh