Facebook: Andrew Johnston
LinkedIn: Andrew Johnston
Email: [email protected]
Years in dental hygiene: 10
Are you still practicing clinical dental hygiene? Yes
Type of Practice: General/corporate
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!
What causes do you advocate on social media?
Education and dental humanitarian trips. I feel that people are happier when they are confident in their ability to perform a task. In order to feel confident, we need to be educated. I know that we all went through school and passed boards, but there is so much more out there that you can be doing for yourself and for your patients! When you learn (or relearn) these things, the world opens up to you. I also feel for those who experience burnout. Through dental humanitarian trips, I have found that myself and others feel much less burnout. There is something to giving back that takes you outside of yourself and see the world from a different perspective.
Do you have a goal?
My goal in life personally is happiness. My goal for everyone else is also to be happy. Education is the key out of an unhappy life and I hope that I can do my small part to help others understand this.
