We are excited to welcome you to the RDH Evolve Hygiene Conference in Calgary May 2027
Precision by Design: Modern Instrumentation for Superior Periodontal Outcomes
Speaker:
Chrissy Ford
The evolution of periodontal instrumentation has transformed the way dental hygienists approach biofilm and calculus removal. Today's clinicians have more options than ever before-from innovative instrument designs and mini-bladed instruments to advanced power scaling technologies, ergonomic handles, and specialized implant instrumentation. But with so many choices, how do you know what truly improves clinical outcomes?
This highly practical course explores the newest innovations in hand and power instrumentation across multiple manufacturers, helping clinicians understand not just what is available-but when, why, and how to use each design effectively.
Through clinical cases, instrument comparisons, and technique pearls, participants will leave with practical strategies to increase efficiency, improve calculus detection and removal, reduce clinician fatigue, and elevate periodontal therapy.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
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Compare current instrument designs and understand their clinical indications.
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Select instruments based on root anatomy, pocket morphology, furcation involvement, and calculus type.
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Optimize power instrumentation through appropriate insert/tip selection and sequencing.
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Differentiate innovations from multiple manufacturers to determine which designs best fit individual clinical practice.
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Improve efficiency while reducing operator fatigue through ergonomic instrumentation strategies.
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Recognize common instrumentation challenges and apply techniques for removing burnished and tenacious calculus more predictably
Speaker:
Joe Siegfried
The Lips, The Teeth, The Tip of The Tongue
Sponsored
Myofunctional disorders are rarely included in the dental hygiene assessment curriculum in post-secondary education. This presentation will equip dental hygienists to screen and document intraoral signs of myofunctional disorders and airway-related concerns in clinical practice. Participants will also learn how to facilitate appropriate referrals to qualified healthcare providers for the management of oral dysfunction.
Using case images, evidence-based research, and practical screening tools, this session will support clinicians in strengthening their comprehensive assessment skills and improving overall patient health outcomes through earlier identification and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Learning Objectives
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Document 5 intraoral signs of myofunctional disorders.
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Identify 4 signs of dysfunction in the anatomy of the tongue.
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Recognize 3 signs of possible airway obstruction intraorally.
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Demonstrate how to screen and refer to a myofunctional therapist and other health care providers.
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Demonstrate range of motion scores as indicators for possible tissue restrictions.
Speaker:
Dr. Parul
Dua Makkar
From Loss to Legacy: Transforming Oral Cancer Detection
Sponsored
Oral cancer remains one of the most overlooked yet life-threatening conditions in healthcare, often diagnosed too late for optimal outcomes. Rooted in both clinical excellence and personal loss, this course bridges science with human impact—highlighting the critical role providers play in early detection, patient communication, and interdisciplinary care. Participants will leave with actionable protocols, enhanced diagnostic skills, and a renewed sense of responsibility in saving lives through routine care.
Learning Objectives
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Identify early and late-stage presentations of oral cancer and differentiate high-risk lesions from benign conditions.
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Implement a thorough, reproducible oral cancer screening protocol into everyday clinical practice.
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Recognize oral-systemic links, risk factors (HPV, tobacco, alcohol), and emerging trends in oral cancer epidemiology.
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Utilize adjunctive screening tools and documentation techniques to improve diagnostic accuracy and case acceptance.
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Communicate effectively with patients about suspicious findings, referrals, and the urgency of follow-up care.
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Integrate prevention, nutrition, and supportive care strategies for patients undergoing or recovering from treatment.
Speaker:
Michelle Strange
Sustaining Implant Health: The Significance of Maintenance in Achieving Long-Term Success
Co-Sponsored
In modern dentistry, dental implants offer patients a viable option for tooth replacement. However, it's crucial to remember that the treatment of dental implants goes beyond the surgical or restorative phases.
Establishing a tailored maintenance program for each patient and their dental implant is essential for long-term success.
This program should consider the patient's motivation, dexterity, physical capabilities, and prosthetics to determine the most suitable at-home and in-office maintenance methods.
Staying updated on the latest research and products is vital in ensuring the continued health of the patient's dental implant(s).
Learning Objectives
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Define peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis and the differentiating clinical factors.
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Explain the steps of assessing dental implants after placement and during maintenance visits.
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Determine the frequency of implant maintenance.
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Discuss the importance of patient education on the long-term health of dental implants.
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Discuss new protocols for in-office implant maintenance.
Speaker:
Katrina M. Sanders
Co-Sponsored
The Yellow Brick Road to Healthy Gums: A Patient-Centered Health Protocol
Join us as we journey to the magical world of optimal gum health, where every step leads to brighter smiles and healthier lives! This course is designed for dental professionals who are ready to follow the yellow brick road toward advanced periodontal care, offering a patient-centered approach to achieving "Emerald City Gums."
Throughout the program, we'll explore the pathophysiology of gum disease, its risk factors, and the innovative treatments that can bring your patients back to a place of vibrant health. Much like Dorothy’s quest to find her way home, we will teach you how to tailor personalized care plans to meet each patient's unique needs, including lifestyle modifications, nutritional advice, and the latest periodontal advancements.
Effective communication, as powerful as the ruby slippers, will be at your disposal to motivate and educate patients, ensuring they remain on the path to long-term oral wellness.
Learning Objectives
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Develop a thorough understanding of the pathophysiology of gum disease and the various risk factors associated with its development and progression.
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Learn to create and implement personalized care plans that integrate lifestyle modifications, nutritional guidance, and cutting-edge periodontal therapies tailored to individual patient needs.
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Master effective communication techniques to educate and motivate patients, ensuring adherence to treatment protocols and promoting long-term oral health.
Speaker:
Amanda Hale
The Oral-Systemic Blueprint: Connecting Digestion, Hormones, Nutrition, and Prevention
Sponsored
Explore how functional medicine principles can enhance preventive dental care by addressing digestion, immune resilience, hormonal balance, nutrition, and patient-centered health tracking. This course examines the interconnected relationship between oral and systemic health while providing practical strategies dental professionals can implement to support behavior change, improve patient engagement, and elevate long-term outcomes.
Learning Objectives
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Explain the relationship between digestion, immune function, and oral health and apply lifestyle-centered approaches to support these interconnected systems.
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Recognize how hormonal balance influences oral inflammation and oral-systemic outcomes and identify practical lifestyle modifications that support hormonal health.
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Evaluate how nutritional status and antioxidant balance influence healing capacity, inflammatory burden, and preventive dental outcomes.
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Assess how at-home health measurement tools can increase patient engagement, accountability, and sustainable behavior change within dental practice.
Speaker:
Irene Iancu
How to Win Against White Spot Lesions: From Basics to Advanced Solutions
Sponsored by:
Why did dentistry turn a blind eye to in office teeth whitening? Sure, many clinics say they “offer” whitening but are they really competing? On your drive to work this morning, you probably passed a medi-spa offering in-chair whitening, and chances are, they’re booking more appointments than you. In this session, Rach takes you back to the beginning: where whitening started, how dentistry lost its grip, and why the demand has exploded in the grey market. From science to real-world business models, dental hygienists will discover why whitening is the untapped treatment that can re-energize their independent practices and provider care. These aren’t hypotheticals; this is evidence-backed data, proven protocols, and practical strategies you can implement immediately to give patients the service they already want, while boosting revenue and reclaiming dentistry’s role in the whitening conversation.
Speaker:
Rachel Hicks
Bring Teeth Whitening Back to Dentistry
Sponsored
Why did dentistry turn a blind eye to in office teeth whitening? Sure, many clinics say they “offer” whitening but are they really competing? On your drive to work this morning, you probably passed a medi-spa offering in-chair whitening, and chances are, they’re booking more appointments than you.
In this session, Rach takes you back to the beginning: where whitening started, how dentistry lost its grip, and why the demand has exploded in the grey market. From science to real-world business models, dental hygienists will discover why whitening is the untapped treatment that can re-energize their independent practices and provider care. These aren’t hypotheticals; this is evidence-backed data, proven protocols, and practical strategies you can implement immediately to give patients the service they already want, while boosting revenue and reclaiming dentistry’s role in the whitening conversation.
Learning Objectives
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Provide safe, effective chairside whitening with predictable results.
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Recognize the shift of whitening from dentistry to medispas and how to reclaim it.
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Develop a whitening system that fits their provider role.
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Educate patients by overcoming myths, setting expectations, and building trust.
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Create a profitable, ethical whitening strategy with smart pricing and marketing.
Speaker:
Dr. Michael Glogauer
Sponsored
Systemic Impacts of Oral Inflammation and Periodontitis: It Is Real and It's Severe
This course explores the complex interactions between oral health, specifically periodontitis and systemic health. Periodontitis is a prevalent inflammatory disease of the gums, which can lead to significant oral tissue damage. More importantly, recent research has shown that periodontitis contributes significantly to broader systemic conditions, affecting cardiovascular health, cancer therapy, cognitive function, joint inflammation, and more. The most recent evidence, some of which is from the instructors own Clinical Research at UHN, PMH and the University of Toronto, shows it is more than just an association. We will review the mechanisms through which oral inflammation impacts other body systems, including immune modulation, bacterial dissemination and systemic inflammatory responses.
Learning Objectives
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Understand the pathophysiology of periodontitis: Identify the biologic and microbiological mechanisms that initiate and exacerbate periodontitis and review the new technology that allows patients to appreciate the severity of the oral disease and increased treatment compliance.
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Analyze mechanisms and systemic consequences of oral inflammation: Investigate how periodontitis contributes to systemic disease such as cardiovascular disease and poor cancer outcomes and review the latest data confirming how periodontal disease impacts cardiovascular health.
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Evaluate therapeutic and preventative strategies: Assess current and emerging treatments aimed at controlling periodontitis, peri- implants and mitigating systemic effects and review case studies where improved oral health management could alleviate systemic health issues.
Speaker:
Dr. Sanjukta Mohanta
Sponsored
How to Stop Decay Without a Drill
"You have no cavities!" Let's say that more and save teeth. Participate in this engaging presentation to learn the latest evidence-based research on the best materials and methods to prevent and stop decay. This fun presentation will teach you how to start implementing minimally invasive dentistry to help your clients become cavity free.
Learning Objectives
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Assess when to use and how to use silver diamine fluoride, glass ionomer, and sealants.
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Understand the latest evidence on removing and restoring decay conservatively and effectively.
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Implement preventive methods to save more teeth.
Speaker:
Dr. Diana Liu
Sponsored
From Aches to Ease: The Missing Link to Pain-Free Dentistry
Dentistry takes a toll. The fast pace, constant responsibility, decision fatigue, awkward postures, and precision required in daily clinical practice can lead to physical pain, chronic stress, and eventual burnout.
But here’s what’s often missing… We were never taught how to metabolize stress in a healthy way in school. So it accumulates-in the body-showing up as tension, fatigue, irritability, anxiety, and pain.
And over time, this impacts not only how we practice… but how we feel in our work, our relationships, and our lives.
Just as brushing and flossing help prevent dental disease, simple daily mindfulness and nervous system practices help prevent and ease:
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Musculoskeletal strain
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Chronic stress and overwhelm
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Mental fatigue and burnout
Learning Objectives
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Recognize early signs of musculoskeletal strain and burnout.
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Learn how stress accumulates in the body and how to release it.
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Examine the latest research in neuroscience and psychology showing how mindfulness. improves physical health, mental clarity, and emotional well-being.
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Learn to apply simple, accessible tools during your workday and at home to support. sustainable energy, reduced burnout, and a more fulfilling, pain-free dental hygiene career!