The Adoption Gap with Jessica Woods

Why does innovation struggle to take hold in dentistry—even when the technology is sound and the science is solid?

In this episode of The Chief Psycho Podcast, I sit down with Jessica L. Woods, MPH, RDH, FADHA, Founder of Executive RDH, to examine the persistent gap between innovation and adoption in oral healthcare.

Drawing from more than 20 years across clinical practice, public health, nonprofit leadership, and corporate innovation, Jessica breaks down why clinicians—especially hygienists—are often underutilized as strategic leaders, and how that misalignment quietly derails progress.

We talk candidly about where founders and executives unintentionally create friction, why clinician adoption is so often misunderstood, and what needs to change if innovation is going to scale in meaningful, sustainable ways.

In this episode, we explore:
 • Why adoption—not innovation—is the real bottleneck
 • How underutilizing clinicians limits strategy and growth
 • Where leadership structures break down between vision and execution
 • What’s coming next in prevention, diagnostics, and care delivery
 • How positioning clinicians as leaders closes the gap

This episode is for leaders, founders, and clinicians who want innovation to actually work—not just look good on paper.

Season 5, Episode 7
The Adoption Gap
Now streaming.