Rooting Within Health
Rooting Within Health explores the powerful connections between oral health and overall systemic wellness, while addressing critical issues in the dental industry that often go unspoken. Hosted by Kimberly W. Williamson, RDH, CIHC, RYT, this podcast goes beyond the surface to examine how oral health impacts our entire body, mind, and quality of life.
Through a hybrid approach of solo episodes and conversations with healthcare professionals, wellness experts, and individuals navigating their own health journeys, we'll dive into topics that matter. From oral-systemic health connections, workplace wellness and culture in healthcare settings, to behavior modifications for sustainable health to the urgent need for advocacy and reform within the dental industry - no topic is off limits.
Whether you're a dental professional seeking community and validation, a healthcare worker facing workplace challenges, or someone interested in holistic approaches to health, this podcast creates space for honest conversations and meaningful change. We're here to educate, empower, and build community around the issues that matter most - because true health starts from within, and change begins when we're willing to speak up.
Rooting Within Health
Episode 8: The Missed Opportunity: Why Dental Hygienists Are the Original Health Coaches
What if dental hygienists could expand on the foundation they already have? What if they could coach patients through the barriers that actually prevent better health—and get reimbursed for it?
This episode explores why hygienists are uniquely positioned to step into health coaching—and why this shift could reshape healthcare itself.
We unpack the oral-systemic connection: how periodontal disease links to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mental health, and why treating the mouth in isolation no longer makes sense. We also address the socioeconomic barriers patients face that traditional dental education never prepared us to navigate: food insecurity, transportation, lack of insurance, and mental health challenges.
Plus: the frustrating reality that hygienists—already licensed clinicians—often can’t bill insurance directly, while health coaches now have CPT codes and growing recognition. And why oral health is still missing from most health coaching curriculums.
This is a call to action: it’s time to recognize the role hygienists were always meant to play.
Resources:
∙National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching: nbhwc.org
∙Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN)
∙Duke Integrative Medicine Health Coach Training
∙Wellcoaches School of Coaching
∙Episode 7: When Getting Out of Bed is Hard – Mental Health and Oral Health