In this Dental Disruptors episode, Jake & Clint sit down with Janet Hagerman—clinical hygienist turned fractional Chief Hygiene Officer—to unpack why hygiene is the foundation of a thriving practice, how to systematize case acceptance across locations, and what DSOs can do this quarter to improve outcomes.
You’ll learn:
Why hygiene leadership belongs at the executive table
The real cost of poor case acceptance (30–50% non-acceptance is common)
Building a perio program + regional hygiene leadership model
Culture - “milquetoast values”: living a standard of care
Soft skills that move patients from diagnosis to “yes” (ethically)
Chapters
00:00 Intro
02:00 Janet’s path: hygienist - DSO hygiene director - fractional CHO
09:45 Building a multi-region hygiene program
14:20 What a CHO actually owns
19:05 Case acceptance as a team sport
27:40 Culture, systems, KPIs (and avoiding “culture-d’or”)
34:15 Tech + soft skills: AI as the “third opinion”
41:30 Where to start: coaching, org design, HR basics
48:10 How to reach Janet
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