Whitney DiFoggio, RDH, is a clinical dental hygienist with a background in acting. She combines both skills to grow her popular brand, Teeth Talk Girl, which includes her widely followed YouTube channel. She is also a winner of this year's RDH Heart to Hands Award. I had a chance to talk to Whitney about the inspiration for Teeth Talk Girl. Here's what she had to say!
Interview with Whitney DiFoggio, RDH
Amber: How long have you been a practicing RDH?
Whitney: I’ve been a dental hygienist for four years, and I was a dental assistant for three years before that. I’ve been in the dental world for seven years now.
Amber: Where did you go to school?
Whitney: I graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago for my undergrad, where I received a bachelor’s in biology. After that, I attended Prairie State College in Chicago Heights for dental hygiene.
Amber: When did you decide to create your YouTube page?
Whitney: I created my first YouTube video while waiting for my dental hygiene license to arrive in the mail. I was working as a dental assistant at the time, but I was so incredibly eager to start dental hygiene patient education! I tried with my dentist’s patients, but no patient was excited to hear about flossing techniques during a root canal procedure, for example, so I started making videos.
Amber: What is the mission behind your brand?
Whitney: My mission is to spread awareness about the importance of teeth in a fun, entertaining way. I feel that if people can understand dental hygiene in an entertaining, light-hearted way, then it will bring positive effects not only to their dental health but also their overall health.
Amber: How do you want to impact the profession?
Whitney: When I started, I had only the nondental person in mind, such as the patient, the consumer—the people who do not know as much about teeth as professionals do. Now that I’ve been creating videos routinely, I’ve had more and more dental hygienists tell me how they have benefited from my videos too. I try to explain things in a simple way, and I’ve had dental professionals tell me they’ve used my simple-phrase explanations with their patients. So now, another goal of mine is to make everyone feel like they belong. I’m all about surrounding one's self with like-minded individuals, and I hope that my videos will continue to bring hygienists together.
Amber: In five years, how do you think the dental hygiene profession will change?
Whitney: I expect to see more and more dental hygiene awareness on social media. This can be a great thing, but we also have to be careful. I will never post anything until I’m confident it’s supported by the most current, evidence-based research. Or, if I’m posting something opinion-based, I will clearly state that. Since we are all professionals, I believe we will continue to grow in a positive direction by always adding disclaimers on social media noting whether the post is a personal opinion or based on science.
Amber: What piece of advice do you want to give new graduates and students?
Whitney: It’s a lot to learn and absorb, but don’t freak out. Everything will come with time, and you will always find a group of hygienists out there waiting to support you. We bring each other up!
Amber: Where can people find you?
Whitney: I post new dental videos every Tuesday on youtube.com/teethtalk. I also have a website, teethtalkgirl.com, with a search bar at the top where you can search any video subject and see if I’ve made a video on it yet. You can also DM me at @teethtalkgirl on IG. Lastly, you can always email me at [email protected].
Amber: Thank you so much, Whitney!
Whitney: Thank you for interviewing me! Peace, love, and teeth!
Amber Auger, RDH, MPH, is a practicing dental hygienist and clinical innovations implementation specialist. With 14 years of experience in the dental industry, Auger works with practices to provide customized protocols, to refocus on the patient experience, and to utilize systemic approaches to periodontal therapy. She is a regular contributor to RDH magazine, a featured author for DentistryIQ, and host of #AskAmberRDH. Auger also provides preventive services abroad yearly and is always willing to have dental professionals join her team. She can be reached at [email protected].
