Think Beyond The Prophy: Carrie Ibbetson, RDH

It's another day at the office and you have 8-12 patients scheduled for the day. Most patients are routine and require D1110 prophylaxis. However, without fail you see several "bloody prophies". There has been minimal improvement in homecare and you don't have the extensive time necessary to provide one-on-one feedback on their homecare regimen. Imagine if you could refer them to an oral health coach that can virtually assist these patients who struggle with their homecare. Through these virtual services the patient has the opportunity to be coached for 21 days, have access to oral health aids for purchase, and improve their oral health in the interim of their next recare appointment.

Well look no further!! This program exists!

I am so excited to feature my second Think Beyond The Prophy RDH entrepreneur! As dental hygienists, we need the encouragement and the inspiration to create our own paths in our professional career. I hope you draw inspiration from our next feature, Carrie Ibbetson, RDH.

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Carrie Ibbetson, RDH, is an excellent example for all hygienists. She has created a career and business that shows the limitless possibilities in dental hygiene. Colleagues never forget that ALL hygienists can create opportunities outside of the operatory. So for all of the hygienists who say "I just have an associates"- Quit it! It's self-defeating! We are all rock stars and have something unique to offer our profession!

I hope you feel empowered by Carrie's career and look for ways to think beyond the prophy.

Carrie, what is your current position?
I’m an Oral Health Coach with both professional and consumer focuses. Professionally, I mentor dental offices and help with effectiveness, efficiency, and communication skills with both patients and co-workers. In addition, I work with consumers, helping them improve their home care through proper use of products and their communication with their dental provider. It’s easiest to think of me as a personal trainer for the mouth.

I have a website, a podcast, and a program that I sell online called 21 Days to a Healthy Mouth. I’m just relaunching the program now; technology is making it easier to package up a program and deliver it to anyone who has internet and a computer!

What is your educational background and honors?
I hold an Associates in Dental Hygiene. Over the last few years, I have used the money that I would have spent on school, and invested it into mastermind groups to learn how to create a vision, brand, and online platform that patients could visit for oral health assistance.

During my transition from clinical practice, there was a lot to learn. I’m thankful that I have a very talented and helpful husband, who helps with everything I do. He also pushes me to keep going when I feel like running away from it all!

Ultimately, I will return back to school to finish my Bachelor’s degree. I wanted to prove to myself that I could advance my career without advancing my degree. Now that I’ve proven that to myself, I'm ready to complete my degree.

What are key highlights or interesting facts about your career?
I have 23 years' experience in the dental profession as a dental assistant, office manager, treatment coordinator, hygienist, and oral health coach. Each role has allowed me to see the profession from different perspectives and has enabled me to be empathetic when working with both professionals and clients.

Why did you create oral health coaching? 
One thing that really perplexed me were patients who returned for restorative work shortly after visiting the hygienist; they exhibited signs of recurrent buildup and calculus.  This happened in nearly every office I worked in.

Over the years I used my experience with product ordering, networking with reps, educators, and dental providers to learn what works to improve oral health. I realized through my experiences I wanted to fill the gap between the services the hygienist provided and what the patient heard and understood during the appointment. 

I had the privilege to work and mentor with dental professionals who challenged me to think outside of the box when trying to achieve my personal optimal oral health. Once I learned what worked for my needs, I started to implement what I learned on my patients. Little by little, I started incorporating more products and tools into my practice, and patients were experiencing success.

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I found that I was exhausted from trying to teach these things in the amount of time that I had for a recare appointment. I felt rushed and unable to provide the time the patient deserved. I started offering coaching sessions to patients. I was amazed how receptive the patients were to pay for oral hygiene instructions (OHI) outside of clinical practice.

I have found that it takes time to teach people and they often learn best when they focus on one or two small changes at a time. I’ve also found that people take advice more seriously when they pay for it. What do people do with free advice? Often very little. The result of a patient opting to invest in their oral health by paying for oral health coaching- taking their health more seriously.
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What is 21 days to a healthy mouth?
21 Days to a Healthy Mouth is an online oral health coaching program that gives individuals and families a way to use home care products and tools to deliver the most favorable results for their oral health. 

I took the tips and tricks I have spent years learning and turned them into a program that the patient can use in order to achieve amazing results in their mouth. The course helps patients become empowered about going to the dentist and asking questions instead of shutting down, overreacting, or accepting treatment because they felt pressured. Lack of effective communication often leads to mistrust of their current or future dental providers.

Have you experienced the rush for time? Do you have a patient that will benefit from these services? 
I love partnering with dental professionals who want to do the same or more for the patients they serve. I offer affiliate linking to anyone who refers this program to their patients!!! 

How have you kept your momentum to reach your goals?
Life continues to put me in places where my goals and dreams become realities.  Good or bad, I often plant seeds of wisdom and continue optimistic throughout life as my path unfolds. I’ve learned to take honest and sometimes raw feedback from my mentors. Life gets heavy sometimes in the world of oral health and entrepreneurism. If I let myself get down for too long-- I lose sight of my “why”.

What tips do you have for other dental professionals who want to be entrepreneurs?
If you have a dream, a calling or a crazy idea, follow it and don’t let life stop you.  Learn to communicate in a way that makes people WANT to talk to you or learn from you and genuinely want to be around you (even if you’re telling them things they may not want to hear). 

How do you maintain the joy in your life?
My greatest joy is my morning tandem bike ride with my son to school. After I drop him off, I take in a few moments and grab coffee with some moms before riding home. On the ride home, I listen to a podcast.

It’s been an amazing way to start the day!  Also, I live near the beach and paddleboard in the harbor to clear my head and visualize the things I’d like to see in the future. It’s active meditation and it really helps me maintain my joy!

Anything else you would like to add?
Read The Power Of Starting Something Stupid https://www.amazon.com/Power-Starting-Something-Stupid/dp/1609070097 by Richie Norton, and don’t be afraid to dream big! Find people who you can look up to, and ask them to mentor you!!