Let’s be honest.
A lot of dental hygienists are out here trying to build their myofunctional therapy practice in between clinical days, school drop-offs, and maybe — maybe — a microwave burrito at lunch.
And that’s not the problem.
The problem isn’t that you’re building your business part-time.
The problem is that you’re treating it like a backup plan.
I’ve seen it over and over again: amazing, talented women who know they’re ready for more — but they’re still tiptoeing around their dream like it’s optional.
“If it doesn’t work, I’ll just stay in hygiene.”
“If I get too overwhelmed, I’ll slow down.”
“If I don’t get clients right away, maybe this isn’t for me.”
Friend — that’s not a strategy. That’s a security blanket.
And I say that with love, because I’ve BEEN there.
I was so miserable in hygiene that not succeeding wasn’t an option.
I didn’t have some huge vision. I wasn’t chasing seven figures. I just wanted to quit hygiene without tanking my finances.
Honestly? I would’ve taken a $20K pay cut in a heartbeat if it meant I could stop dragging myself to the operatory with aching wrists and an aching heart.
What I didn’t know then was just how much freedom — and income — was actually possible.
But here’s what I did know: I was done living in limbo.
Once I drew that line in the sand and said, “This is what I’m building,” my actions changed.
I stopped waiting to feel ready.
I stopped letting hygiene define me.
I started acting like a business owner.
And that’s when everything started to shift.
You don’t have to quit hygiene tomorrow.
But you do have to stop using it as an emotional safety net that keeps you from committing.
Here’s how to shift out of backup-plan energy and into belief:
Declare it.
Say it out loud. Write it down. Tell someone. This is your career now — not your side gig.
Stop letting hygiene define you.
Yes, you can be grateful for it. But don’t let it be the ceiling for what you’re capable of.
Act like the version of you who’s already booked out.
What would a confident myofunctional therapist do today? Do that. Even if it’s scary. Especially if it’s scary.
You can absolutely build your business part-time.
But you cannot build it half-hearted.
Let hygiene be a stepping stone — not your forever plan.
You don’t need a full-time schedule to make a full-time shift in your mindset.
You’ve got this. And if you feel shakey, join me inside the Ditch Hygiene Academy™, and I will help you make this dream a reality!
–Carmen
