If you’ve been working in hygiene for a while, chances are you’ve asked yourself: Is this really it?
Maybe you’re feeling burned out. Or unfulfilled. Or just ready to do something that lights you up again — without starting your whole career over from scratch.
The good news? You don’t have to leap. You don’t have to quit hygiene today. You just have to start moving in a new direction.
And one of the most aligned, flexible, and fulfilling paths I know — especially for dental hygienists — is myofunctional therapy.
I made the shift myself after realizing I still loved helping people… I just didn’t love cleaning teeth anymore. I needed something that felt deeper, more meaningful, and more aligned with the kind of life I wanted to build.
Here’s how you can start exploring a myofunctional therapy career without quitting your hygiene job:
1. Block off 3–5 hours a week.
You don’t need to go all-in. You just need focused, protected time to learn and start thinking like a business owner. It’s not about perfection — it’s about consistency.
2. Do your Myo Math.
Figure out your Freedom Number — the amount of money you need to feel a little more free. You might be surprised how small that number really is when you calculate it.
3. Take messy, imperfect action.
You don’t need a logo, a website, or a perfect plan. You just need to learn the basics and start helping people. That’s how real confidence is built — by doing.
When I was still in the op, I built my business on Mondays and Fridays around my three long commute days. I set a five-year goal to leave hygiene, and I ended up doing it in just 13 months.
Not because I rushed. But because I followed a step-by-step path and focused only on what mattered.
That’s exactly what I now teach inside the Ditch Hygiene Academy™ — a program specifically created to help dental hygienists transition into a new career they’re excited about, without starting over.
You don’t have to leave your paycheck behind. You don’t have to do this alone. And you don’t have to wait for life to get less busy — because spoiler alert: it won’t.
If you want to build something different, it starts with a single step — and a willingness to believe that more is possible for you.
So if you’ve been waiting for a sign, this is it.
Let’s get started 😘.
Carmen
