Presented by: Deb Daniel, DrPH(c), MHSc, RDH, PMP, CHE & Arti Joshi, B.A., RDH, CEC, MAL-XL

Leading from the Operatory and Beyond: A Toolkit for Dental Hygienists

**Not included in the All Access Virtual Pass (AAVP) Membership

CE Hours: 10

Online Dates:

10 sessions on Tuesday evenings starting October 6th, 2026 through to December 8th, 2026

Time: 8:00 PM - 9:15 PM EST

Course description:

This practical, 10-class program equips dental practitioners to lead—whether or not they hold a formal title. Grounded in real clinical scenarios, you’ll learn how to spot everyday leadership opportunities, communicate with clarity during conflict, and guide change in a way that protects patient safety and team morale.

You’ll explore leadership styles, build confidence to counter imposter syndrome, and practice feedback and recognition that actually motivates. You’ll also apply quality-improvement basics to solve workflow pain points, translate your clinical impact into resume achievements, prepare for leadership interviews, and craft a clear action plan for transitioning into team lead roles.

By the end, you’ll leave with a portfolio of worksheets, scripts, and mini-plans you can use immediately to elevate patient experience, streamline operations, and accelerate your career.

Course Objectives:

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

Identify everyday leadership opportunities in the dental setting and articulate first steps to act on them (Understand/Apply).
Apply structured communication models (“I” statements, active listening) to resolve team conflict while preserving patient trust and workflow (Apply).
Differentiate major leadership theories and styles (transformational, servant, situational, etc.) and select an approach appropriate to clinical and team contexts (Analyze/Evaluate).
Plan and support practice changes using simple frameworks (ADKAR, PDSA), including resistance strategies, and success measures (Apply/Create).
Analyze personal and systemic drivers of imposter syndrome and implement confidence-building behaviors that strengthen professional presence (Analyze/Apply).
Conduct performance conversations and design meaningful recognition aligned to shared standards of care and team motivators (Apply/Create).
Design and execute a small-scale QI cycle (aim, measures, test of change) to improve a patient-care or workflow outcome; report results with basic data (Create/Evaluate).
Translate clinical and leadership impact into targeted resume achievements and demonstrate interview readiness using STAR responses tied to patient outcomes (Create/Evaluate).
Develop a personal leadership action plan with 3–5 measurable goals spanning team development and patient-care quality (Create).
Evaluate how leadership behaviors influence patient experience, safety, and equity—and commit to practices that improve consistency of care across the team (Evaluate).

Bios:

Deb Daniel, DrPH(c), MHSc, RDH, PMP, CHE is a graduate of the George Brown College Dental Hygiene Program (2004). Deb began her career in clinical practice and education. While teaching and practicing, she completed an Honours Bachelor of Science in Psychology to broaden her career opportunities within and beyond dentistry. In 2011, she earned a Master of Health Science in Health Administration from the University of Toronto and became the first Canadian selected for a Quality and Patient Safety Fellowship with Vancouver Coastal Health and ARAMARK.

Since 2012, Deb has led multiple projects and change management and quality improvement initiatives across diverse sectors, including hospitals, laboratories, home care, and municipal government. After connecting with Jess, Deb co-founded an initiative to support dental hygienists in transitioning into leadership roles and expanding the profession’s influence within the broader health care system. Deb is currently pursuing a doctorate in public health, focusing on allied health leadership.

Arti (pronounced Arthie) Joshi, B.A., RDH, CEC, MAL-XL is a Registered Dental Hygienist, leadership coach, and facilitator whose career has been shaped by an enduring curiosity about people and what helps individuals, teams, and organizations thrive. Over more than three decades, that curiosity has taken her from finance to healthcare, entrepreneurship, and public health, ultimately evolving into a career centered on leadership and coaching.

Having led in both private practice and public health, Arti brings firsthand experience navigating the realities of leadership across different dental practice settings. She helps people strengthen self-awareness, navigate complexity, and lead with authenticity and purpose. She believes leadership is measured not only by the results we achieve, but by whose voices are heard, whose potential is recognized, and whose humanity is honoured along the way.

Arti holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Graduate Certificates in Executive Coaching and Values-Based Leadership, and a Master of Arts in Leadership specializing in Executive Leadership.