Your Mouth Is Talking: Hormones, Bone Loss & the Clues We’re Missing with Kristin Evans, RDH What if the bone loss you’re seeing in your patient’s mouth isn’t just a periodontal problem? In this episode of The Unhinged Hygienists, Tasia and Lauren sit down with Kristin Evans, RDH, “The pH RDH,” a clinical dental hygienist with 34 years of experience, national speaker, and passionate voice in hormones, systemic bone health, and the oral-systemic connection. And yes, we’re talking hormones. But this conversation goes WAY beyond estrogen and progesterone. Kristin shares her personal journey of being diagnosed with severe osteoporosis at just 54, after years of chronic back pain and unexplained alveolar bone loss. Her diagnosis completely changed the trajectory of her career and sparked a mission to help dental professionals recognize systemic warning signs that may otherwise be missed. We dive into the connection between systemic bone health and alveolar bone, and why unexplained bone loss, especially when the inflammation and clinical presentation don’t seem to match what we’re seeing radiographically, should make us stop and ask: What else is going on here? Because maybe it isn’t just perio. We talk about hormones, menopause, osteoporosis, nutrition, vitamin D, sleep, airway, inflammation, genetics, muscle health, medications, and why all of these things can matter when we’re looking at the person attached to the mouth. We also discuss why conversations about bone health need to start much earlier than most people realize. Kristin explains that peak bone mass occurs around age 30, making adolescence and young adulthood an incredibly important window for education, prevention, nutrition, lifestyle, and understanding risk factors. In this episode, we get into: 🦴 Why the bone in the mouth is NOT separate from the rest of the skeleton 🦷 What unexplained alveolar bone loss may be trying to tell us 🔥 Hormones, inflammation, periodontal disease, and systemic bone health 😴 Why sleep and airway health belong in this conversation 💪 The relationship between muscle mass and healthy aging 🥗 Nutrition, vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, and supporting bone health 💉 GLP-1 medications, nutrition, muscle loss, and looking at the whole patient 🩻 DEXA scans, bone-health screening, and recognizing risk factors earlier 🧬 Genetics and other factors that may influence osteoporosis risk 🔎 How hygienists can SCREEN without stepping outside our scope to diagnose 🗣️ Helping patients advocate for themselves when something doesn’t feel right 👩⚕️ Why hygienists are uniquely positioned to become healthcare detectives and oral-health coaches One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation? Stop putting every patient into the same box. A six-month recall isn’t right for everyone. The same home-care recommendations aren’t right for everyone. And healthcare shouldn’t be a conveyor belt of standardized protocols. Individualize the care. Look differently at the health history. Ask better questions. Recognize patterns. Understand risk factors. Collaborate with other healthcare providers. And when something doesn’t add up, don’t be afraid to dig deeper. Dental hygienists see patients regularly. We educate. We screen. We monitor changes over time. We see radiographs, periodontal measurements, tissues, saliva, airway clues, medications, health histories, and lifestyle factors. Sometimes we may be the healthcare provider who sees the clue everyone else missed. The future of dental hygiene is bigger than the operatory. It’s prevention. It’s screening. It’s collaboration. It’s patient advocacy. It’s individualized care. And it’s understanding one very important thing: Nothing in the human body exists in isolation. CONNECT WITH KRISTIN EVANS, RDH | THE pH RDH Kristin Evans, BS, RDH is a national speaker, educator, writer, and clinical dental hygienist whose work focuses on hormones, systemic bone health, functional nutrition, pH, and the oral-systemic connection. 📲 Instagram: @ThepHRDH 💼 LinkedIn: Kristin Evans, BS, RDH | The pH RDH 📧 Email / Speaking Inquiries: kristinevansrdh@gmail.com 🦴 Bone & Balance for Life: Kristin’s bone-health education and advocacy program 🌐 Website & Resources: Available through the link in Kristin’s Instagram and LinkedIn profiles Follow Kristin for more education on hormones, bone health, pH, prevention, and why dentistry needs to start looking beyond the mouth. 🎙️ THE UNHINGED HYGIENISTS Helping hygienists think differently so patients can feel and live differently. If this episode made you look at bone loss, hormones, or your role as a hygienist differently, send it to another hygienist or healthcare provider who needs to hear this conversation. Follow @theunhingedhygienists for more conversations that challenge the traditional dental box, connect the mouth to the rest of the body, and occasionally get a little… unhinged. DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or replace individualized medical advice. Dental professionals should always work within their individual scope of practice, and listeners should consult with their appropriate licensed healthcare providers regarding their personal health.
