By Melia Lewis, MEd, RDH, FADHA
January 22, 2026

As a dental hygienist, I’ve been there. You’ve been there. We’ve logged off a fantastic webinar, returned from an inspiring conference, or completed an annual CE requirement brimming with new ideas. We’re motivated and excited to bring something fresh to our patients and practice. And then… life happens. Your busy schedule, packed patient load, and daily routines creep back in, and that spark of inspiration fades before it ever makes it into your operatory.

The truth is, continuing education only becomes valuable when we put it into practice. The good news? With a little intentionality, you can turn learning into doing. Consider these strategies to help you apply your next CE course learning to your clinical practice the very next day.

1. Choose CE With Purpose

It’s tempting to pick CE based on what’s easiest, most convenient, or free. But the most impactful learning happens when you align your CE choices with your current clinical cases or professional goals. Ask yourself:

• What patients or procedures do I find most challenging right now?
• What area of my practice could use a refresh? What am I doing clinically that I do the same as I did in dental hygiene school?
• Where do I want to grow in the next year — clinically, professionally or personally?

When your CE is tied directly to your needs, you’re more likely to implement what you learn because it already feels relevant. Plus, this will make the course much more enjoyable to attend. Courses that stand out in my mind are always tied to answering a question I had about a patient or family member at that time.

2. Take Action Notes

We all jot down clinical tidbits during a webinar or screenshot every slide, but often they sit forgotten in your phone. Instead, try “action notes.” As you learn, identify a few practical changes you can apply immediately. For example:

• “Try an advanced instrumentation technique on my next perio patient.”
• “Introduce xylitol discussion during caries risk assessments.”
• “Order a sample of the (insert new product) mentioned.”

By creating direct action items, you make implementation a natural next step rather than having it feel overwhelming. Nothing is trickier than having a busy clinical day compounded by trying to implement too many new things at once.

3. Start Small and Specific

One of the biggest barriers to applying new knowledge is trying to do too much too fast. Instead of overhauling your entire patient day, pick one small, specific change to focus on. For example, if you attend a course on ergonomics, maybe your first step is adjusting your chair positioning consistently for a week. Once that becomes a habit, you can add on the next improvement.

4. Involve Your Team

Change sticks better when it’s shared. Discuss what you learned with your hygiene team. Not only does this reinforce your own learning, but it also encourages a culture of growth in the practice. You might find that others are excited to try some of the same strategies, making implementation smoother and more effective. If you have team huddles or monthly staff meetings, this is a perfect time to chat about updates you’re excited about that would also benefit the entire office.

5. Build in Accountability

Accountability turns intentions into action. This could be as simple as setting a reminder in your phone, writing your goal on a sticky note in your op, or telling a coworker what you’re trying to implement. You could create a “CE Challenge” with a colleague where each person commits to applying one idea from their course, then checks in after a week or month to share how it went. Working together keeps the course information and the spark of learning alive, even weeks or years after the course concludes.

6. Reflect and Adjust

Not every tip you learn will be a perfect fit — some might not work for you, your op, or your patients. After trying something new, take a moment to reflect. Did it make your day easier? Did it enhance patient outcomes? Did it align with your practice flow? If yes, keep it. If not, that’s ok! Adapt it, tweak it, or move on to something that will work with you. Personally, I’ve experienced courses that sounded great in theory, but didn’t work with my patient population just then. However, filing them away has helped years later as relevant cases present, or new patients are referred.

Bringing It All Together

The value of continuing education is not about the CE credit you earn (I mean, it doesn’t hurt), but it’s about the meaningful improvements you make in patient care and professional growth. By choosing your courses intentionally, creating action notes, starting small, involving others, and holding yourself accountable, you can make sure the time you spend learning translates into better outcomes in the operatory.

The next time you log off a webinar or attend an event like the ADHA25 Annual Conference, don’t let your notes collect dust. Pick an action item, commit to it, and put your new knowledge into play. Because the best continuing education course isn’t just what you learn, it’s what you do with it.

See you at the next ADHA CE event!

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Melia Lewis, MEd, RDH, FADHA is a proud clinical dental hygienist in Utah. She grew up in the dental world and has always had a love of science and the human body. She graduated from dental hygiene school in 2009 and has never looked back. Melia is an ADHA member and became an ADHA professional fellow in 2023. Currently she practices at Aspen Heights Dental in Highland, Utah, and is an adjunct professor at Colorado Northwestern Community College. She is co-founder of Hygiene Edge and Acuti Sharpening. She has a passion for education and empowering dental hygienists to be their best.