This story is part of a series on the challenges and solutions related to oral health in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. It is made possible with funding support from the Delta Dental Foundation.
As a child, Hali Householder loved going to the dentist. Most kids dreaded the chair, but not her. She looked forward to cleanings, adored her braces, and especially enjoyed visiting her aunt, who was also her hygienist.
What began as routine appointments eventually became a calling that would take Householder from receptionist to registered dental hygienist, public health scholar, and now, a state ambassador for one of the most innovative dental workforce programs in the country.
“I tell people all the time, a smile really makes a person,” Householder says. “When someone smiles, it changes their confidence, their health, it changes their life.”
Today, Householder is part of
Hygienist Inspired, a pilot program launched by the Delta Dental Foundation and the
American Dental Hygienists’ Association. She is one of just three ambassadors representing Indiana in a multistate effort to reimagine how the dental hygiene workforce is built.
The program trains dental hygienists to identify and inspire future professionals, particularly among underrepresented groups, and to promote the profession as a pathway to economic mobility and whole-body health. It also aims to ease persistent staffing shortages and improve access to oral health care.
Nine states – Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin – are participating in the pilot, which plans to expand nationally over the next two years. Ambassadors are selected from a competitive pool of applicants and commit to monthly outreach, including chairside conversations, school and community events, data reporting, and peer-to-peer mentoring.
“It’s not just about cleaning teeth,” Householder says. “It’s about inspiring people to grow in the field and showing them all the different directions this career can take you.”
Varied experiences in her field
Householder lives in Greenwood, Indiana, about 20 minutes south of Indianapolis, and works in south Indianapolis.
Her professional path started nearly two decades ago when she took a front desk job at a dental office in California. From there, she became a registered dental assistant, trained as an orthodontic assistant, and later earned an associate degree in dental assisting. In 2012, she completed her dental hygiene degree in Savannah, Georgia, and returned to Indiana to finish her bachelor’s degree in public health.
That degree came with a global twist. Householder joined a public health rehabilitation track that took her to Istanbul, Turkey.
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Hali Householder with Delta Dental Foundation Executive Director Holli Seabury (far left) and fellow Hygienist Inspired ambassadors.
“I wanted to see how other countries approached dentistry,” she says. “To my surprise, I found out they didn’t have dental hygienists at the time. Even assistants weren’t allowed to touch patients.”
While observing a U.S.-trained dentist practicing in Istanbul, Householder discovered just how different oral health systems can be around the world. That experience – and earlier mission work in Belize, where she provided cleanings and sealants for children – deepened her belief in access and prevention.
“It opened my eyes,” she says. “A lot of people globally don’t have access to dental care. And now I see it’s not just abroad. We have Hoosiers right here in Indiana who lack access, too.”
‘I love learning’
Her career has continued to evolve. Today, Householder practices orofacial myofunctional therapy, working with patients to correct breathing and oral posture habits that can cause a cascade of dental issues. In some cases, she says, children aren’t getting cavities because of sugary diets, but because their mouths are so dry from mouth breathing.
She launched her own business,
Indy Myo, and is preparing to sit for board certification through the
International Association of Orofacial Myology. She also performs airway screenings, helping connect oral symptoms to underlying health conditions that often go unrecognized in primary care.
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Hali Householder cares for a patient during her mission trip to Belize.
“I love learning,” she says. “Dentistry is always evolving. There’s always new research, new techniques, and I feel like I owe it to my patients to stay up to date. That’s part of why this ambassador program resonates so much with me.”
Householder credits her career and passion for mentorship to the support of others: her aunt, her best friend, a series of dentists who encouraged her to keep moving forward. Now, she wants to be that same voice for someone else.
“I’ve had patients who’ve shadowed me, students who didn’t know what they wanted to do, and even dental assistants who’ve decided to go back to school,” she says. “That’s where the magic happens.”
‘We’re just getting started’
As an ambassador for Hygienist Inspired, Householder participates in monthly virtual meetings with hygienists across Indiana, helping shape the program and tailoring strategies to meet the needs of her community. Ambassadors receive expenses-paid training, a stipend, and marketing support, but more importantly, they help drive a grassroots movement to rebuild and reimagine their profession.
During a recent training in Florida, the inaugural cohort of ambassadors gathered for a two-day session filled with leadership development, peer learning, and role-playing exercises. The program teaches them how to connect with four core audiences: patients, high school students and their parents, career changers, and fellow hygienists who want to become “inspired allies.”
Allies are encouraged to promote the profession and share resources without the time commitment of ambassadorship, making it easier for more hygienists to participate.
The diversity of experience was striking, ranging from recent graduates to veterans, educators to nonprofit founders. But one thing united them all: a deep belief in the power of dental hygiene to change lives.
“We’re creating a ripple effect,” Householder says. “And I think we’re just getting started.”
As the program prepares to expand nationally, Householder hopes the next wave of hygienists includes more voices, more backgrounds, and more champions of whole-person care.
“There’s so much more to this profession than people think,” she says. “It’s not just a job. It’s a way to connect, to educate, and to make a real difference in someone’s health and confidence.”
Photos provided by Hali Householder