Dr. Derik RDH

08/27/2026

Nursing governs nursing. PT governs PT. Who governs dental hygiene? Right now, in most states, it's not hygienists. ADHA's new white paper, authored by Dr. Derik Sven, makes the ethical and economic case for self-governance and points to the Dental Hygiene Modernization Act as the model. It's time our regulations caught up with our profession. Download now at adha.org/whitepapers.

07/08/2026

Dentistry keeps calling these isolated disputes.
They are not.

Scope of practice.
Reimbursement.
Autonomy.
Corporate control.
Workforce restructuring.
Production pressure.

These are connected faultlines beneath the profession.

In Part I of Seismic Strains: Surveying the Ethical Fault Lines in Dentistry, I examine the growing tension between morality, ethics, and law—and why what is legal is not always ethical.

The fault lines are visible.The pressure is real.The question is whether dentistry will respond to the warning signs—or wait for rupture.

Read the full article in RDH Magazine (July Issue). Part I is out now.

06/09/2026

06/05/2026

My upcoming series “Seismic Strains” debuts in the next issue of RDH Magazine! Here’s the overview

06/03/2026

My interview with Dr. Kelly Tanner 🤓

Your license is the same. Your scope is not. Why?

Dr. Derik J. Sven just finished a doctorate at The George Washington University that mapped the dental hygiene scope of practice across all 50 states. The determining factor was not political party. It was regional culture. That one finding reframes every conversation about hygiene burnout, career ceilings, and why the same degree lands so differently depending on your zip code.

This week on The Dental Handoff, he also breaks down:
• Why the dental association's pilot project was a customer survey, not a health study
• Why he is applying to law school and why you might want to consider it too
• What 2,200 RDH-JDs could realistically do for the profession's legislative future

Link in bio. New episodes every week. https://youtu.be/xHg1aJONP8E

05/18/2026

After three years of sacrifice, resilience, and discipline, I am proud to officially be Dr. Derik!

Balancing leadership, advocacy, clinical practice, and doctoral work was far from easy, but those challenges made this achievement even more meaningful.

There were long nights, early mornings, moments of doubt, and moments of clarity—but through it all, I never lost sight of the purpose behind the work.

I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who supported, encouraged, and believed in me along the way. This accomplishment is more than a title. It represents persistence, passion, and the continued pursuit of making an impact.

Here’s to the next chapter.

Dr. Derik 🎓

04/30/2026

Thank you Dentaltown for starting this important conversation!

Rethinking Hygienists' Role in Oral Health

The push for dental hygienist autonomy is one of the most debated topics in dentistry right now, and this Hygienetown Hot Topics piece doesn't shy away from the hard questions.

At the center of the debate: dental hygiene exists to prevent disease, but hygienists in most states cannot practice without a dentist's permission. Supervision laws are framed as patient safety measures by supporters, while critics argue they function primarily as economic barriers that restrict access to care, particularly for underserved populations.

The article also explores the structural tension between prevention and production, the workforce shortage in hygiene, the role of antitrust law in these discussions, and what independent preventive practice models already operating in the US and internationally have shown about patient outcomes.
Advocates for autonomy aren't calling for the elimination of dentistry. They're calling for clarity on scopes, roles, and accountability.

This one is worth sharing with your whole team.

👉 https://bit.ly/4cnW9qC

💬 Where do you stand on expanded hygienist autonomy, and what would it look like in practice for your office?

03/02/2026

Busy weekend in DC at George Washington University… and I successfully defended my dissertation.

Years of research, writing, rewriting, questioning, refining — all culminating in one room, one conversation, one moment.

I can’t officially use the title “Doctor” until my hooding in May… but it’s not far off.

Grateful. Grounded. And ready for what’s next.