Questions and answers

Frequently asked questions.

Everything worth knowing about the Study Set, what is free, and how the studying actually works.

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01What is The House of Hygiene?

NBDHE prep for dental hygiene students, built on real patient cases instead of slides and flashcards. You work through a realistic patient encounter, make the clinical decisions, and learn the reasoning behind each one. It is built and written by a working RDH.

02Who is this for?

Dental hygiene students, at any point in the program. If your boards are close, start with the free 75-question diagnostic. If you are earlier than that, start with the Survival Guide, which is free and always will be.

03Where should I start?

The diagnostic. It is 75 questions, it is free, and it builds a study plan from your results so you stop guessing about what to work on.

04When should I start using this? I am only a first-year.

You are more than welcome to start early, it never hurts to be prepared. Start with the Survival Guide, which is free and open to everyone, and take the diagnostic whenever you want a read on where you stand. When you buy the Study Set you also get into the live study sessions at no extra cost.

How the studying works

05How did you study?

Almost by accident. My clinic coordinator let us make up no-showed chair hours by completing case studies, and after a few rounds I realized how quickly I had memorized things like blood pressure classifications and periodontal staging and grading. Learn to treat the difficult patient and you will in turn learn the information you need to pass your exams. That is the whole idea behind this site. The longer version is on the About page.

06Is this enough on its own, or do I still need the big review course?

This is up to you. I have done my best to make this resource as comprehensive as possible, and I am very open to filling any gaps that students identify. Here is my advice: start here. I have created an affordable study option that funnels you into a community. You do not only get study materials, you get direct access to a working dental hygienist who has made it her personal mission to help you be successful. You will not get that from the larger study programs. You might get more flashcards, but that will not guarantee more retention.

07How is this different from Anki or a free question bank?

It is different because it is more. Yes, there is a question bank. But there are also multi-level drills that include labeling and sorting, and 11 full patient cases where you work an entire appointment start to finish. Here is the mechanism, plain as I can put it: flashcards test what you already know, and cases build the understanding that the flashcards stick to. Question banks land better after the cases, not before.

08How do the interactive cases work?

You meet a patient, move through the appointment scene by scene, and make decisions at each step. You get immediate feedback, short teaching moments with cited evidence, and a knowledge check along the way. Every case ends with a quiz so you can see what actually stuck.

09Will I ever be able to do everything I need to do in an hour?

Yes, and sooner than you think. Rhythm and flow during an appointment is the thing I have the strongest opinion about, and it is the next piece going up in the Survival Guide.

Price and access

10What do I get for free?

The full 75-question diagnostic and a study plan built from your results, plus three complete skill drills: Tooth Numbering, Molar Morphology, and Head & Neck. No card, no catch. The entire Survival Guide is free too, and it is not gated behind an email.

11What does it cost?

The Study Set is $89, one time, for 12 months of access. That is 11 patient cases, 13 interactive skill drills, the 350-item full-length mock exam, the 25-question timed checkpoint, the question bank, and over 500 board-style questions in all. It is not a subscription and it does not auto-renew. One license covers up to three devices.

12Does the $89 expire? What happens after twelve months?

You get access for one year. After 12 months you have the option to renew for another year, or you can pay the drop-in rate for any study sessions or events.

13What is your refund policy?

A full, no-questions-asked 14-day guarantee, no conditions attached. Open everything, sit the mock exam, and if it is not what you needed, email me inside 14 days and I will refund you in full. See our Refund Policy for the complete terms.

Practical

14What device do I need?

Any modern web browser on a computer, tablet, or phone. There is nothing to install. One license covers up to three devices.

15Do I need an account?

No account or login required to browse, take the diagnostic, or work the free drills. You provide your email when you sign up for the free materials, and at checkout if you buy the Study Set.

16How do I contact you?

Email me anytime at contact@thehouseofhygiene.org. I read every message, and if there is something nobody has explained well to you, that is exactly what I want to hear about.

17I am already licensed. Is there anything here for me?

There is a small library of case-based courses for practicing hygienists, built before this became a student site. It is not the focus right now and it does not carry CE credit. If you want it, it lives here.

Still deciding?

The 75-question diagnostic is free, takes about 30 minutes, and builds a study plan from your results. No card, no catch.