In this episode of the Fearless Dentistry podcast, Dr. John Gordon interviews Kandice Swarthout, a registered dental hygienist and founder of Inspired Education and Wellness Limited Partnership. Kandice shares her journey from dental hygiene to mental health counseling, driven by her interest in psychology and addressing dental anxiety. The discussion highlights the intersection of mental health and dental health, focusing on the alarming issue of sex trafficking. Kandice emphasizes the importance of recognizing trafficking signs and providing support to victims. The episode underscores the need for awareness, education, and proactive involvement in combating sex trafficking within the healthcare community.

Show Highlights:

- Introduction of Kandice Swarthout as a guest on the Fearless Dentistry podcast

- Kandiac's journey in dental hygiene and mental health counseling

- Intersection of mental health and dental health

- Connection between childhood sexual abuse and dental anxiety

- Kandice's work in a jail and encounter with victims of human trafficking

- Signs of trafficking and the complexities of trauma bonding

- Tactics used by traffickers, particularly targeting young girls

- Impact of trauma on individuals who have been trafficked

- Importance of reporting suspicions of trafficking, especially involving minors

- Resources and practical ways for dental providers to help trafficking survivors

Chapters:

Kandice's Journey (00:01:11)

Kandice shares her career journey from dental hygiene to mental health counseling and education.

Discovering Mental Health and Dental Health Connection (00:05:15)

Kandice explains how a counseling internship led her to understand the connection between mental health and dental fear.

Understanding Human Trafficking (00:09:12)

Kandice delves into her experiences with women in jail and the realization of human trafficking in her community.

Signs of Trafficking (00:10:55)

Kandice explains the clinical signs of trafficking and how dental clinicians can identify potential victims.

Challenges of Leaving Trafficking (00:18:37)

Kandice discusses the difficulties victims face in freeing themselves from trafficking and the reasons they may stay.

The recruiter's tactics (00:21:46)

Recruiting tactics and common grounds, including social media, for traffickers targeting vulnerable individuals.

Online predators (00:22:52)

The prevalence of online predators and the tactics they use to recruit and target vulnerable individuals.

Trafficking stories and tactics (00:23:52)

Real-life examples of trafficking, including stories of recruitment within schools and the tactics used to manipulate victims.

Understanding trafficking laws (00:24:52)

Discussion of laws regarding trafficking, including the definition of a trafficked person and the need for reporting.

Challenges in stopping trafficking (00:25:19)

The complexity and scale of trafficking, including the challenges in completely eliminating it.

Raising awareness and recognizing signs (00:26:00)

The importance of raising awareness and educating individuals on recognizing and responding to trafficking situations.

Preventing recruitment (00:27:11)

Methods used by traffickers to recruit individuals, including targeting teenagers and the importance of educating and protecting young people.

Impact on vulnerable individuals (00:28:04)

The vulnerability of young individuals to trafficking and the need for education and awareness to protect them.

Recognizing trauma and its impact...