Following a toast by Mr. Hayman, the ladies each “shared a course” with a table of four interviewers. By the end of the evening, everyone had the opportunity to get to know the finalists, evaluate how they handled the social setting, and gauge their ability to field various questions.

While the ladies agree that the “speed dating” scenario is, initially, quite intimidating, it also ended up being a favorite moment for many of them. “I really loved it in the end,” Ms. Totten says. “The act of actually sitting down to dinner made it very comfortable. The night just flew by.”

The finalists began their day separately, each about an hour apart, starting with professional hair and makeup by Lois Kinsey and Christine Veazy. From eyeliner to hot irons, each woman was treated to a “look” that allowed her to shine not just as a clinician, but a woman as well. “I’ve never had so much makeup on,” Ms. Stephenson says with a laugh, “but it was extremely light. It was almost like having lotion put on.”

Experience of a lifetime. (Top) Makeup artist Christine Veazy helps the finalists to look their best. (Middle) Pamela de Leon Lim goes over lines in her head, mentally preparing for her screen test. (Bottom) Lori Totten shares her thoughts during the media interview. .

From there, each woman was directed to the makeshift soundstage arranged in the penthouse. Surrounded by backdrops, bright lights, a boom mike, and a camera, the ladies performed amazingly well. In stark contrast to last year’s finalists, this group unanimously referred to the experience as “fun”—even after numerous takes! “The director asked questions about our patients and our lives to help get us comfortable,” Ms. Turchetta explains, “and then would refer to our answers to help us relate to different parts of the script.”

Designed to model questions after what both industry and consumer media might pose to a national spokesperson, the media interview runs the gamut from clinical insights to personal reflection. Having interacted with finalists the night before, media interview participants were able to go beyond general questions and get to finalists’ core issues. “I felt like the panelists knew me,” Ms. Leon Lim says. “It was more focused but I felt more at ease.” Key questions included follow-up on plans for initial periodontal therapy, insight into minimally invasive dentistry, and vision-casting for community action programs. “The finalists were articulate in spite of their nerves, and all very enthusiastic about the profession,” says Ms. Perno Goldie. “The passion they displayed makes me very proud to be a dental hygienist.”

“Each hygienist brought something different to the table, and I was proud to be affiliated with them all,” Ms. Higbee echoes. “The most impressive thing about each candidate was her zeal.”