Do you have a colleague that is outstanding in the field of dental hygiene? Do you work with a dental partner who supports dental hygienists in an exemplary fashion? Please consider nominating them for an annual award!

The Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association has an annual awards program that recognizes ODHA members & community partners who have demonstrated exemplary service, dedication & contributions to the dental hygiene profession in Oregon.

The Lynn Ironside Access to Care Award recognizes an ODHA member who has made a significant contribution to increasing access to dental care for underserved patients. This award was established by ODHA in 2016 to honor Lynn Ironside for her many years of work to increase access to care for underserved patients & to advance the dental hygiene profession. Lynn’s advocacy work with ODHA led to Oregon becoming one of the first states to create an opportunity for dental hygienists to practice without the supervision of a dentist so that they could increase access to dental care for underserved patients.

The Lois Whitford Outstanding Dental Hygienist Award recognizes an ODHA member who has made exceptional contributions to dental hygiene on the local, state, & national levels for an extended period of time, & who is known widely for their achievements & service. It is a prestigious award, which is presented only as warranted by the accomplishments of an Oregon dental hygienist.

The Outstanding Partner Award recognizes a community partner (agency, association, coalition, corporation, legislator, volunteer, etc.) who has worked in collaboration with the ODHA to advance the dental hygiene profession. Community partners are essential to achieving ODHA’s mission to provide advocacy, professional development & networking opportunities for dental hygienists & the dental hygiene profession.

For more information or to submit a nomination for any of these awards, click on https://www.odha.org/rdh-and-industry-awards. Awards nominations are due by October 16, 2023 and will be presented at the 2023 Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference (ODHC) to be held November 10 & 11, 2023.The awards program is on Saturday, November 11 from 12 - 1:30 pm. If you are not able to attend the ODHC as an attendee, but would like to come support the award nominees, please contact us at [email protected] so we can get you registered for the awards program.