I have been a dental hygienist since 1982 … long enough that I was invited to join “RDH Dinosaur” on Facebook and went on Medicare. Now I still sub in the periodontal practice I worked full time in, but mainly I work in education and freelance writing. I became the recipient of the Irene Newman award from the American Hygienist’s Association in 2021. I went on a quest to find out more about the woman who was important enough to have the award named after her but there was no information about her on the internet, This was a journey that helped me reinvent my lifetime career. The research I did came at a time when dental hygiene was going through some difficult changes. Irene’s story provides proof that we can – and will – survive tough times!

I speak to dental hygiene students about the history of dental hygiene, and anyone else who will listen. Her legacy should live on in all dental professionals. I will also be a speaker at the Dental Festival in August 2025 in Delray Beach. I formed and run a study club in Oxford, Florida that is PACE approved by the Academy of General Dentistry. I am also a mentor with the American Dental Hygienist’s Association for young hygienists. It is a privilege for me to share my years of experience as a dental assistant, hygienist, instructor, and published writer with rising dental professionals. I invite anyone to reach out to me for help in career development. Dental hygiene is a very rewarding career when the setting is conducive to workplace satisfaction.

Published

I traveled to Baltimore, Maryland in 1923 to interview the curators of the National Museum of Dentistry and to let them know that their “Birth of Dental Hygiene” display did not include Irene Newman, and my book would make that clear. Next I traveled to Bridgeport, Connecticut, to meet with Eric Lehman at the University of Bridgeport. He is the author of over 23 books, many of them non-fiction historical books based in Bridgeport and New England. He is a professor at the college and I hired him to be the editor of my book. The Fones school instructors and alumni were most helpful with my research, allowing me into the archive room where so many records were kept. I did my best to chronical Irene’s life and career to the best of the knowledge I acquired.