Member Moments

Ashleigh Peck

Congratulations to Ashleigh Peck, owner of Purely Mobile Hygiene, who recently received a City of Kingston Accessibility Award, acknowledging those making significant contributions to improving access for everyone in the city. Ashleigh provides dental hygiene services directly to people in their homes and retirement communities, aiming to make oral health care more accessible.

Kiara Stefansson

Third-year University of Manitoba student Kiara Stefansson received two of the School of Dental Hygiene’s most prestigious awards: the Dr AW Hogg Scholarship and the Isbister Undergraduate Scholarship in Dental Hygiene awarded to the dental hygiene student with the highest academic standing.

Iris Lin

Congratulations to Iris Lin, whose PhD in oral biology and oral and maxillofacial pathology was conferred by the University of British Columbia (UBC) on Friday, November 29, 2024. Dr Lin had previously earned a BDSc (ETP) and a MSc from UBC.

David Okunola

Dalhousie University student David Okunola was the recipient of the Highest Academic Standing in Dental Hygiene Award and a co-recipient of the KeatingBekkers Award in Dental Hygiene award. The KeatingBekkers Award is given to a student in the School of Dental Hygiene who shows exceptional promise, outstanding attributes, and interest in the profession of dental hygiene.

Meaghan Bennett

Congratulations to Meaghan Bennett who, within her role as lead, community health at Oulton College, received the 2024 Award of Merit from the New Brunswick Dental Society, recognizing the contributions of the Tooth Fairy Program in Moncton. Meaghan also recently earned her Master of Health Studies, with a teaching focus, from Athabasca University.

Laura Perri Voros

Laura Perri Voros graduated from the Doctor of Education program at Western University (London, Ontario) on October 24, 2024. Laura hopes to apply the knowledge and experiences learned from this journey to advance the profession.

Tayyaba Fiaz

Congratulations to Tayyaba Fiaz for being presented with a Diversity and Inclusion Appreciation Award from the Canada Pakistan Affiliated Chamber of Trade (CPACT), in recognition of her ongoing efforts and commitment to community health, and continuous dedication to improving oral health accessibility. Since 2021, Tayyaba Fiaz has been organizing, managing, and participating in small- and large-scale community outreach dental hygiene clinics in Montreal and its surrounding suburbs. These clinics bring together volunteer dental hygienists to provide essential oral care services to vulnerable populations, ensuring access to quality oral health care for those in need. Through Tayyaba’s leadership and dedication, she has fostered strong connections within the dental hygiene community and expanded the impact of these initiatives.

Bev Woods

CDHA board director for Ontario and founder of Gift From the Heart Bev Woods was recently elected president of the Quinte West Chamber of Commerce.

Tarik Abdulkarim

Congratulations to Tarik Abdulkarim, winner of Dalhousie University’s 2025 Faculty of Dentistry Impact Award. The award recognizes his impact as co-president of his class and his service on several committees and boards. He was also the corecipient of the Keating-Bekkers Award in Dental Hygiene, which is given to a dental hygiene student “who shows exceptional promise, outstanding attributes, and interest in the profession of dental hygiene.”

Natasha Pelley

Natasha Pelley’s SnuggleTooth Smile Mobile Clinic in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, was the winner of the $10,000 Small Business Grant 2025 from Zensurance in recognition of her remarkable dedication and ambition to provide dental hygiene care to underserved communities in her region.

Lindsay Van Dam

Congratulations to Lindsay Van Dam who has been selected as one of Dalhousie University’s 2025 OpenThink Scholars. These are a select group of PhD researchers conducting work that informs public discourse, influences policy, and drives innovation. Scholars are trained in communications and knowledge translation to engage audience in their work beyond academia. Lindsay will be hosting a blog, sharing evidence-based information and insights on the importance of oral health, the role of oral health professionals, and ways in which interprofessional education for collaborative practice can support goals for integrated oral/health care teams and systems.

Noreen Ocampo

Noreen Ocampo, founder of The Filipino-Canadian Dental Hygienists’ Society, was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal. The medal recognizes individuals of all ages and walks of life who have made a difference in their communities in the areas of service, sustainability, and diversity.

Paulette Dahlseide

Congratulations to Paulette Dahlseide, DipDH, MSc, RDH (she/her), CDHA member and board director from Alberta, on her appointment as the Network for Canadian Oral Health Research (NCOHR) Indigenous Peoples’ Health Working Group chair, effective March 1, 2025.

Paulette is a proud Métis woman and citizen of the Métis Nation in Alberta. Living and working on Treaty 6 territory of the Cree, the Nakoda Sioux, the Dene, and the Saulteaux, her family names are Garneau, Lacombe, Lavallee, and Thomas with extensive history and connection to the Métis homelands of the Red River and into Northeastern Alberta.

With a Diploma in Dental Hygiene (1994), Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene (2014), and Master of Science in Medical Sciences (2024) from the University of Alberta, Paulette has been a dental hygienist for 30 years. Her independent dental hygiene practice, a storefront and mobile clinic, has been committed to bringing accessible, preventive oral health care to patients in their homes, community health centres, schools, and long-term care facilities since 2010. As a researcher, her work focuses on community-led, relational, and reciprocal approaches to knowledge co-creation and translation. She currently works as an assistant clinical professor in the Mike Petryk School of Dentistry and a program lead for the Wâpanachakos Indigenous Health Program in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta.

NCOHR Working Groups support the strategic goals and priorities of the network. The mandate of the Indigenous People’s Health Working Group is to build a foundation for conducting respectful oral health research with Indigenous communities in Canada.

Lynda McKeown

Four influential Thunder Bay women were recently inducted into the City Archives Women’s History Exhibit, including the city’s first dental hygienist, CDHA member and past president Lynda McKeown. Lynda was recognized for the barriers she has pushed through and the challenges she has faced to become one of the leading champions of oral health in the city. Visit tbnewswatch.com/local-news/four-more-influentialwomen- inducted-into-city-archives-exhibit-9693787 to read more about the ceremony and cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1- 391-superior-morning/clip/16103239-lynda-mckeown-2024- womens-history-exhibit-inductees for a CBC radio interview featuring Lynda. Congratulations, Lynda, for your pioneering efforts on behalf of the profession and thank you for your continued passion to see it grow.

Cindy Isaak-Ploegman

Cindy received the 2024 Alumni of Distinction Award from the University of Manitoba School of Dental Hygiene Alumni Association for her distinguished career in dental hygiene at a gala on September 27 at the Fort Garry Hotel..

Joy Maderazo

Joy Maderazo was recently honoured by her member of Parliament, Peter Schiefke, with a Government of Canada Community Service Excellence award. The award recognized her significant contributions to the region of Montérégie-Ouest through the provision of free dental hygiene clinics and working with people with disabilities.

Annie St-Amand

Congratulations to Annie St-Amand, owner of independent dental hygiene practice Hygiene Dentaire Mobile Aniso. Annie was recently presented with a High Merit award for a small or medium-sized business from the Haut- Madawaska New Brunswick Chamber of Commerce.

Bev Woods and the team at Gift from the Heart

Bay of Quinte member of Parliament Ryan Williams recently presented Bev Woods and the team at Gift from the Heart in Belleville with a Community Champion Award, recognizing their dedication to providing dental hygiene services to nearly 400 people each year. MP Williams noted, “the passion and care they bring to our community makes a r eal difference, offering essential services to those who need it most. Thank you, Bev, for being a s hining example of kindness, compassion, and service in the Bay of Quinte. Together, we are building a h ealthier and stronger community!”

Danika Beaulieu

Congratulations to Danika Beaulieu, owner of Dental Hygiene of the Bay, for being named Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the Chaleur Chamber of Commerce (New Brunswick).

Canadian authors 6th edition of Darby & Walsh Dental Hygiene: Theory & Practice

A strong contingent of CDHA members and other Canadian dental hygienists served as lead or co-authors of chapters 2, 4, 29, 52, and 53 of the 6th edition of Darby & Walsh Dental Hygiene: Theory & Practice. Congratulations Laura MacDonald, Kathy Yerex, Mary Bertone, Dani Botbyl, Lorraine Glassford, Lynda Mckeown, Ruth Busby, Sue Raynak, Carolyn Weiss, and Heather Woodbeck, and thank you all for your important contributions to dental hygiene education and the profession.

Algonquin College Student Changemaker Award winners

Five CDHA member dental hygiene graduates from Algonquin College in Ottawa received the school’s prestigious Student Changemaker Award, given by the Board of Governors. The award was presented to Sule Hamamcioglu, Priya Kumari, Lisa McLeod, Zeel Patel, and Tuli Chakma in recognition of their community project, Heart of the Matter, designed to provide complimentary oral health care to individuals who could not otherwise access such services. Read more in the Algonquin Times (https://algonquintimes.com/news/five-dental-hygiene-grads-receive-the-student-changemaker-award/).

Luminita Dica

Luminita, owner of Lumi's Dental Hygiene Care, was one of the 2024 Sunstar/RDH Award of Distinction recipients in the full-time clinician category. These awards, now in their 23rd year, have recognized more than 143 dental hygienists, including several Canadians, who are influential change makers and leaders in their field. Lumi was honoured at RDH Under One Roof in July 2024.

Ilena Yim

The Network for Canadian Oral Health Research announced the Oral Health Research Externship Competition Winners for 2024–2025 which included CDHA member Ilena Yim, BSc, MSc, who was awarded a full-time research externship for fall 2024 to work with Statistics Canada. Ilena is a PhD candidate in craniofacial science and is supervised by Denise Laronde, DipDH, MSc (Dental Science), PhD, in the Faculty of Dentistry, University of British Columbia.

The Filipino-Canadian Dental Hygienists' Society

This group, which is led by Noreen Ocampo, and includes a number of CDHA members, was the recipient of two awards in 2024. The organization received an award from National Filipino Heritage Canada for their advocacy efforts for health equity and providing oral health education and dental hygiene services for underserved populations in Canada and the Philippines. The society also placed second in the International Federation of Dental Hygienists’ Social Responsibility Program with their project, “Going Miles for Healthy Smiles.” Their project was showcased at ISDH 2024 in Seoul, South Korea, in July.

Shannon Maitland

Shannon, owner of Complete Oral Wellness, was the winner of the 2024 Faces Magazine award for Ottawa’s Dental Hygienist of the Year.

Jenna Smith Sage

Jenna, owner of Sage Dental Hygiene, won first place and the People’s Choice Award in the North Okanagan Community Futures Enterprize Challenge.

Melissa Sedore

Melissa Sedore, owner of an independent dental hygiene clinic, Dental Hygiene On Demand, received the Individual Business Award at the Georgina Chamber of Commerce’s Business Excellence Awards.

Katherine Canning-Peddle

Katherine received the Business Award for Independent Living, presented by The Honourable Joan Marie J. Aylward, Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador. This award is presented to a business (Oral Health Centre Mobile Smiles) that has displayed an innovative approach and achieved substantial outcomes in supporting the full inclusion of people with disabilities.

Marisa Mannarino

Marisa, owner of Dental Care in Motion was awarded a 2024 Canadian Choice Award in the mobile dental hygiene category (Hamilton, Ontario).

Shauna Hachey

Shauna was appointed by the Network for Canadian Oral Health Research (NCOHR) executive committee as vice chair of the NCOHR Disability and Oral Health Working Group (DOH-WG) effective August 28, 2023. Shauna is an associate professor in the School of Dental Hygiene, Faculty of Dentistry, Dalhousie University, and an alumna of the TUTOR-PHC (Transdisciplinary Understanding and Training on Research in Primary Health Care) program at Western University. Her research interests include the integration of oral health into primary, acute, and long-term care, and novel community-led oral health promotion, and she is currently leading a study on oral health practices in long-term care, funded by the Canadian Foundation for Dental Hygiene Research and Education.

Katherine Peddle

Representing the Newfoundland & Labrador College of Dental Hygienists, Katherine Peddle was named chair of the Newfoundland and Labrador Council of Health Professionals.

Palmer Nelson

Palmer was named by the Dalhousie University Dentistry Alumni Committee as a recipient of its 2023 Outstanding Alumni Award. Palmer has been a voice, mentor, and advocate for the dental hygiene profession through her involvement with CDHA for eight years, including as president in 2010–2011, the Newfoundland & Labrador Dental Hygienists Association for nine years, and the College of Dental Hygienists of Nova Scotia for five years. Palmer and her dental hygienist daughter, Sydney, own and operate Coastal Dental Hygiene, a mobile oral health service and clinic in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia.

Kellie Watson

University of Manitoba (UM) alumna Kellie Watson, a CDHA member, dental hygienist, University of Saskatchewan faculty member, and former registrar of the College of Dental Hygienists of Manitoba and the Saskatchewan Dental Hygienists Association, was presented with the Alumni of Distinction Award at the UM Alumni Awards Evening. Read more about Kellie's numerous accomplishments in both Manitoba and Saskatchewan and her tireless work to advance the profession.

Larissa Bubnowicz

University of Manitoba student Larissa, received this year’s CADR–NCOHR Student Research Award sponsored by the Canadian Association for Dental Research and the Network for Canadian Oral Health Research. Larissa was honoured in the senior clinical/pre-clinical research category for her research, “SDF effective management of radiation caries: An in vitro study.” Eighteen students received awards to present their research at the 2024 IADR/AADOCR/CADR annual meeting in New Orleans.

Lynda McKeown

Lynda was presented with a certificate from Lakehead University’s Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health in recognition of her outstanding dedication and contributions to palliative care. Lynda was nominated as a Palliative Care Champion for being a dental hygiene colleague and mentor who, for the last 25 years, has served clients in their homes or in their long-term care residence. She has been a role model for many of her colleagues as she blazed a new trail to serve senior clients using an innovative approach called palliative dental hygiene oral care.

Mandy McGill

British Columbia CDHA member Mandy McGill was named a recipient of the 2023 Sunstar/RDH Award of Distinction in the Public Health category. This award recognizes dental hygienists who are influential change makers. Mandy spoke at the 2023 International Federation of Dental Hygienists’ Global Oral Health Summit on the Maasai Mama Baby Project, which was highlighted in the spring 2021 issue of Oh Canada! magazine. That article by Mandy was also the winner of our 2021 Oh Canada! Readers’ Choice Award.

Gerry Cool

CDHA and CRDHA Past President Geraldine (Gerry) Cool was awarded the prestigious Stars of Alberta Volunteer Award from the Government of Alberta in recognition of her many selfless volunteer contributions and overwhelming community spirit. From Carseland, Alberta, Gerry was one of only six individuals to receive the award in 2022.

Christine Knights (Fairbairn)

St. Clair College recognized Christine with an Alumni of Distinction Award in the Nursing/Health Sciences category. Before opening her practice, Bright Smiles, in Chatham, Ontario, Christine spent seven years in Calgary, Alberta, driving to lower income areas and schools in an 18-metre Winnebago that served as a mobile clinic. Christine’s mantra is she’s “not in practice just to make a living, she’s in business to make a difference”.

dentalcorp Academic Excellence Award winners

CDHA student members Shane F, from Oxford College, Lauren K, from the University of British Columbia, and Hannah W, from the Canadian National Institute of Health were all recipients of dentalcorp's Academic Excellence Award for 2023. Available to graduating students of Canadian accredited colleges or universities who are majoring in dental assisting or dental hygiene, this dentalcorp award provides recipients with full reimbursement of their program tuition and a contract at a dentalcorp practice. Recipients are selected based on academic accomplishments, extracurricular involvement, and the embodiment of dentalcorp’s core values.

Noreen Jill Ocampo

Noreen received the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Service Award. This award recognizes individuals nominated by members of their community who have committed themselves to their fellow citizens and to serving and improving their communities. York Centre member of Parliament Ya'ara Saks noted Noreen's "commitment to service and dedication in dental health and community engagement is deeply commendable".

Rovielle Rantael

University of Manitoba CDHA student member Rovielle Rantael won a pair of prestigious scholarships at the School of Dental Hygiene’s Awards Evening last November. Rovielle received the Dr. A.W. Hogg Scholarship for highest standing in the second year of the dental hygiene program, and the Isbister Undergraduate Scholarship in Dental Hygiene, awarded based on eligibility for the dean’s honour list and for the highest average in years one to three. She also received the Manitoba Dental Association Scholarship in Dental Hygiene.

Lisette Dufour

Lisette recently received the Canadian Association of Public Health Dentistry’s Merit Award. This award recognizes the efforts of those who have played a role in improving the oral health of all Canadians. Although Lisette recently joined Health Canada’s team that will be responsible for implementing the future Canada Dental Care plan, she has been the Senior Oral Health Advisor in the Office of the Chief Dental Officer of Canada at the Public Health Agency of Canada for about 11 years overall. She is very supportive of CDHA and a champion of Canada’s dental hygienists, and has been described as having made a substantive contribution to dental public health in Canada. As principal lead and technical expert, she has been instrumental in the planning and implementation of the oral health component of the Canadian Health Measures Survey, cycle 7, currently being conducted by Statistics Canada in partnership with Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Trish Goulet

The Network for Canadian Oral Health Research (NCOHR) executive committee announced Trish Goulet's appointment as chair of the Indigenous Peoples' Health Working Group effective February 1, 2023. Trish is a member of Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation and assistant professor at the University of Saskatchewan's College of Dentistry. Her research focuses on access to care, health equity, and systemic innovation. As a registered dental hygienist, she initiated the first independent dental hygiene practice in Manitoba, providing oral health care to vulnerable populations. She earned a Juris Doctor degree and a Master of Laws from the University of Manitoba.

Leigha Rock

Director of the School of Dental Hygiene at Dalhousie University, Leigha Rock was elected as vice-president of the Canadian Association for Dental Research (CADR), serving for the 2023–2025 term. Leigha began her term at the AADOCR/CADR Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon, and will be installed as president in 2025.

Jennifer Turner

DrBicuspid.com recently announced the winners of their 2023 Cuspies awards, including Jennifer Turner, RDH, who was recognized as Dental Hygiene Educator of the Year. The winners of these awards educate oral health professionals across the globe. Many of this year’s winners were also women in leadership roles, signifying the continued advancements women have made in driving the future of dentistry and dental hygiene.