6 dental hygienists honored with the 2025 GUM/RDH Award of Distinction

Since its launch in 2002, the GUM/RDH Award of Distinction has stood as one of the most respected honors in the dental hygiene profession across the United States and Canada. Over the years, 149 registered dental hygienists have been celebrated for their remarkable contributions to their communities and the profession at large.

In 2025, six outstanding professionals are being recognized in the categories of public health, full-time clinician, academia, entrepreneur, new graduate, and research. Winners were honored during the 25th annual RDH Under One Roof conference in Dallas, Texas.

Let’s meet the six newest recipients of the GUM/RDH Award of Distinction! 

Public Health

Shelley Brown, MEd, BSDH, AS, RDH, FADHA
(Orem, Utah)

As a public health mobile clinical hygienist, adjunct faculty, speaker, and content creator, Shelley Brown brings energy, clarity, and heart to every setting she works in, empowering others to elevate oral health in meaningful ways. Her motto is: “Oral health for all.”

Through her innovative approach to dental care, particularly for underserved and homebound populations, Shelley has profoundly impacted individual lives in the public health sector. After a legislative change allowed dental hygienists to treat patients outside of traditional settings, she created a pioneering service that provides dental hygiene care to homebound patients in Utah. 

The goal of Homebound Smiles is to keep patients out of the restorative chair through silver fluorides, povidone iodine, and Curodont, ensuring that these patients do not fall through the cracks of traditional health-care systems and preventing larger, more costly issues.

Homebound Smiles was inspired by Shelley’s first mobile patient—a retired dental hygienist living with Alzheimer’s. That moment deeply shaped Shelley’s mission and continues to guide her today. She encourages all dental hygienists to look closely at the needs within their own communities and ask: What kind of oral health care would I hope to receive if I were in this situation? 

As an adjunct faculty member at the Utah College of Dental Hygiene since 2009, Shelley has touched the lives of more than 1,000 students, helping shape the future of the dental hygiene profession. Her immersive courses bridge the gap between theory and practice. She finds personal satisfaction in seeing students grasp difficult concepts and use that knowledge to excel in their careers.

In 2025, Shelley and Jessica Atkinson, MEd, BSDH, RDH, cofounded HYGIENE edgeUCATORS, a professional development platform supporting dental hygiene faculty and advancing the future of oral health education. Together, they provide evidence-based resources, mentorship, and innovative teaching tools designed to empower the next generation of dental hygiene educators.

Shelley’s ability to merge her passion for dental hygiene with her love of education was demonstrated in her role as chief operating officer and cofounder of Hygiene Edge, a global educational platform launched in 2014 along with hygienists Candi Kidd, Jessica Atkinson, and Melia Lewis. Initially created to provide clinicians with accessible, quick instructional videos, the platform rapidly grew into an influential resource for dental hygiene professionals globally. During her tenure, Shelley played a key role in expanding the YouTube channel to more than 100,000 subscribers.

Her commitment to elevating the profession continues. Across YouTube and TikTok, Shelley shares bite-sized educational content for both patients and clinicians, making evidence-based oral health information fun, engaging, and accessible to all. She loves the creative process of scripting, filming, and editing her videos—bringing both clinical accuracy and personality to her content.

In addition to her digital work, Shelley regularly presents at conferences and professional events on topics ranging from clinical innovation to public health strategies. She also offers market research and consulting services to dental companies and product developers, providing insights into emerging trends and helping brands improve their strategies for better serving clinicians and patients. 

She contributes to dental publications and professional journals, spotlighting industry advancements, advocating for provider autonomy, and highlighting the importance of evidence-based care. A tireless advocate for the dental hygiene profession, Shelley champions expanded access to care by supporting scope-of-practice advancements and empowering hygienists to work in nontraditional settings.

Entrepreneur

Debora Carrier, RDH, CEO
(Roswel, GA)

Debora Carrier’s 45-year journey as a dental hygienist has been rich with opportunities in both clinical practice and business. She has worked full-time, part-time, and as a temporary hygienist in private practices, and she still dedicates one day a week to clinical work. However, she is most proud of her role as an entrepreneurial hygienist.

As a dental entrepreneur, Debora understands the highs and lows of innovation: the risks, the setbacks, and the triumphs. Her two companies—Twice as Nice Uniforms and CPR Sisters— are committed to safety, comfort, and education.

Twice as Nice Uniforms provides extensively researched daily wear for dental professionals. Her temperature-regulating scrubs, lab coats, scrub caps, and accessories ensure comfort and professionalism for clinicians in all settings. All products are made in the US.

Debora’s commitment to innovation and safety became even more evident during the COVID-19 crisis when she quickly developed masks, gowns, and scrub caps to protect frontline clinicians. She recently launched plus-size and custom uniform lines, ensuring inclusivity for all clinicians, and played a key role in developing a radiation protection jacket to safeguard professionals using digital and traditional x-ray technology. Debora even puts on a fun fashion show, celebrating her colleagues on the runway!

Giving back to the hygiene community has always been a big part of Debora’s mission. Her Twice the Life program donates uniforms and PPE to support mission trips and communities in need. Most recently, she helped supply students in the Maui dental hygiene program with new uniforms after they lost their equipment in the devastating fires.

CPR Sisters provides dental professionals and others with lifesaving skills. Since its inception in 2000, it has evolved into a nationwide online platform for CPR, first aid, and OSHA training. CPR Sisters has 55 instructors, most of whom are dental hygienists. It also provides free CPR classes to those in need.

Providing CPR recertification during COVID-19 required an innovative approach. Using new guidelines, Debora developed a virtual CPR recertification process. This approach has led to improved student retention and confidence.

Debora supports her fellow entrepreneurs by assisting in the development and promotion of transformative products, helping them launch their businesses by providing resources, connections, or just a friendly shoulder to laugh or cry on. Her video newsletter highlights other entrepreneurs’ products and services, bringing awareness to the dental community. She also supports dental consultants and speakers and mentors student dental hygienists, guiding them toward success beyond their formal education.

As a clinician, Debora has worked with intellectually disabled adults, helping establish dental hygiene education programs in group homes and mentoring hygienists to produce products specifically for these patients.

Debora has paved the way for innovation and expansion within the profession, proving that dental hygiene is not limited to clinical practice—it is also a platform for leadership, business, and advocacy. She says, “My goal is to empower others to dream bigger, push boundaries, and elevate the profession. I have been mentored by many amazing dental professionals, and I strive to continue their legacy by making them proud.”

Academia

Marianne Dryer, MEd, RDH
(Plymouth, MA)

Marianne Dryer is a graduate of Forsyth School for Dental Hygienists, Old Dominion University, and received her master’s in education from St. Joseph’s College of Maine. She was the first-year coordinator at Collin College in Dallas, Texas, for six years, where she was selected for the Outstanding Faculty Award and was nominated for Advisor of the Year.

Marianne has been a faculty member at Cape Cod Community College (CCCC) in Massachusetts since 2007 and the program director since 2019. She navigated the program through the COVID-19 pandemic and created opportunities for students who had their education interrupted. She instituted a “dental hygiene boot camp” for skill-building when the school reopened at reduced capacity.

Marianne is a leader dedicated to academic excellence and interprofessional collaboration. She consistently fosters alignment with allied health and dental programs to ensure cohesive, high-quality education across disciplines. She is committed to ongoing calibration with faculty and peer programs to uphold accreditation standards, enhance curriculum relevance, and prepare students for integrated, team-based care in modern dental settings. Marianne is known for building strong academic partnerships that prioritize student success, clinical excellence, and industry relevance.

During the pandemic, Marianne founded the New England Dental Hygiene Directors’ Group, bringing dental hygiene educators together in an effort to help dental hygiene schools navigate the pandemic. The dental hygiene educator community continues to feel the positive impact of this effort.

Marianne has spearheaded the integration of cutting-edge dental technologies into the dental hygiene and dental assisting curricula, enhancing student clinical competencies and aligning program outcomes with current industry standards. She has secured substantial grant funding to acquire advanced equipment, including digital radiography, intraoral scanners, and CAD/CAM systems, which have elevated the quality of education and hands-on training.

Marianne has also leveraged her extensive private-sector corporate experience to cultivate long-standing partnerships with leading dental manufacturers, resulting in in-kind donations, equipment trials, and guest expert contributions. As a result, Marianne has recently been appointed to the Task Force/Workgroup to update the “ADEA Guidelines for Academia-Industry Interactions.”

Other accomplishments at Cape Cod Community College include:

• Building relationships in the community
• Creating opportunities for students, such as volunteering at the Crest + Oral-B booth at the Yankee Dental Congress
• Encouraging students to attend the Special Olympics event and other meaningful service opportunities
• Encouraging faculty to develop content to present at local and national dental conventions
• Calibrating faculty in the staging and grading guidelines

Since becoming the dental hygiene program director, Marianne has impacted her community through publicizing the school’s hygiene clinic through social media vehicles and expanding the patient pool. She advocates for the older population in encouraging designated parking spaces for patients with mobility restrictions who do not have handicap placards.

She expanded the dental board members, listening to dental professionals in the community and bridging the gap between the dental hygiene programs and dental offices. She supports national and state organizations and encourages community service and involvement in these programs.

Marianne is not only an educator but also a dynamic speaker and corporate consultant in curriculum development. She has lectured nationally and internationally on infection prevention, radiology technique, and periodontal instrumentation with a focus on risk assessment. She has also been a strong advocate for introducing ultrasonic instrumentation into dental hygiene curricula earlier and with more structured, foundational content.

In all her roles, whether clinical, corporate, or educational, Marianne has remained a persistent advocate for dental hygiene on every level: local, state, national, and international. She encourages life-long learning with the ultimate focus on patient care and safety.

New RDH

Letitia Hill, BS, RDH, PHDHP
(Easton, PA)

For Letitia Hill, the transition from hygiene school to “real-world” practice felt overwhelming and isolating, especially since she graduated during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and initially failed her live patient clinical board. In spite of her own struggles, she was determined to pursue her vision of uplifting others who were navigating the uncertainties of their early careers, as well as show new graduates that failures do not define someone.

Letitia first turned to social media in search of community, where she began her transformative journey with LD Coaching. She committed to looking inward, identifying her strengths, and taking actionable steps to align her purpose with her passion. Through this process, Letitia not only grew personally but also discovered how to authentically serve others in ways that matter.

Now, as part of LD Coaching, Letitia has taken her commitment to the next level by offering specialized coaching services designed exclusively for new graduates through Sunday Scalies Mentoring. These services not only help new grads build confidence but also provide a safe space to share concerns and overcome the unique hurdles that come with starting a new career.

Letitia has used her personal and professional experiences to curate this four-week online mentoring program that aims to educate new graduates on topics such as burnout, impostor syndrome, and professional boundaries, while providing them with a framework to support themselves both personally and professionally. Sunday Scalies Mentoring also provides new graduates with interviewing support, guidance through the transition to the one-hour hygiene visit, and an introduction to key performance indicators.

In addition to her coaching, Letitia has spoken to numerous new grad communities, emphasizing the importance of connection and reassurance. Her approachable style and heartfelt advice remind new professionals that they are not alone, which fosters empowerment, resilience, and a strong sense of belonging.

Letitia recently returned to her alma mater and has connected with Cloud Dentistry’s student platform to speak to students. These experiences afforded her the opportunity to speak to senior dental hygiene students about her favorite topics: burnout and professional boundaries. Having struggled with burnout after just a year and a half in her career, Letitia felt isolated, frustrated, and confused. She now strives to help others avoid these same struggles and feelings by providing them with tools and a framework.

Letitia is also host of the podcast Sunday Scalies, created to foster a sense of community. She shares her insights and provides tools that help new grads and professionals find their footing and thrive. The podcast addresses trending topics in the dental industry, sparking meaningful conversations that inspire listeners to think differently, grow personally, and advance professionally.

Letitia’s community involvement includes collecting and donating dental hygiene supplies to local shelters that help domestic violence victims, nursing homes, and long-term care facilities. She has also volunteered in libraries to read books to children and educate parents on the importance of early intervention.

Today, Letitia is a leader and mentor, empowering new grads through her Sunday Scalies podcast, one-on-one coaching, and the example she sets daily in her clinical work at a startup dental practice. By pursuing her dreams with courage and dedicating herself to uplifting others, Letitia has created a meaningful impact in the new grad community.

Full-time clinician

Sarah Hoerler, MS, RDH, EdD(c), FADHA
(Austin, MN)

As a clinical dental hygienist in the Department of Dental Specialties at Mayo Clinic, Sarah Hoerler collaborates with multiple specialties, including periodontics, prosthodontics, orthodontics, sleep medicine, and oral and maxillofacial surgery, to provide care for patients with complex medical conditions.

She practices 32 hours per week, focusing primarily on patients with advanced periodontal disease or peri-implantitis, as well as those requiring specialized oral health maintenance. This includes oral cancer patients who have undergone a partial mandibulectomy or maxillectomy and received an implant-supported prosthesis, and immunocompromised individuals with multiple medical comorbidities.

In 2018, Sarah was appointed to a Mayo Clinic oral health multidisciplinary workgroup as a dental hygiene advocate, collaborating with infectious disease consultants, nurses, occupational and physical therapists, and speech therapists, to develop and implement an oral care initiative to prevent hospital-acquired pneumonia.

The workgroup’s comprehensive plan included standardizing oral care supplies with the ADA Seal of Acceptance, producing an educational video, and creating documentation capabilities within electronic health records.

Mayo Clinic’s integration of dental professionals in its health-care setting inspired Sarah to take a leadership role in advancing oral health care for hospitalized patients. Recognizing the critical connection between oral hygiene and overall health, she spearheaded an initiative in collaboration with the Cardiovascular Surgical (CVS) Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to improve oral care compliance and reduce the incidence of hospital-acquired pneumonia. This project began with the development of a comprehensive proposal outlining the need for improved oral care protocols in critically ill patients.

After securing approval from the Department of Dental Specialties and various hospital committees, Sarah launched a one-month pilot program that placed a dental hygienist in the ICU to provide oral care every two hours for ventilated patients and every four hours for nonventilated patients. The positive impact of this initiative not only demonstrated the value of integrating dental professionals into hospital settings but also laid the foundation for ongoing interdisciplinary collaboration.

As a result, in the fall of 2024, dental hygiene student interdisciplinary rotations were established in the hospital, allowing students to gain hands-on experience in managing medically complex patients. This program enhances students’ confidence in treating individuals with diverse medical conditions while exposing them to unique oral conditions, including various prostheses and oral pathology.

Ultimately, this initiative has strengthened the role of dental hygiene in comprehensive patient care, fostering both improved patient outcomes and valuable experiential learning for dental hygiene students.

Having the opportunity to conduct research at Mayo Clinic has allowed Sarah to explore peri-implant pathology and its implications for patient care. Her passion for research drove her to investigate the broader impact of oral health on overall patient outcomes and publish peer-reviewed articles on examining the role of dental hygiene in reducing hospital-acquired infections.

Through this research, she has helped shape evidence-based protocols that highlight the critical connection between oral health and systemic health, reinforcing the importance of integrating dental hygiene into medical settings.

In addition to patient care and research, education has been a cornerstone of Sarah’s career. She developed a dental hygiene student interdisciplinary hospital rotation, emphasizing the connection between oral and systemic health and the value of interdisciplinary care in overall improved patient outcomes. Her role in mentoring students has helped bridge the gap between dentistry and medicine, preparing the next generation of dental hygienists to work confidently in interdisciplinary settings.

Sarah says, “Seeing students grow in confidence and competence while contributing to comprehensive patient care has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career.”

Research

Kandice Swarthout, MS, RDH, LPC
(McKinney, Texas)

Kandice Swarthout’s greatest achievement in the research category is her groundbreaking work in advancing trauma-informed dental care through education and advocacy. Her development of evidence-based courses on human trafficking, trauma-informed care, and suicide awareness has significantly impacted how dental professionals approach vulnerable patient populations. These courses educate clinicians on the vulnerable, broken patients they may encounter who need more than what is normally provided.

Through her work, Kandice has identified critical gaps in how dental professionals approach patients with a history of trauma. Her evidence-based courses aim to bridge these gaps. Her research highlights the psychological and physiological effects of trauma on dental experiences, equipping clinicians with the knowledge and tools to provide more compassionate, patient-centered care.

By disseminating this research through continuing education, lectures, and professional collaborations, Kandice is not only improving patient outcomes but also shaping the future of dental health care with a focus on holistic well-being.

Kandice’s passion for research is evident in the way she mentors students, guiding them not only to explore and present their findings at the Collin College Dental Hygiene Research Symposium—an elevated, in-depth experience far beyond the traditional table clinic—but also taking the extra step to help them become published authors by assisting in the peer-reviewed publication process.

Her influence extends beyond the classroom. Kandice also lectures nationwide, raising awareness and educating dental professionals on how to approach vulnerable patients with sensitivity and expertise. She is also a licensed professional counselor.

Kandice also developed Reclaim Smiles, an annual one-day event that brings students, faculty, and community dentists together to treat survivors of human trafficking. This initiative has provided comprehensive dental treatment to more than 40 survivors, addressing their oral health needs and creating an environment where they feel safe, valued, and cared for. The event is structured to minimize stress and maximize comfort for survivors.

While many of these patients have said that the experience felt more like a day at the spa than a typical dental visit, Kandice says they don’t do anything extra to make it spalike. Rather, they simply treat survivors with dignity and respect, which most are not used to experiencing in health care.

In fact, 80% of survivors report going to a health-care professional while they’re being trafficked, and the majority say they were not treated well while they were in the health-care environment. They are generally disrespected, and a word Kandice has heard used over and over by survivors is that they were treated like “trash.”

Kandice says, “In trauma-informed care, we see everyone as a human with vulnerabilities. No one is trash … ever … even if we think someone is a prostitute or there is drug abuse. We might be the first person to give them respect, and that can be life-changing for someone. We treat survivors like we would treat our own sister or best friend.”

In addition to directly impacting the lives of these patients, Kandice has used her research findings to educate clinicians nationwide on how to provide care that acknowledges and respects the unique experiences of trauma survivors. By bridging research with real-world application, Kandice is transforming the way dental professionals approach vulnerable populations, ensuring a lasting impact on both patient care and professional education.

Editor's note: This article appeared in the October 2025 print edition of RDH magazine. Dental hygienists in North America are eligible for a complimentary print subscription. Sign up here.