RDH and oral health leader Sunstar Americas, Inc., maker of GUM® brand products, are celebrating their 25th year of honoring North America’s outstanding dental hygienists.
These companies joined forces in 2002 to create the GUM/RDH Award of Distinction program and have since recognized 161 dental hygienists for their success and accomplishments in the field of dental hygiene. The six most recent recipients of this prestigious award will be honored during an award ceremony at the RDH Under One Roof conference in National Harbor, MD, on July 17, 2026.
The GUM/RDH Award of Distinction is presented to licensed dental hygienists who go above and beyond typical hygiene practice. They serve as role models and mentors to us all and use their education and talents to make this world a better place. The 2026 Award of Distinction honorees, as selected by an independent review committee, are:
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Melissa Calhoun, MSDH, RDH
Research
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Lisa Curbow, BAAS, RDH, CDP
Full Time Clinician
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Karen Davis, RDH, BSDH
Entrepreneur
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Marion Manski, MS, RDH
Academia
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Kaila Mooney, BS, RDH, CDIPC, OMT
Public Health
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Richard Richardson, BS, RDH
New RDH
“We congratulate this year’s recipients of the GUM/RDH Award of Distinction, and thank them for their inspiration,” said Tom Raish, senior manager of professional marketing at Sunstar Americas, Inc. “As a proud exclusive sponsor of this program for the past two and a half decades, we have seen the role of the dental hygienist evolve and the program grow in importance as it recognizes those dedicated professionals who are true change agents in improving the oral health of their patients, their communities and underserved populations. The relationship between oral health and overall health has never been clearer, nor has the pivotal role which dental hygienists play in preventative health.”
“The 2026 Award of Distinction recipients were selected for their success in promoting positive change in education, private practice and community service. RDH and GUM are proud to continue history and recognize the individuals who have embraced their passions, focused on their goals, and made a significant difference in many lives across the country. In addition, RDH celebrates GUM’s commitment to the dental hygiene community through their 25-year sponsorship of the Award of Distinction program.” said Jackie Sanders, MBA, RDH, chief editor of RDH magazine.
