Honoring an Enduring Legacy
The Esther Wilkins Lifetime Achievement Award was established in 2010 by Dimensions of Dental Hygiene to recognize the distinguished careers of dental hygienists who have consistently and effectively contributed to the enrichment of the dental hygiene profession.
Philips is the 2026 Premier Sponsor and Kettenbach and HuFriedyGroup are Supporting Sponsors of this event.
Esther M. Wilkins, BS, RDH, DMD — the matriarch of dental hygiene — dedicated her professional life to the prevention of oral disease and the advancement of the dental hygiene profession. She passed away December 12, 2016, three days after her 100th birthday, but her legacy lives on through her textbook, her passion for dental hygiene, and the mentoring she provided to both friends and colleagues.
Past Winners
2010
Esther M. Wilkins, BS, RDH, DMD
2011
Maxine Alper Tishk, RDH, MS
2012
Gail N. Cross-Poline, RDH, MS
2013
Michele Leonardi Darby, BSDH, MS, and
Margaret Walsh, RDH, MS, MA, EdD
2014
Juanita S. Wallace, RDH, PhD
2015
JoAnn R. Gurenlian, RDH, MS, PhD, AFAAOM
2016
Pamela R. Overman, RDH, MS, EdD
2017
Olga A.C. Ibsen, RDH, MS, FAADH
2018
Deborah Bailey Astroth, RDH, BSDH
2019
Jacquelyn L. Fried, RDH, BA, MS
2020/2021
Jane L. Forrest, BSDH, MS, EdD
2022
Winnie Furnari, MS, RDH, FAADH, FAAFS, FADE
2023
Ann Eshenaur Spolarich, RDH, PhD, FSCDH