Sunstar and the International Federation of Dental Hygienists (IFDH) recognized the winners of the seventh annual World Dental Hygienist Awards during the International Symposium on Dental Hygiene (ISDH) in Milan, Italy.
Presented by the Sunstar Foundation and the IFDH and supported by GUM, Sunstar’s global oral health brand, the awards recognize outstanding contributions from dental hygienists around the world. Mayumi Kaneda, director of the Sunstar Foundation, and Jill Rethman, president of the IFDH, welcomed the winners during the awards ceremony.
Each recipient received a fully funded trip to ISDH Milan and was presented by Kaneda with a trophy designed by Italian architect Mario Bellini along with a cash prize of USD 1,500.
The 2026 award recipients are Elmer E. González, MBA, PhD, RDH, CDA, of the United States, New Mexico State University/Doña Ana Community College Health Sciences Division Dental Programs, who received the award in the academia category; Shelley Brown, MEd, BSDH, RDH, FADHA, of the United States, a dental educator, co-owner of Hygiene EdgeUCATORS, and adjunct faculty member at the Utah College of Dental Hygiene, who received the public health award; Stefania Morittu of Italy, of Studio Dentistico Morittu, whose qualifications include master’s degrees from the Tuscan Stomatologico Institute and Sapienza University of Rome, who received the full-time clinician award; Janet Williams Oshun of Ireland, an RDH and graduate of Trinity College Dublin who works across private practice, specialist orthodontics, implant-focused care, and hospital settings, who received the new RDH award; Andrea Butera of Italy, Unit of Dental Hygiene, University of Pavia, who received the research award; and Whitney DiFoggio, MA, RDH, of the United States, founder of TeethTalk.com and creator of “Teeth Talk Girl,” who received the entrepreneur award.
“It was fantastic to meet the winners at the ceremony and celebrate their achievements in person. We are so proud of their impact and important contributions to elevating the oral health profession,” said Mayumi Kaneda, director of the Sunstar Foundation.
Jill Rethman, president of the IFDH, added: “The Sunstar World Dental Hygienist Awards are always a special part of the program at the International Symposium on Dental Hygiene. It’s wonderful to honor our colleagues who have achieved so much and worked so hard to improve the lives of people everywhere. They inspire us to always do our best, no matter where we practice our profession.”
In addition to the World Dental Hygienist Awards, the Sunstar Foundation supports the World Perio Research Awards and the Perio Link Award, as well as research and innovation grants intended to raise awareness of the importance of oral care and support the work of oral care professionals. The foundation also promotes overall health by highlighting the connection between oral and general well-being through education, research, grants, awards, and clinical services.
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