ADHA Announces Recipient of 2005 Alfred C. Fones Award

Chicago—June 27, 2005—The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) has named Helene S. Bednarsh, BS, RDH, MPH, of Sharon, Mass., as the recipient of the 2005 ADHA Alfred C. Fones Award.

The award program, sponsored by Oral-B Laboratories, recognizes a current ADHA member who has contributed significantly to the profession of dental hygiene. Alfred C. Fones, credited with coining the phrase “dental hygiene,” founded the first dental hygiene school in the early 1900s.

Bednarsh received her bachelor of science degree in dental hygiene from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1974 and her master’s degree in public health from The University of Texas at Austin in 1977. She now works for the Boston Public Health Commission.

Bednarsh was honored during the opening ceremonies at ADHA’s 82nd annual session in Las Vegas on June 25. She received $1,000 and a commemorative award, as well as round-trip transportation and lodging for two nights at the session.

ADHA is the largest national organization representing the professional interests of more than 120,000 dental hygienists across the country. Dental hygienists are preventive oral health professionals, licensed in dental hygiene, who provide educational, clinical and therapeutic services that support total health through the promotion of optimal oral health. For more information about ADHA, dental hygiene or the link between oral health and general health, visit ADHA at http://www.adha.org.

Oral-B, a brand of the Gillette Company, is a leader in the oral health industry, marketing power toothbrushes for adults and children, as well as interdental products such as irrigators and oral care centers.

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