Hu-Friedy sends essay winners to Chicago Midwinter

Mar 3, 2010

Hu-Friedy acknowledged the work of two dental hygienists by sponsoring their trip to attend the 2010 Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting. The company conducted a contest to recognize the dedication of hygienists and help eliminate any economic barriers that might prevent their participation in this meeting.

About 100 dental hygienists submitted essays describing the benefits they expected to yield from being selected to attend the Chicago Midwinter Meeting, the company said.

The contest winners were Lesa Crane, R.D.H., B.S.H.S., the assistant local coordinator of the Dental Hygiene Program at Northern Virginia/Germanna Community College, and Debby Kurtz-Weidinger, R.D.H., M.Ed., a dental hygienist at the Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center Dental Clinic in Phoenix.

Crane said she had not been to the Chicago meeting since 1984, when she heard a presentation by Irene Woodall. "She inspired me to believe I could become a periotherapist. Now I've come full circle. I'm an educator myself, and the Midwinter Meeting has course offerings that will help us develop our program."

Kurtz-Weidinger has been deeply involved in the treatment of soldiers whose injuries leave them unable to speak, or with other serious oral health issues. "They tell me I've made a difference in their lives by listening, providing high-quality dental hygiene treatment, and by teaching them to maintain optimal oral health," she said. "They make me proud of my work."

"Hu-Friedy has the honor of providing quality handcrafted instruments to this group and is committed to doing all we can to enable access to information and education that will add value to their professional lives," said Ron Saslow, president and chief executive officer of Hu-Friedy. "In the current economic climate, it is sometimes difficult to attend some of the major conferences, so we are gratified that we could sponsor these two individuals who obviously have made a difference for so many."