Maine hygienist honored by Crest Oral-B

Mary Lynne Murray-Ryder, RDH, of Hermon, ME, is the third U.S. hygienist to win the Crest Oral-B Pros in the Profession award, a program created to honor registered dental hygienists who go above and beyond the call of duty.

A champion for dental hygiene, Murray-Ryder has improved the lives of others both inside and outside the office, Crest Oral-B noted. In addition to her 31 years of experience as a registered dental hygienist, she has served as an American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) delegate, Maine Dental Hygienists' Association (MDHA) president, and on several MDHA councils, currently serving as immediate past president and continuing education council liaison.

Having spent the last 10 years of her career at a private holistic practice, Murray-Ryder has a passion for providing individualized solutions to each of her patients. She expands this devotion to comprehensive care by helping put her state on the map through initiatives with Maine's independent practice dental hygienists, which allows reaching out to a segment of the population that is currently underserved.

"At Crest Oral-B, we always talk about leaving footprints, and Mary Lynne has left irreversible footprints," said Beth Jordan, RDH, and Crest Oral-B account manager. "She helped work on legislation for the independent practice dental hygienist status in Maine, as well as establish the public health service tag on the RDH license, which allows an RDH to go out in to the community to reach out to underserved populations."

In addition to her accomplishments as a registered dental hygienist, Murray-Ryder volunteers for community service projects that focus on helping the homeless and attends and organizes continuing education classes for her fellow registered dental hygienists.

With this honor, Murray-Ryder will join previous Pros in the Profession winners Ann Benson, RDH, and Trudy Meinburg, RDH, on an all-expense-paid trip to the ADHA's annual meeting in Nashville, TN, in June. In addition, she will receive a $1,500 cash prize, a spa experience, an award, recognition at major conferences and in dental trade publications throughout the year, and an exclusive trip to Procter & Gamble headquarters.