Anna M. Pattison, RDH, MS, Receives Esther Wilkins Lifetime Achievement Award at Dimensions’ Discovery EXPO
The Esther Wilkins Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony at the Dimensions’ Discovery EXPO celebrated the remarkable career of Anna M. Pattison, RDH, MS. Her contributions to dental hygiene education and periodontal instrumentation have left an indelible mark on the profession.
On Friday, September 13, 2024, the Dimensions’ Discovery EXPO hosted a prestigious event: the presentation of the Esther Wilkins Lifetime Achievement Award. This award, established in 2010 by Dimensions of Dental Hygiene and sponsored by Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals, honors dental hygienists who have made significant contributions to advancing the profession. This year’s recipient, Anna M. Pattison, RDH, MS, has spent decades enriching the field through her groundbreaking work in periodontal instrumentation and dental hygiene education.
The recipient was honored with a cocktail reception in the California Ballroom at the Anaheim Hilton Hotel through the generous support of premier sponsor Colgate and supporting sponsors Kettenbach and Pac-Dent.
Pattison’s path into dental hygiene was not initially one she sought. In fact, her first dream was to attend medical school, but her parents encouraged her to study dental hygiene. While she harbored some regrets about not pursuing medicine, Pattison has since embraced her role in shaping the future of dental hygiene education. After earning her dental hygiene degree at the University of Southern California (USC), she completed a Master of Science in Dental Hygiene at Columbia University.
Her master’s thesis turned into the seminal text, Periodontal Instrumentation – A Clinical Manual, the first clinical manual of its kind, which has educated dental hygiene students worldwide and is translated into six languages. This pivotal work, co-written with her husband Gordon Pattison, DDS, set the foundation for her decades-long focus on elevating clinical standards for periodontal care.
Pattison’s impact on dental hygiene extends far beyond textbooks. She spent years as a faculty member at leading institutions, including USC, Tufts University, and the University of Zurich. Her dedication to education was evident in the thousands of lectures and hands-on instrumentation courses she has delivered across the United States. In collaboration with the award’s namesake, Esther M. Wilkins,BS, RDH, DMD, Pattison shared her expertise at professional meetings, offering critical instruction on advanced periodontal instrumentation.
Pattison’s career has spanned roles from educator to editor. As the first editor in chief of Dimensions of Dental Hygiene, she guided the publication’s mission of delivering high-quality, peer-reviewed content to dental hygienists globally. Today, she and her husband continue to lead the Pattison Institute, where they offer both in-person and online periodontal instrumentation courses.
During the award ceremony at the EXPO, attendees celebrated Pattison’s contributions, not just to periodontal instrumentation but to the broader dental hygiene profession. Her influence has shaped the clinical skills of generations of dental hygienists, and her educational materials continue to set the standard in dental education. Her legacy will undoubtedly continue to shape the future of dental hygiene and benefit patients for years to come. Click here to read more.
