Dental Hygienist Receives Award

Nancy W. Burkhart, RDH, BS, MEd, EdD, adjunct associate professor in the Department of Periodontics at Texas A&M University College of Dentistry, affiliate fellow, and Dimensions of Dental Hygiene Peer Review Panel member, received the Dental Professional of the Year Award from the International Pemphigus and Pemphigoid Foundation (IPPF) during the organization’s 20th Annual Patient Conference held September 16, in Newport Beach, California.

Each year the IPPF—an organization focused on improving the quality of life for people affected by pemphigus and pemphigoid through early diagnosis and support—recognizes an oral health professional for going above and beyond to educate the dental community about these rare, autoimmune blistering diseases that affect the skin and mucous membranes.

Burkhart, who serves on the IPPF’s Dental Advisory Committee, was surprised by the award. “I felt really honored to be recognized. The medical and dental professionals in the group are unbelievably talented, not only in their knowledge but also because of their caring personalities. There are so many people who contribute so much to this organization, and the patient support itself is beyond belief,” Burkhart tells Dimensions.

Burkhart credits her work with the International Oral Lichen Planus Support Group, of which she is the founder and faculty co-host, as her largest contribution to the field. “Being part of the stomatology clinic at Texas A&M College of Dentistry has given me a wide perspective in the treatment of all patients with mucosal diseases, oral cancer, and rare types of pathology,” she says.

From Dimensions of Dental Hygiene. November 2017;15(11):10.