The Power Couple of Dentistry Host the '24 Denobi Awards

Katrina Sanders and Dale Stewart

As a dental hygienist who entered the profession at a time when the narrative ‘that’s how we’ve always done it’ was a constant echo holding dentistry back from stepping into excellence, I’ve discovered that my brain [or perhaps, rather, my professional responsibility I feel I have to my patients and my profession] is just different. For so long, I felt as though I was the ‘redheaded stepchild’ [pun lightly intended as this is written by a ginger] of dentistry, as time and again, I was asked to low my standards of care to meet the undervalued and low dental IQs of my patients and subsequent complacency of the team members I worked with. I’m not alone – and I’m no hero for sharing this. There are countless humans out there who feel the same undeniable necessity to ‘do the right thing’, and simply cannot rest their head on their pillow at night without knowing wholeheartedly they have done their best for their patients. I began a mission of normalizing the voices of those who are the dream makers and the shapeshifters of our profession, and throughout this journey, I’ve marveled at the people who have also echoed this same penchant for excellence.

It is there that I’ve found celebratory moments like the Denobis: a true beacon of excellence in celebrating the unsung heroes who work tirelessly to uphold the progressive future our profession is currently curating. Additionally, I’m constantly blown away by the level of professionalism, strength, and heart of the incredible Melissa Turner and Sonya Dunbar who have selflessly created this celebration of excellence as a means of bringing these good souls out front. Put simply: the Denobi Awards celebrate [as Sonya Dunbar so eloquently shared] ‘the nobody’… the people who are working silently but proudly to make this world not only a better place but a kinder, softer and healthier place with their visions, their talents and their hearts.

It has been the honor of a lifetime to stand alongside my husband, Dale F Stewart MBA as we presented these achievement awards to some of the best in our profession.