Featured Hygienist: Barbara Hodgkins, RDH

Barbara attended the University of Vermont and graduated in 1982. She has been practicing as a dental hygienist for over 36 years and have been a member of the VDHA for over 25 of those years. She loved her career in private practice, especially the flexibility it provided when her children were young.

Barb said her favorite part about her career is that hygienist are usually on the cutting edge of science and promote overall health to their patients. She loved building long term relationships with her patients over the years and felt honored to help them become healthier.

She just “retired” from private practice and is now promoting “Great Health” in the public schools. She has a mobile dental unit that she takes into schools and provides hygiene services at no charge. The students have really taken an interest in their oral health, and Barb feels very fortunate to be a part of this positive change.

In Barb’s free time she teaches cardio-fitness classes at a local gym, where she does yoga. She also enjoys singing at her church, and gardening with her husband. Her children relocated to MA, so they find time to visit them as often as possible.