Brenda Armstrong, MDH, RDH, FADHA, has been dedicated to student success at Utah Tech University’s Department of Dental Hygiene since 2013, where she serves as Department Chair and Professor. Her commitment to dental hygiene education began earlier, contributing to the successful launch and accreditation of the Dental Hygiene Department at Thomas Nelson Community College (Williamsburg, VA), where she served as assistant professor and clinic coordinator.
Throughout her career in higher education, Brenda has focused on empowering students to become ethical, decision-making professionals. Her passion for teaching extends beyond clinical skills to encompass ethics, law, and the holistic development of dental hygiene practitioners. With experience as a college assessment lead, she has developed expertise in dental hygiene curriculum planning, program assessment, and data-driven approaches to improving student learning outcomes.
Brenda’s dedication to the dental hygiene profession extends well beyond the classroom. Her passion for legislative change and expanded access to oral healthcare was ignited by witnessing a young child’s struggle with a preventable dental abscess. This experience shaped not only her own advocacy work but also her teaching philosophy—she is committed to empowering the next generation of dental hygienists to be vocal advocates for oral health equity and champions for underserved populations.
A Fellow of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association, Brenda’s leadership roles include Chair of the Utah Oral Health Coalition (2018-2019) and President of the Utah Dental Hygienists’ Association (2023-2024). Through these positions, she has championed initiatives to expand the scope of dental hygiene practice and improve access to oral healthcare for underserved populations.
Brenda’s contributions to the profession have been recognized through numerous awards: DSU Teacher of the Year-Rising Star (2016), Utah Campus Compact Presidential Award for Community Engaged Scholar (2017), UDHA Student Mentor of the Year (2019), American Dental Hygienists’ Association Educator of the Year (2020), DSU College of Health Sciences Service Award (2021), UDHA Educator of the Year (2022), and DSU Board of Trustees Excellence in Education (2022).
She has shared her expertise through presentations at the ADHA Annual Conference on educational assessment (2017), active learning (2019), and dental hygiene medical/dental integration (2020), as well as posters at the ADEA Annual Session and North American Dental Hygiene Research Conference. Her publications include works on halitosis, service-learning, and oral health care for long-term care residents in the Journal of Dental Hygiene.