Maryland entrepreneur receives the 2026 ADHA Standout Seven Award for Entrepreneur
(BALTIMORE – September 5, 2026) – At BMORENews.com, if there is one story we will always make room to tell, it is the story of the entrepreneur—the person who takes an idea, believes in it when others may not yet see the vision, and works to turn that idea into something tangible.
Dr. Tonya Jeffries is living that story.
Over the past two years, the Maryland educator, author, app creator, speaker, and consultant has stepped out on her own and made significant strides as an entrepreneur. She has secured contracts, developed national and international relationships, presented her work before professional audiences, and expanded the reach of her ideas well beyond Maryland.
Now, her entrepreneurial journey has earned national recognition.
Jeffries has been named the recipient of the 2026 American Dental Hygienists’ Association Standout Seven Award for Entrepreneur. Presented in partnership with Henry Schein, the honor recognizes exemplary dedication and innovation within the dental hygiene profession.
“What a call to receive!” Jeffries wrote while announcing the award. “I’m truly honored to be named the ADHA Standout Seven Entrepreneur Award recipient.”
She thanked the American Dental Hygienists’ Association for recognizing both her journey and “the possibilities that exist when dental hygienists think beyond the traditional career path.”
That willingness to think beyond tradition has become a defining characteristic of Jeffries’ work.
She is the author of The Dental Hygiene Hack: Untold Secrets, Must-Have Apps, and Essential Strategies for Success in Hygiene School and the creator of the HygieneHack app. Together, the book and mobile application are designed to help dental hygiene students understand the demands of their profession, manage their clinical requirements, measure their progress, and better prepare for success.
In January 2026, RDH Magazine published Jeffries’ article explaining how the book and app help address some of the often-unspoken academic and clinical challenges dental hygiene students encounter. She described HygieneHack as a clinical mobile application that allows students to track competencies and patient-treatment requirements while organizing their clinical progress from admission through graduation.
Her growing body of work also includes continuing education courses addressing dental implants, third-molar treatment, and interdisciplinary oral care for deaf patients. She is currently developing a course titled AI for the Dental Hygienist, placing her at the intersection of healthcare, education, and emerging technology.
From Maryland to an International Stage
Jeffries’ work has carried her onto podcasts, conference stages, professional publications, and international platforms.
Her recent appearances and professional engagements have included BrownGirl RDH, Dentalish, the CDCA-WREB-CITA Educators Conference, the RDH Magazine podcast, Dental Hygiene Basics, and Happy Flosser. She was also shortlisted for a Denobi Award.
In March 2026, Jeffries presented her book and app at the American Dental Education Association Annual Session and Exhibition in Quebec, Canada. In July, her professional journey took her to Milan, Italy, for the International Symposium on Dental Hygiene.
Those appearances represent more than speaking engagements. They demonstrate that an idea developed by a Black woman entrepreneur from Maryland is gaining attention within national and international professional circles.
Her schedule continues in November 2026, when she is slated to speak at a BrownGirl RDH event under the theme “Student to Success.”
Jeffries has also made history as the first African American president of the Maryland Dental Hygienists’ Association. With more than 20 years of experience in dental hygiene and over a decade in higher education, she has taken her clinical knowledge, teaching experience, and leadership background and converted them into products, services, and new possibilities for her profession.
“Entrepreneurship has taught me that sometimes you have to believe in an idea before anyone else can see the vision,” Jeffries wrote. “You have to be willing to take the leap, stay resilient, and continue moving forward even when the path isn’t always clear.”
That is entrepreneurship in its purest form: taking what exists in your mind and doing the difficult work required to bring it into the world.
A Black Woman Building in STEM
Black women across America are creating businesses, advancing innovation, and making their presence felt in fields where they have historically been underrepresented. Jeffries belongs in that conversation.
Her accomplishments are particularly notable because her company operates within the broader STEM ecosystem, bringing together oral healthcare, educational technology, mobile applications, continuing education, and now artificial intelligence.
This has not been an overnight success story. It has required heart, nerve, discipline, faith, and determination. Building something on your own means continuing to move when the contracts have not yet arrived, when the connections have not yet been made, and when no award committee is watching.
Jeffries kept moving.
In doing so, she has likely exceeded some of her own initial expectations. More importantly, she has created an example for dental hygienists who may have ideas of their own but have not yet imagined themselves as business owners, innovators, authors, consultants, or technology creators.
“My journey has taught me that our clinical expertise can become the foundation for businesses, innovations, leadership opportunities, and entirely new career pathways,” she said.
My father once told me that if you take one step toward God, He will take a step toward you—and His steps are bigger than yours.
Dr. Tonya Jeffries took the step. Then she took another. Today, her work is carrying her from Maryland to stages across the country and around the world.
Bravo to Dr. Jeffries for taking the dental hygiene world by storm and making her mark.
Bravo, Dr. Jeffries.
The ADHA award and Dr. Jeffries’ professional background were independently confirmed through the American Dental Hygienists’ Association and RDH Magazine.
