Irene Iancu, Bs.c, CTDP, OM, RRDH

After 19 years as a dental hygienist, this is the first time I’m stepping forward to nominate myself. It’s 5:59 p.m. on December 31, 2025, and as I reflect on this year, I realize I have many highlights, and my journey has led me to help people in ways I didn’t know were possible.

In 2020, I opened my own practice in the midst of a global pandemic, grew from three employees to a team of 14, and reached over $1.4 million in revenue as a practice, outperforming many established dental practices, from what I hear. Alongside that, I balanced a full speaking schedule, created science-driven content, and developed digital resources that have been downloaded over 60,000 times. My commitment to elevating our profession has never been in question. My standards have only continued to increase, and with that, the resources my team and I have created have challenged other clinicians to think differently, practice differently, and care for patients in ways that push the standard of care to new heights.

But what stands out most to me isn’t just the professional achievements. My chronic high-achievement disease is incurable, and celebrating the small wins (or any win) was never the drug I craved.

This October, I celebrated my 40th birthday with the worst gift imaginable when my dad, who has been the star of many of my Instagram stories, posts a prominent case study in my period therapy lecture, was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic lung cancer. While navigating my career, practice, and life, I realized that my deep commitment to understanding systemic health allowed me to help him navigate complex medical situations. I found myself speaking with oncology teams and specialists, something I never imagined I’d be doing at this level, and it was my passion for our field that gave me the confidence to do so. The resource I created for our community on products that are safe to use during chemotherapy and radiation was printed, laminated, and shared with the oncology team. It is now downloaded and under review at Sunnybrook Hospital, a leading cancer hospital in Canada.

In the final week of this year, my knowledge of vitals led us to the emergency room, ultimately diagnosing a cardiac arrhythmia that he is now being treated for in the ICU. While I still had two deliverables left to post before the end of this year. Ironically, one of them today for Philips. I didn’t share content for the sake of it, instead I leaned in and dug deeper. I delivered thoughtful, science-backed information that I believe will help our peers and the patients we all serve. Opening my camera-roll is gut wrenching, the commitment I have to both my work and my family are clear.

So that is what I’m most proud of: my ability to uphold the integrity of our profession even in the hardest moments and under the biggest scrutiny.

This nomination honours that blend of professional dedication and personal resilience. I’ve realized that science-driven passion can make a real difference—both in our practices and in our lives. And for that, I’m truly proud. Sure, the other accomplishments matter too, but today, as I sit in a hallway in the C-Wing outside of Room 48, reflecting on this year, I’m proud of myself for not stepping down and for continuing to do what feels right.

Thank you for allowing written submissions in place of video nominations. As someone who posts videos regularly, these are words I could not share in that format—certainly not without crying.

Happy new year.