ICYMI: Esther Wilkins, Chelmsford Native and 'Godmother of Dental Hygiene,' Dies at 100

Dr. Esther Wilkins, a Chelmsford native and longtime professor at Tufts University who was known as the "godmother of dental hygiene" as one of the world's foremost experts in the field, died Monday. She turned 100 just three days prior.

Tufts University School of Dental Medicine was to celebrate the achievements Wilkins and two others Friday.

Wilkins was a true icon in the world of dental hygiene.

She published the Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist in 1959, a book now in its 12th edition. The work is considered the "dental hygienist's bible," said Dailyfloss.com

Wilkins, born in 1916 in Chelmsford, graduated from Simmons College in 1938, received a certificate from the Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene in 1939, and graduated from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in 1949. She established the Dental Hygiene Program at the University of Washington School of Dentistry.

Wilkins came back to Tufts in 1966 and was there until her 2011 retirement. She received the American Dental Education Association’s William J. Gies Award for Achievement by a Dental Educator in 2012 and the International College of Dentists Distinguished Service Award in 2013.

Wilkins on Friday was to receive Dean’s Medals, the highest honor bestowed by the dean of a school at Tufts University and awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to their school and the greater community.

Photo by Yoon Byun for Tufts Now