Trisha E. O’Hehir, MS, RDH

Besides clinical dental hygiene practice and several university faculty positions over four decades as an RDH, Trisha is an international speaker, author, instrument designer, inventor.

More about Trisha O’Hehir

Trisha attended the University of Minnesota where she received degrees in Dental Hygiene and Higher Education. Five decades as a dental hygienist have included private practice in the United States and Zurich, Switzerland as well as faculty positions at the Universities of Minnesota, Washington, Arizona, and Louisville.

She pioneered the position of Periodontal Therapist in Arizona and worked for several years teaching local anesthesia and providing local anesthesia in an oral surgery practice. In addition to extensive clinical practice experience, she is an instrument designer, writer, international lecturer, and educator. Previously, Trisha was the Editorial Director of Hygienetown.com and President of the Perio Reports Press.

Trisha authored more 26 years of Perio Reports research summaries, hundreds of articles bridging the gap between science and practice, the textbook Compendium of Current Research, the cartoon book The Toothpaste Secret, the MiniBuk LipZip, and contributed to the textbook Comprehensive Dental Hygiene Care, by Irene Woodall. Her articles have appeared in Hygienetown Magazine, RDH, JDH, JPH, Access, JDR, and JADA.

In 2012, she founded O’Hehir University with two colleagues.  This institution offers an online, six-month, BS Degree completion program for dental hygienists.  There have been nearly 400 graduates around the world.

Her awards include the 1991 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Minnesota, School of Dental Hygiene and the Warner-Lambert/ADHA Excellence in Dental Hygiene Award in 1992. Trisha currently lives and works in Phoenix, Arizona where she is the Past-President of the Arizona State Dental Hygienists’ Association.