Riitta Hihnala named Dental Nurse of the Year, Ella Vainikka named Dental Hygienist of the Year

Riitta Hihnala, who was named Dental Nurse of the Year, was honoured for her exemplary and long-standing career as a dental nurse. Hihnala, who works at the Ylivieska dental clinic, is due to retire next year, but she still continues to develop in her work and get excited about new things.

During her career, Hihnala has worked at a general dental practice, as a periodontist’s assistant and has independently performed dental check-ups on children under school age. In recent years, she has been carrying out care needs assessments over the phone and has also stood in for the head nurse.

Hihnala’s colleague describes her as an inspiring and positive colleague who is considerate of others.

– I admire her ability to remain calm and keep a positive attitude even in difficult situations. She also knows how to motivate and support us, her colleagues, during times of change. She tries to be considerate of everyone, which is no easy task in a large work community. If she promises to do something or look into something, she will see it through, says the colleague.

Ella Vainikka, who was named Dental Hygienist of the Year, is a prime example of how continuing education and lifelong learning are an important part of the job. Ella works in specialist healthcare at the Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Centre HUSUKE at HUS’s Park Hospital. She works at an orthodontic practice and sees patients independently.

Patients with clefts are a challenging group, but Ella has quickly mastered their care and improved the running of the clinic. She has introduced her own consultation days, which have helped to develop the operations of the entire unit and, in particular, improved the quality of care for surgical patients. Ella has been studying alongside her work and has also spent her free time on continuing education.

According to her colleague, Ella is an active member of the work community and brings the team together.

– She is a highly skilled oral health professional who, in addition to her day job, takes on assignments at other clinics to keep her skills in other areas up to date. Ella is the best <3, says the colleague.

The Finnish Federation of Oral Health Care Professionals, STAL ry, presented the awards at the Oral Health event at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre on Thursday 5 November 2026. 

Additionally, STAL ry and the Finnish Dental Association awarded the Meidän työ honourable mention to the Simula team from the Institute of Dentistry at the University of Eastern Finland. The team comprises Simula coordinator Jonna Kumpulainen, dental hygienist instructor Elina Jauhiainen and dental assistant instructors Tanja Toivanen and Sirpa Lindqvist. The Simula team works in a simulation environment and plays a key role in the students’ professional development.

STAL ry is a Tehy partnership organisation.