WELLSBURG — During the recent semiannual meeting of the West Virginia Dental Association, Dr. David G. Edwards of Wellsburg was awarded the Dr. Robert B. Bridgeman Distinguished Dentist Award. The award is considered the highest honor conferred by the West Virginia Dental Association.

Edwards is a 1973 West Virginia University School of Dentistry graduate who has practiced in Wellsburg his entire career. He was also a friend of Bridegman, who acted as his mentor throughout his schooling. Edwards said this connection made the award especially important to him.

“Over my career, I have gotten quite a few accolades and awards, all of which are very dear to me, but this one was very, very special because I knew Rob Bridgman really well,” he said. “He was a close friend and to have his son David actually present the award made it extra special.”

The award was established in honor of Dr. Robert B. Bridgeman who practiced dentistry in New Martinsville. It is awarded to a member who demonstrates the qualities of leadership, professionalism and commitment to providing excellent oral healthcare in West Virginia.

Over a 50-year career, Edwards has been involved with the American Dental Association; West Virginia Dental Association, serving as treasurer for several years; and Wheeling District Dental Society, serving as its president and component delegate to the West Virginia Dental Association.

He also holds membership in the Academy of Operative Dentistry, American Academy of Gold Foil Operators, the Hollenbeck Operative Dentistry Seminar and the Academy of General Dentistry. Edwards holds honorary fellowships with the American and International Colleges of Dentists, the Pierre Fauchard Academy and the Omicron Kappa Upsilon Dental Honorary.

He continues to serve as a member of the West Virginia Board of Dentistry and has done so for more than 14 years, serving as its president for three terms.

He is also a national board examiner for the Southern Regional Testing Agency and the Commission on Dental Competency Assessments.

Edwards’ worked as an assistant clinical professor for nine years while still in practice and continues now that he is retired. In 2013 he received the WVU School of Dentistry Distinguished Alumnus Award and the Pierre Fauchard Outstanding Dentist Award. Edwards said, at the very beginning of his career, he set out with the sole purpose of helping people.

“The primary reason I went into dentistry was that I knew that I could help people ability wise, and I just really wanted to see people get better,” he said. “The dental health of West Virginia of course is not the greatest in the world, practically anybody would tell you that, so if I can help get people over that hump all the better.”

Outside of dentistry, Edwards serves his community as a member and officer of the Wellsburg Lions Club and an elder in the First Presbyterian Church. He has also served on the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley and the Hancock, Brooke and Ohio County Victim Assistance Program.

Edwards and his wife, Linda, a dental hygienist, have lived in Wellsburg since 1973, and Edwards said his local community and patient family are very important to him.

“I’ve always tried to treat all of them as family rather than friends or acquaintances,” he said. “I once said I have probably the largest family in Wellsburg.”

As a lasting gift to the schools of the area, they have established two scholarships at WVU, the Dr. David G. Edwards Dental Scholarship and the Linda S. Edwards Dental Hygiene Scholarship. Additionally, they have two scholarships available at West Liberty University, the Dr. David G. Edwards Biology Scholarship and the Linda Edwards Dental Hygiene Scholarship, as well as one scholarship at Case Western Reserve University named after his brother in law.