ADHA Announces Recipient of 2008 Colgate Community Outreach Award

Chicago—August 11, 2008—The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) has named the South Central Kentucky Dental Hygiene Society (SCKDHS) as a recipient of the 2008 Colgate Community Outreach Award. The SCKDHS was honored during the second plenary session at ADHA’s 85th annual session Albuquerque, N.M., on June 21st.

ADHA, in conjunction with Colgate, presented this award in recognition of the volunteer efforts of ADHA component associations and individual members who have conducted significant outreach programs that focus on preventive oral health care. The winning component associations demonstrated collaboration with appropriate non-dental and dental partners, innovation and creativity in application of proven strategies, and a congruence of program strategies with established objectives.

The SCKDHS was chosen for its commitment to helping the underserved communities in Belize, in Central America.  Hygienists from the component travel to Belize to provide preventive care to the citizens and targeted preventive education to the children in an effort to help reduce the number of major dental problems.  The component has participated in the project for three years, each year increasing its level of support.  More than 1000 patients have been treated by the service team over the course of the life of the project.

ADHA is the largest national organization representing the professional interests of more than 150,000 dental hygienists across the country. Dental hygienists are preventive oral health professionals, licensed in dental hygiene, who provide educational, clinical and therapeutic services that support total health through the promotion of optimal oral health. For more information about ADHA, dental hygiene or the link between oral health and general health, visit ADHA at http://www.adha.org

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