Fredericksburg Dental Hygienists’ Association Wins 2005 Colgate/ADHA Award

Chicago—June 27, 2005—The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) and Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals Inc, a subsidiary of the Colgate Palmolive Company, have named the Fredericksburg Dental Hygienists’ Association (FDHA), a component of the Virginia Dental Hygienists’ Association, a recipient of the 2005 Colgate/ADHA Community Outreach Award.

The award is presented to ADHA component organizations that have implemented significant community outreach programs focusing on preventive oral health care.

Writing the award citation on behalf of the component was Misty L. Sissom, RDH, BSHS. She received her associate in applied science degree in dental hygiene from Virginia Western Community College in Roanoke, Va., and her bachelor of science in health science from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., where she is currently working on her master of science degree in community health.

The award was presented to FDHA for the creation of an oral health clinic, The Arch of Rappahannock Dental Program, which provides dental services to Medicaid adults who suffer from retardation and developmental disabilities. The clinic is a collaboration with Rappahannock Valley Dental Society. Sissom is associated with FDHA, which provides the volunteer hygienists and clinical supplies necessary for the success of the program.

The recipients were honored at ADHA’s 82nd annual session in Las Vegas on June 25. The winners each received $2,000 donation for their component, a commemorative award, and an expense-free trip to Las Vegas for the ceremony.

ADHA is the largest national organization representing the professional interests of more than 120,000 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.

Colgate Palmolive is a leading global consumer products company, tightly focused on oral care, personal care, home care and pet nutrition.

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