ADHA Releases Recommendations on Dental Hygiene’s Future

Three years ago, a selected group of dental hygienists met to establish what the future would hold for their profession if it were determined by those in the field. The result is Dental Hygiene: Focus on Advancing the Profession.

The report, which was released officially at annual session, takes a progressive stance with controversial statements and recommendations, such as:

• baccalaureate degree recommended as the entry point for dental hygiene practice,
• traditional method of providing dental hygiene services through a private dental practice is inadequate to meet the oral health needs of the country and must be expanded,
• given the conflict of interest that occurs when employer dentists regulate their own employees, dental boards make frequent decisions that limit the public’s access to dental hygiene services,
• dental hygiene professionals should have the authority to regulate themselves,
• promoting expanded practice settings and removing restrictive supervision barriers is essential to the current and future health of the nation,
• warning that without the development of an advanced dental hygiene practitioner, other allied health professionals (i.e. physicians, nurses) will assume the responsibility of meeting the diverse oral health care needs of the public, especially the underserved.

Download full report. For more information, contact ADHA Communications at 800-243-ADHA, ext. 237 or communications@adha.net.