This is an update from the July 2023 article “A Guide to Listing Your Credentials“.
By JoAnn Gurenlian, RDH, MS, PhD, AAFAAOM, FADHA
July 7, 2025
Dental hygienists continue to demonstrate a strong commitment to lifelong learning, advancing their education and strengthening their contributions to the profession. Through professional development, many strive to enhance their clinical expertise, leadership capabilities and academic knowledge – often earning additional credentials that reflect these achievements.
You may be wondering how to list your newest credential. Presenting credentials in a uniform and professional manner helps raise public awareness of the value and significance of the honors you’ve worked hard to achieve. While there are many ways to present credentials, professional associations often provide guidance to ensure consistency and clarity.
Listing Credentials
There is no “one way” or “right way” for listing credentials.
ADHA investigated at length what similar associations were recommending regarding displaying credentials and created the following recommendation for credential sequence by category.
| First designation: dental hygienist by licensure | RDH, LDH |
| Second designation: additional highest earned dental hygiene-related degree | BS/BSDH, MS/MSDH* |
| Third designation: highest other earned academic degrees | AuD, BA, BS, MPH, MA, MBA, RN, MEd, EdD, PhD, (and others as identified) |
| Fourth designation: significant awards and honors, i.e., Fellowships | AAFAAOM, FSCDH, FADHA |
| Fifth designation: other valid certifications from recognized accredited programs that acknowledge additional skills | Myofunctional Therapy (OMT), etc. |
*Note: Not all dental hygiene degrees are BSDH or MSDH; many are BS/MS with a specialization in dental hygiene.
Examples of credential presentations
Samantha Martin, RDH
Samantha Martin, RDH, BSDH
Samantha Martin, RDH, BS, MBA
Samantha Martin, RDH, FADHA
Samantha Martin, RDH, MS, MPH, FADHA
Samantha Martin, RDH, MS, FSCDH, FADHA, OMT
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JoAnn Gurenlian, RDH, MS, PhD, AAFAAOM, FADHA is the ADHA Director of Education and Research, professor emerita in the Department of Dental Hygiene at ISU, and former president of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association 1990-1991.
