A collection of evidence-based guidelines to help you optimize your dental hygiene education practice.
CODA Accreditation Standards for Dental Hygiene Education Programs
ADHA supports accreditation standards that prepare entry level dental hygienists to assume all the professional roles of a dental hygienist in a variety of settings to address the oral and overall health care needs of the public. In addition, ADHA actively monitors proposed changes or additions to the dental hygiene accreditation standards, and makes strategic recommendations based on member feedback with the best interests of the dental hygiene community in mind.
Dental Hygiene Program Survey
A 2024 survey of 157 dental hygiene programs conducted by MHC Insight examines barriers to increasing class sizes and diversifying student recruitment in a field that is 95% female and 77% white. The report offers practical recommendations including online learning, flexible scheduling, and improved faculty recruitment strategies.
CODA Accreditation Standards for Dental Therapy Education Programs
In August 2015, CODA implemented national accreditation standards for dental therapy education programs. ADHA worked with state associations to ensure these standards include a dental hygiene track and advanced standing for dental hygienists pursuing dental therapy.
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National Board Dental Hygiene Examination Resource
This annual guide from the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations provides essential information on application procedures, examination content, scoring, and testing protocols for the NBDHE.
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Core Competencies for Graduate Dental Hygiene Education
This collaborative resource from ADHA and the American Dental Education Association defines the professional knowledge base and establishes an educational foundation for all graduate dental hygiene programs.
Competencies for Graduate Education
ADHA White Paper: Dental Hygiene Diagnosis
ADHA maintains that dental hygiene diagnosis is essential to education and practice. This resource clarifies the distinction between dental and dental hygiene diagnosis, provides implementation models, and outlines recommendations for educators and policymakers.
Dental Hygiene Diagnosis Paper
ADHA White Paper: Transforming Dental Hygiene Education and the Profession for the 21st Century
Graduate education is imperative for developing professionals who will lead the profession and assume leadership roles in health care and education. This resource examines how to prepare scholars to generate and disseminate knowledge within the field.
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White Paper: Integrating Oral Health Educators into Hospital Care
This 2025 resource from the National Network of Healthcare Hygienists proposes integrating RDHs as Certified Oral Health Educators™ to address the critical gap in hospital oral care. It presents case studies demonstrating reduced infection rates and cost savings, and provides a framework for formal credentialing pathways.
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Standards for Clinical Dental Hygiene Practice
These standards promote the knowledge, values, practices, and behaviors that support oral and overall health. They assist clinicians in the provider-patient relationship and help dental hygienists in all professional roles facilitate collaborative, patient-centered care. Current edition is from 2025.
2025 SDH Standards Download
National Dental Hygiene Research Agenda
The NDHRA provides a framework to guide members who desire to add to the body of knowledge that defines the dental hygiene profession. ADHA is committed to regularly updating this resource as the profession’s body of knowledge grows.
View the NDHRA
Dental Workforce Shortages: Data to Navigate Today’s Labor Market
The ADA Health Policy Institute partnered with the ADHA, ADAA, DANB, and IgniteDA to research factors affecting workplace satisfaction and retention in dental practices. Based on data from thousands of dental professionals collected in 2022, this report identifies key strategies to improve workforce satisfaction and address current staffing shortages in the dental sector.