This year, National Dental Hygienist Day falls on April 7-11, which means the celebration of all the outstanding contributions of dental hygienists is coming to an end.
But that doesn’t mean we need to stop recognizing the positive contributions they make to oral health around the world.
Dental hygienists are licensed preventive oral health professionals who play a vital role in patient care, as well as the success of most dental practices. They provide educational, clinical, and therapeutic services that support overall health by promoting optimal oral health.
Over the years, the role of dental hygienists has become more important as the oral system’s connections have deepened and people have become more aware of the importance of oral health to overall health.
The American Dental Hygienists Association (ADHA®) is the largest and oldest professional organization for dental hygienists in the United States, representing the professional interests of more than 220,000 dental hygienists in the United States. The ADHA provides a wealth of support to its members in the form of education, resources, and advocacy programs.
But this time of year, as well as the rest of the year, dentists need to remember how much these hard-working team members give to them and their patients.
There are many ways to show appreciation, including continuing education courses or industry conferences hosted by your office, or simply highlighting your dental hygienists through social media posts, office parties, and heartfelt testimonials from patients.
Remember, these dental hygienists deserve recognition for more than just the second week of April—they provide excellent care to patients every day, and they deserve it.
In fact, National Oral Hygiene Month is observed each October in the United States to celebrate the hard work of dental hygienists and raise awareness of the importance of oral health.
The month-long event was originally created in 2009 by the American Dental Hygienist Association (ADHA) and is a partnership between the ADHA and Colgate. Learn more here.
This year’s annual conference, ADHA25, will be held October 4-6 in Long Beach, California.
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