The American Dental Hygienists' Association To Celebrate 2008 National Dental Hygiene Month With Event-Dedicated Weeks

Main Category: Dentistry
Article Date: 19 Sep 2008 - 1:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

The American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) announced today that a new format for National Dental Hygiene Month (NDHM) will kick off with October and will feature various events for each week of the month long celebration. The theme will remain "A Healthy Smile Lasts a Lifetime."

"The new format for National Dental Hygiene Month is a better representation of what the celebration means to the profession and the community alike," said Diann Bomkamp, RDH, BSDH, ADHA president. "Dental hygienists belong to a community service-oriented profession, which is now honored and better utilized during the month of celebration. We're proud of all dental hygienists and the work that they do."

Events will consist of Hygienists' Appreciation Day during the first week, followed by two weeks of community service and finishing with Take a Potential Member to Lunch Day in the final week. This year, ADHA is also focusing on the oral health care of the entire family, encompassing every age group.

At any age, it is important to have a daily oral health routine to help prevent cavities and periodontal disease. In fact, 75 percent of Americans have some form of periodontal disease. Regular visits to a dental hygienist could detect early signs of the disease, as well as symptoms of many life-threatening diseases which appear in the mouth.

ADHA is encouraging dental hygienists across the country to get involved in NDHM this October to increase public awareness of the importance of educating the entire family on the situations which impact their oral health.

For further details about NDHM, go to www.adha.org/ndhm/index.html. For more information about oral health issues, visit http://www.adha.org/oralhealth/index.html.

ADHA is the largest national organization representing the professional interests of more than 150,000 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.

American Dental Hygienists' Association

• Additional
• References
• Citations