American Dental Hygienists’ Association

American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA), professional association for dental hygienists in the United States, founded in 1923 in Cleveland and headquartered in Chicago. The organization’s primary focus is to improve the public’s overall health by advocating for the art and science of dental hygiene, promoting universal access to oral health care, and promoting high standards of dental hygiene education, research, and practice.

From an organizational standpoint, the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) is composed of some 400 local dental hygiene associations. The component organizations implement community service programs and education sessions and offer ideas and information about state and national policies. At the national level, the ADHA represents the interests of all dental hygienists and provides educational and professional development programming. The ADHA Institute for Oral Health is a foundation created to provide funding for educational scholarships, fellowships, research grants, and community service grants to dental hygienists throughout the United States.

The ADHA’s communication division produces a variety of periodicals, including the JDH: Journal of Dental Hygiene, the ADHA’s official scientific organ, which publishes original research. The ADHA also publishes a variety of consumer fact sheets on subjects related to oral care and dentistry, such as nutrition, disease transmission, tobacco-related issues, and what to expect during a dental hygiene appointment.