The IFDH Mission
The International Federation of Dental Hygienists is an international non-profit association uniting national dental hygienist organizations, by fostering leadership and collaboration.
About IFDH
The International Federation of Dental Hygienists was officially formed on June 28, 1986 in Oslo, Norway. The forerunner of the IFDH, The International Liaison Committee on Dental Hygiene, was established in 1973, by some European countries (including the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK), the USA, Canada and Japan.
The IFDH is an international non-governmental organization, free from any political, racial, or religious ties. It is incorporated and registered in the United States as a 501(c6) non-profit organization. It unites dental hygiene associations from around the world in their common cause of promoting dental health.
IFDH UPDATES
IFDH President Report
September 2023
September 7, 2023
CONTACT eNews
September, 2023
2023 Global Oral Health Summit
Announced March 1, 2023
ISDH 2024 Website Open
September 13, 2023
Social Responsibility 2023-24
New Tools to Help You
February 28, 2023
Apply Now!
January 20, 2023
Working Abroad
Click for one of our member countries
New Tools to Help You February 28, 2023
IFDH Facebook Posts
Facebook Posts
Dental hygienists and dentists as providers of brush biopsies for oral mucosa screening.
Kristina Edman, Christina Runow Stark, Vladimir Basic, Joakim Lindblad, Jan-Michaél Hirsch.
Dentists and DHs are capable of collecting satisfactory material for cytology and hrHPV analysis. All the participating DHs and Ds were of the opinion that brush sampling could be handled routinely by DHs and Ds in GDP.
Dental hygienists and dentists as providers of brush biopsies for oral mucosa screening
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Background Oral cancer is a severe and potentially fatal disease usually starting in the squamous epithelium lining the oral cavity. Together with oropharyngeal carcinoma, it is the fifth to sixth m.....
2023 Global Oral Health Summit (Nov. 4th): FREE Registration for Dental Hygienist and Therapist members of our national organizations. Registration opens Friday 22nd September. See link below
ifdh.org/global-oral-health-summit-2023/
To all our Jewish colleagues celebrating their New Year tomorrow.
🎊 SHANAH TOVAH 🎊
New speaker for the free Global Oral Health Summit.
Brett Duane
Associate Professor,
Trinity College Dublin
IFDH 2023 Global Oral Health Summit
Motivation, Inspiration & Guiding Actions
for Dental Hygienists
In Support of the WHO Global Strategy on Oral Health & Sustainability Initiatives
Saturday November 4th, 2023
VIRTUAL: 10 am ET; 4pm CET
For further information on speakers and topics please visit :
ifdh.org/global-oral-health-summit-2023/
Pinch force generation during scaling by dental professionals: A systematic review.
Jessica R. Suedbeck, Emily A. Ludwig
The findings from this review indicate weak evidence for instrument choices to reduce pinch force during scaling. Dental professionals should consider lightweight and large diameter instruments for manual scaling. Clinicians may also want to consider round, tapered handles and instrument designs with modified scaling techniques. This systematic review further identified the need for clinical research studies with rigorous research designs that examine the ergonomic impacts of instrument designs.
Pinch Force Generation During Scaling by Dental Professionals: A Systematic Review
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Objective The objective of this review was to examine the impact of instrument designs on pinch force generation during scaling by dental professionals. Methods Three databases were utilized from ...
The International Federation of Dental Hygienists Symposium on Dental Hygiene, Seoul, South Korea 11th-13thof July 2024.
Visit www.isdh2024.com to find
Important dates released on registration and submissions.
Thank you to all our member countries house of delegates who participated in our virtual meeting yesterday. It was great to keep intouch and very informative. We look forward to our next meeting in Seoul, Korea 2024 at the International Federation of Dental Hygienist's Symposium on Dental Hygiene.
Oral inflammatory load predicts vascular function in a young adult population: a pilot study
We found that OIL was a predictor of reduced flow-mediated dilation. An impairment in flow-mediated dilation is an indicator of future possible risk of cardiovascular disease—one of the leading causes of death in North America. Therefore, this study provides evidence for the importance of oral health and that OIL may impact endothelial function.
Oral inflammatory load predicts vascular function in a young adult population: a pilot study
www.frontiersin.org
BackgroundThe periodontium is a highly vascularized area of the mouth, and periodontitis initiates negative functional and structural changes in the vasculature. However, mild oral inflammation, inclu...Hello! The Educational Committee had a meeting today to discuss the Education Academy website pages of IFDH, and they've been making great progress. They're working hard on developing it. If you're interested, you can check it out by visiting www.ifdh.org and clicking on the Education Academy tab. You'll find a variety of interesting links, such as webinars, videos, books, and research.
Did you know as an individual IFDH member you can receive a free one year subscription to the IJDH? However, free open access papers can be viewed at onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/16015037
Join the IFDH as an individual member.
ifdh.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Membership-Application-Individual.pdf
Dentine surface modification and remineralization induced by bioactive toothpastes.
In this study, dentine surface was analysed through Environmental-scanning-electron-microscopy (ESEM) with energy-dispersive-X-ray-spectrometry (EDX) and Fourier-transform-infrared-spectroscopy (FTIR) with attenuated total-reflectance (ATR) to assess the morpho-chemical changes and variations in mineralization degree after demineralizing treatment, after five toothpastes application (HA & Citrate toothpaste, Zinc-HA toothpaste, Calcium Sodium Phosphosilicate toothpaste, Arginine & Calcium carbonate toothpaste, Colgate-Triple-Action, and Control toothpaste), after soaking in artificial saliva and after citric acid attack.
Dentine surface modification and remineralization induced by bioactive toothpastes
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Objective In this study, dentine surface was analysed through Environmental-scanning-electron-microscopy (ESEM) with energy-dispersive-X-ray-spectrometry (EDX) and Fourier-transform-infrared-spectro.....
The IFDH Board of Directors meeting took place yesterday. A long list on the agenda, part 2 next week!
Watch out for our latest enews in the coming weeks. www.ifdh.org
WHO proposes best practices for clinical trials
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a draft guidance spelling out some of the important scientific and ethical considerations for well-designed clinical trials. The document also suggests ways to strengthen the clinical trial ecosystem and touches on improving enrollment of under-represented populations.
The guidance notes that “despite the widely recognized importance of clinical trials, in many areas of health the evidence base remains weak, with decision-making processes lacking results from well-designed and well-conducted clinical trials. The reasons may be that clinical trials were never done, or those that were done failed to produce scientifically-robust and clinically-relevant answers or the results were never published.”
cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/research-for-health/2023-07_who-guidance-for-best-practices...
Embrace the Power of Smiles for a Healthier Tomorrow!
The IFDH Social Responsibility Program is in full swing! 🌍🦷 We're excited to announce awards for outstanding Oral Health projects that promote sustainability for future generations' overall well-being.
Have you initiated a program in your country yet? Is there an ongoing social responsibility project that's making a positive impact? We want to hear from you!
Together, we have the power to make a profound difference in countless lives and create a legacy of brighter smiles. Let's unite and bring about the change that only hygienists as oral helth promoter can do for generations to come.
For submissions and more information, reach out to ifdh.org/programs/social-responsibility-overview/
Let's make communities smile for a healthier world! 😄🌎🏆 #ifdhsocialresponsibility #BrighterSmilesAhead
Effectiveness and abrasiveness of activated charcoal as a whitening agent: A systematic review of in vitro studies.
Highlights
• The higher the concentration of activated carbon, the greater the whitening.
• The whitening effect of activated charcoal is less effective than other toothpastes containing other whitening agents.
• Activated charcoal-based toothpastes have a high abrasive potential that may be detrimental to tooth’s hard tissues.
• Activated charcoal-based toothpastes are found to be less safe than other whitening pastes.
www.sciencedirect.com
Tooth whitening is currently one of the most requested treatments to change the color of teeth. There are different types of whitening in the dental o…
Saliva diagnostics: Salivaomics, saliva exosomics, and saliva liquid biopsy.
Each day, humans produce approximately 0.5 through 1.5 liters of saliva, a biofluid that is rich in biological omic constituents. Our lack of understanding how omic biomarkers migrate from diseased tissue to the saliva has impeded the clinical translation of saliva testing. Although such biomarkers must be conveyed via the vascular and lymphatic systems to the salivary glands, the molecular mechanisms that underlie this transport remain unclear. Although COVID-19 highlighted the need for rapid and reliable testing for infectious diseases, it represents only one of the many health conditions that potentially can be diagnosed using a saliva sample.
To all our friends all around the world Happy International Friendship Day.
A Scoping Review of the Relation Between Toothbrushing and Diabetes Knowledge, Glycemic Control, and Oral Health Outcomes in People With Type 2 Diabetes (Free)
The available data suggest that improved engagement in toothbrushing behavior may be associated with improved oral health and better glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes. Whether improvement in glycemic control is a direct result of change to the oral environment, succeeding with one behavior change stimulating engagement in other health behavior changes, a combination of the two, or something else cannot be determined from this review. Additional studies are needed to further explore the potential for oral health coaching to improve the well-being of people with type 2 diabetes.
diabetesjournals.org
OBJECTIVE. Given the bidirectional relationship between type 2 diabetes and periodontal disease, this study sought to compile the available data regarding the r
Dental hygienists and dentists as providers of brush biopsies for oral mucosa screening.
Oral cancer is a severe and potentially fatal disease usually starting in the squamous epithelium lining the oral cavity. Together with oropharyngeal carcinoma, it is the fifth to sixth most common malignancy worldwide. To limit the increase in the global oral cancer incidence over the past two decades, the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution urging member states to integrate preventive measures such as engagement and training of dental personnel in screening, early diagnosis, and treatment into their national cancer control programs.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/idh.12713
Study identifies new bacterial species involved in dental caries formation.
It was previously believed that Streptococcus mutans was the main microorganism responsible for dental caries. However, in a recent study, researchers have discovered that another bacterial species, Selenomonas sputigena, plays a major role in dental caries development. The unique insights gained in the study could help in the development of new strategies for caries prevention.
www.nature.com
Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) has been implicated as a major pathogen in childhood caries. Here, the authors show that Selenomonas sputigena, a flagellated anaerobe, interacts with S. mutans in the...
IFDH President, Wanda Fedora meeting the KDHA President, Yoonsook Hwang along with the Korean Dental Hygienist Association Committee .
Below Wanda meeting the Korean LOC of the International Symposium of Dental Hygiene 2024.
IFDH President, Wanda Fedora has found her Wanderlust!
Last week she traveled to Chicago to the adah23 to celebrate their 100th year. This week she has been invited to visit and speak at the KDHA' Annual conference in Seoul, Sound Korea.
Safe Travels and Enjoy Wanda.
Health effects of the use of non-sugar sweeteners: a systematic review and meta-analysis
This systematic review brings together the most current scientific evidence on health effects of non-sugar sweetener use.
Non-sugar sweeteners have been developed as an alternative to sugars and are widely used both as an ingredient in pre-packaged foods and beverages and added to food and beverages directly by the consumer. Individual non-sugar sweeteners undergo toxicological assessment by the by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and other authoritative bodies to establish safe levels of intake (i.e. acceptable daily intake or ADI). While results of randomized controlled trials have generally suggested non-sugar sweeteners may have little impact on glucose metabolism and result in lower body weight when coupled with energy restriction in the short-term, there is no clear consensus on whether non-sugar sweeteners are effective for long-term weight loss or maintenance, or if they are linked to other long-term health effects at intakes within the ADI. This systematic review brings together the most current scientific evidence on health effects of non-sugar sweetener use.
www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240046429
“On behalf of the Board of Directors and Member countries of IFDH I would like to convey our deepest sympathies to the American Dental Hygienists’ Association and the Battrell family on the passing of Ann Battrell, Executive Director of the ADHA.
I have just returned from the ADHA 100th Anniversary Conference in Chicago, Illinois and was honored to be present for the tribute to this wonderful lady and outstanding leader. I have had the pleasure to meet and know Ann for the past 13 years and I am truly saddened by her passing.
Ann was a champion of our profession and she has left a legacy that will benefit our profession as we evolve through the future. Her vision was the driving force behind her dedication to seeing our profession grow and be all that we can be. She championed self governance, access to care, scope of practice among so many avenues of development. Not only the ADHA but the global community of dental hygiene will be richer for her time with us.
Rest in Peace our friend, a true lady and visionary.”
Wanda Fedora
IFDH President.
Autism spectrum disorder and periodontitis risk: A cohort study of 38,203 adolescents
People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may have poor oral health status because they often experience challenges with daily oral hygiene and have inadequate access to oral health care services. This study explored periodontitis risk in adolescents with ASD compared with those who did not have a diagnosis of ASD.
Autism spectrum disorder and periodontitis risk
jada.ada.org
People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may have poor oral health status because they often experience challenges with daily oral hygiene and have inadequate access to oral health care services. Th...
Hello Dental Hygienists, where are you from? Leave a comment and tell us!
Do you want to know how you or your country can become a member of the International Federation of Dental Hygienists?
If so please visit our website ifdh.org/membership/
How much do pregnant women know about the importance of oral health in pregnancy? Questionnaire-based survey
In a recent study published in the journal BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, researchers surveyed the significance of oral health in pregnancy.
The knowledge of women concerning of oral health on the management of pregnancy and development of fetus is still insufficient. Gynecologists should inquire pregnant women if they have done dental examination, and provide wider education about importance of oral health in pregnancy.
bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com
Background Although pregnancy is a physiological process it causes hormonal changes that can also affect the oral cavity. Pregnancy increases the risk of gum disease inflammation and tooth caries whic...The IFDH board of directors held their monthyl board today . Lots to discuss with a full agenda.
On the day of the IFDH 37th birthday, we met with our Local Organizing Committee from the Korean Dental Hygienist Association planning the 2024 International Symposium on Dental Hygiene in Seoul, July 11-13, 2024. More details on registration, hotels, abstract deadlines coming September or earlier. SAVE THE DATES!
Oral health status, oral health-related quality of life and personality factors among users of three-sided sonic-powered toothbrush versus conventional manual toothbrush.
This longitudinal within subject controlled randomized observational investigation studied the impacts of three-sided sonic-powered toothbrush versus conventional manual toothbrush on oral health- and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and assessed the relationship between personality factors and OHRQoL.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Objectives This longitudinal within subject controlled randomized observational investigation studied the impacts of three-sided sonic-powered toothbrush versus conventional manual toothbrush on ora.....
Periodontitis Risk Factors in Adults with Cystic Fibrosis: A pilot study.
Individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) present with multiple condition-specific risk factors for periodontitis including CF-related diabetes, chronic inhaled treatments that induce xerostomia, and increased systemic inflammation because of frequent lung infections. General factors like age, oral hygiene, and diet may also contribute to the risk of periodontitis. However the relative importance of these specific risk factors and periodontitis in individuals with CF has not yet been evaluated. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the associations between CF condition-specific and general risk factors and the prevalence of periodontitis in adults with CF.
Periodontitis Risk Factors in Adults with Cystic Fibrosis: A pilot study
jdh.adha.org
Purpose Individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) present with multiple condition-specific risk factors for periodontitis including CF-related diabetes, chronic inhaled treatments that induce xerostomia, ...This content isn't available right now
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When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.
Oral Cancer: Prevention, Detection and Prospects for Greater Health Equity
Each April, we turn our attention to the critical topic of Oral Cancer Awareness Month by emphasizing the importance of screening, education, and prevention of oral cancer. April is also National Minority Health Month, an equally important time to spotlight racial and ethnic minority health and the role we, as oral health care providers, play in eliminating oral health disparities.
Oral Cancer: Prevention, Detection and Prospects for Greater Health Equity
jdh.adha.org
![Figure][1] Each April, we turn our attention to the critical topic of Oral Cancer Awareness Month by emphasizing the importance of screening, education, and prevention of oral cancer. April is...
Expanding on the professional role of dental hygienists as key managers of medical–dental and hospital–dental clinic collaboration in a local Japanese hospital without a dentistry department: From a questionnaire survey after a web seminar.
The hospital-based dental hygienist can play a role in planning and management of web seminars for POM, to raise awareness and promote regional medical–dental cooperation of POM.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Introduction Perioperative oral management (POM) was introduced into the Japanese universal health insurance system in 2012. Collaboration with dental clinics is important for hospitals without a de.....
Periodontal staging and grading: An international dental hygiene education survey.
The 2017 World Workshop on the Classification of Periodontal and Peri-Implant Diseases and Conditions ushered in a new paradigm for assessing and classifying periodontal diseases. This has significant implications for dental hygiene (DH) education programs' curricula. The purpose of this international survey was to assess: if and how accredited DH education programs were integrating the new staging and grading system into their curricula, and program directors' perceptions of the barriers and benefits to integration and teaching it.
Periodontal staging and grading: An international dental hygiene education survey
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Objectives The 2017 World Workshop on the Classification of Periodontal and Peri-Implant Diseases and Conditions ushered in a new paradigm for assessing and classifying periodontal diseases. This ha.....
“The weekend is here and you deserve a medal for getting through this week. May your weekend feel longer than the working week.”
— Unknown
#weekend #fun
New report reveals impact of COVID-19 on healthcare professionals.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused fatigue, frustration and emotional exhaustion among healthcare workers. This is evident in a new report issued by the World Health Organization and the World Health Professions Alliance (WHPA). The report measured the impact of COVID-19 on factors such as health, well-being, availability and the working conditions of dental professionals. The findings will help improve the anticipation of and response to future healthcare crises, thus benefiting both patients and healthcare systems.
www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240070189
What the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed: the findings of five global health workforce professions
www.who.int
This evidence synthesis describes how the five professions were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in common and different ways by comparing the experiences of dentists, nurses, pharmacists, physicians...
Take IFDH Survey #8:
Oral Hygiene Instruction Practices
This survey will help us better understand global dental hygienists’ Oral Hygiene Instruction Practices. It only takes a few minutes.
Click here to take our survey
project.tolunastart.com/tqsruntime/main?surveyData=MEJ4JeEUQ23Z89bf9rezklvnZCjIXCGykFTc+UDnW8MyxL...
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Read more about members news.
ifdh.org/enews/ifdh-enews-april-2023.html
#canada #belgium #denmark #Israel #slovakrebuplic #UnitedKngdom
Periodontal Inflamed Surface Area (PISA) associates with composites of salivary cytokines.
Seeking to better characterise the inflammatory consequences of periodontal inflammation, researchers have recently developed two scores to describe the level of cytokines in the saliva. The scores could help measure how well a patient responds to periodontal treatment, predict periodontal disease recurrence and detect ongoing inflammation related to systemic disease.
Clinical periodontal inflammation may be reflected by a single score encompassing several salivary cytokines. These results are consistent with the complexity of interactions characterizing periodontal disease. In addition, Type I error is likely to be avoided.
journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0280333
Periodontal Inflamed Surface Area (PISA) associates with composites of salivary cytokines
journals.plos.org
Background Periodontal disease (PerioD) is a chronic, complex inflammatory condition resulting from the interaction between subgingival dysbiotic bacteria and the host immune response leading to local...
Take IFDH Survey #8:
Oral Hygiene Instruction Practices
This survey will help us better understand global dental hygienists’ Oral Hygiene Instruction Practices. It only takes a few minutes.
Click here to take the survey.
project.tolunastart.com/tqsruntime/main?surveyData=MEJ4JeEUQ23Z89bf9rezklvnZCjIXCGykFTc+UDnW8MyxL...
No personal information is collected. By taking the survey, respondents consent to have their anonymous responses used for these purposes. We thank P&G for their support of this program.
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Watch our 4.5 minute video below to learn about IFDH
