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
June 2023
June 1, 2023
CONTACT eNews
June 1, 2023
2023 Global Oral Health Summit
Announced March 1, 2023
Survey #8 Results
Oral Hygiene Instruction Practices
June 6, 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
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...
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.
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.
EVIEW ARTICLE Open Access
The efficacy of an oscillating-rotating power toothbrush compared to a high-frequency sonic power toothbrush on parameters of dental plaque and gingival inflammation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
To establish the efficacy of oscillating-rotating power toothbrush (OR-PTB) compared to high-frequency sonic power toothbrush (HFS-PTB) on improving parameters of plaque and gingival inflammation. Safety and participants' preference were secondary interests.
For patients to maintain good plaque control and improve gingival health, there is a small but significant difference based on longer-term studies between OR-PTB and HFS-PTB. This difference is potentially clinically relevant.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/idh.12597
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Aim To establish the efficacy of oscillating-rotating power toothbrush (OR-PTB) compared to high-frequency sonic power toothbrush (HFS-PTB) on improving parameters of plaque and gingival inflammatio.....Weekend vipes! 🤗☀️
We’ve Got Tips & Tools to Help You Get Started! Check Social Responsibility Toolkit below.
www.ifdh.org/enews/ifdh-enews-april-2023.html
REVIEW ARTICLE
The efficacy of air polishing devices in supportive periodontal therapy: Clinical, microbiological and patient-centred outcomes. A systematic review.
The aim of this review was to compare air polishing devices with conventional periodontal therapy (hand instrumentation and/or ultrasonic debridement), in terms of their clinical, microbiological and patient-related outcomes in patients undergoing periodontal maintenance therapy.
Both air polishing devices and conventional techniques demonstrated no difference in terms of clinical efficacy; however, air polishing devices seem to present improved antimicrobial results. In addition, they are also a safer, faster and more comfortable option for patients undergoing supportive periodontal therapy.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/idh.12635
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Objectives The aim of this review was to compare air polishing devices with conventional periodontal therapy (hand instrumentation and/or ultrasonic debridement), in terms of their clinical, microbi.....
We are pleased to announce the launch of the 2023-2024 IFDH social responsibility program.
The theme is "Sharing oral health for sustainable smiles."
Do you have a social responsibility project in your country targeting teachers, caregivers, and health professionals? Are you participating in a social responsibility program? Please let us know. If not, the IFDH website has further information and tools on how to initiate your SR project. Visit ifdh.org/programs/social-responsibility-overview/
Join us in making a change to the world and keeping healthy smiles for generations to come.
Silver diamine fluoride–associated delays in procedural sedation in young children
A retrospective cohort study
This analysis evaluated the time to first sedation or general anesthesia (GA) encounter for children treated with and without silver diamine fluoride (SDF).
Within an individualized caries management plan, SDF could provide benefits for patients, dental offices, and health systems.
jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(22)00795-4/fulltext
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Knowledge of bidirectional relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease among diabetes patients: A systematic review
The bidirectional relationship between diabetes mellitus and periodontal disease has been reported in the literature, suggesting that poor glycemic control is strongly associated with increased risk of developing periodontal disease. Therefore, this systematic review evaluated the level of knowledge of this bidirectional relationship among patients with diabetes.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/idh.12586
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Introduction The bidirectional relationship between diabetes mellitus and periodontal disease has been reported in the literature, suggesting that poor glycemic control is strongly associated with i.....
The April 2023 enews is out!
Read IFDH President, Wanda Fedora's report on the IFDH website at
ifdh.org/president/ifdh-presidents-report-april-2023/
IFDH President's Report - April 2023 - The Internation Federation of Dental Hygienists
ifdh.org
IFDH President’s Report: April 2023 A Talented & Dedicated Board Working Together to Strengthen Our Role in the Oral Health Community 2023 has arrived with many opportunities and as a federation, it...
Oral side effects of locally delivered nicotine replacement therapy: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Nicotine replacement therapy is the first choice pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation. Oral side effects caused due to NRT lead to discontinuation of treatment. The objective of this meta-analysis was to look for the certainty of evidence on the number of patients that reported oral side effects due to the use of NRT.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/idh.12594
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Background Nicotine replacement therapy is the first choice pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation. Oral side effects caused due to NRT lead to discontinuation of treatment. The objective of this met.....Have a fantastic weekend 💐
** Reminder that Friday 31st of March is the deadline for the European appilactions for the Sunstar Award of Distinction**.
This is the European qualification round” for the "World Dental Hygienist Awards" which will be presented at the IFDH'S 2024, International Symposium on Dental Hygiene (ISDH) in Seoul S. Korea, July 11-13th, 2024.
For more information visit ifdh.org/world-dental-hygienist-awards/
Perceptions about human papillomavirus vaccine and oropharyngeal cancers, and the role of dental care providers in human papillomavirus prevention among US adults.
Dental care providers’ engagement in HPV conversations with patients may increase their knowledge about the HPV and oral health linkage and their understanding of the role of the HPV vaccine in preventing oropharyngeal cancers.
jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(22)00793-0/fulltext
Association of Chlorhexidine Use and Scaling and Root Planing With Birth Outcomes in Pregnant Individuals With Periodontitis
A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
These findings suggest that using chlorhexidine mouthwash with scaling and root planing to treat periodontitis in pregnant individuals may improve birth outcomes.
jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2799685
Chlorhexidine Use and SRP in Birth Outcomes in Pregnant Individuals With Periodontitis
jamanetwork.com
This systematic review and meta-analysis assesses heterogeneity by chlorhexidine use in randomized clinical trials evaluating the effect of scaling and root planing (SRP) vs no treatment on birth outc...
Happy World Oral Health Day
20th of March 2023.
World Oral Health Day is celebrated on March 20 to empower people with the knowledge, tools, and confidence they need to help ensure good oral health. To promote this event, the FDI World Dental Federation encourages and supports activities aimed at increasing awareness of the importance of good oral health and of the impact of oral diseases on general health and on the economy.
World Oral Health Day Resources
www.worldoralhealthday.org/resources
March 20 Is World Oral Health Day
World Oral Health Day is celebrated on March 20 to empower people with the knowledge, tools, and confidence they need to help ensure good oral health. To promote this event, the FDI World Dental Federation encourages and supports activities aimed at increasing awareness of the importance of good oral health and of the impact of oral diseases on general health and on the economy.
Oral diseases are a major health concern for many countries and negatively impact people, health systems, and economies throughout the world. Oral diseases may lead to pain and discomfort, social isolation, and loss of self-confidence, and they are often linked to other serious health issues. But many oral diseases are preventable and treatable.
World Oral Health Day Resources
www.worldoralhealthday.org/resources
Happy St Patrick's Day to especially our Irish members but remember everyone is a little bit Irish on St'Patrick Day! 🍀🇮🇪🍀🇮🇪🍀🇮🇪🍀🇮🇪🍀🇮🇪🍀🇮🇪🍀🇮🇪
The IFDH has had a very productive and collaborative past few days at IDS 2023 in Cologne, Germany.
President Wanda Fedora And IFDH President Elect, Jill Rethman met the FDI President Prof Ishane Ben and Dr Steven Mulligan founding member of the FDI Sustainability in Dentistry task team.
Wanda and Jill met with Marion Par-Weixberger, VP corporate communications for Dentsply Sirona #sustainability #team #IFDH #collaboration #dentalhygienist #oralhealth #ids2023
Effect of Smoking Exposure on Nonsurgical Periodontal Therapy: 1-Year Follow-up.
A study in the Journal of Dental Research found heavy smokers who had severe periodontitis did not benefit from periodontal disease treatment, while those with moderate disease saw a 50% effect, compared with people who were light smokers. Dental hygienist Julie Pajaniaye, a co-author of the study, said it highlights the need to include referring patients to smoking cessation courses as part of treatment guidelines for periodontitis.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00220345221135100
journals.sagepub.com
This study investigated the influence of different levels of exposure to smoking on periodontal healing for 12 mo after nonsurgical periodontal therapy and supp...
That's a wrap for our strategic planning and board of directors board meeting in Cologne.
Thank you to past president Corrie and the Netherlands HoD representative Loes, from the Netherlands for driving over 2 hours to discuss plans for the IFDH's Virtual Global Oral Health SUMMIT Saturday 4th of November 2023.
The IFDH board of directors in person board meeting and strategic planning Cologne 2023. #IFDH #IDS23 #DentalHygiene #oralhealth
Relationship Between Periodontitis and Atrial Fibrosis in Atrial Fibrillation: Histological Evaluation of Left Atrial Appendages.
"Further evidence is required for establishing that periodontitis contributes to the atrial fibrosis in a causal manner and that periodontal care can alter fibrosis," Nakano said. "One of our goals is to confirm that periodontitis is a modifiable risk factor for atrial fibrillation and to promote dental specialists' participation in comprehensive atrial fibrillation management. Periodontitis is an easy modifiable target with lower cost among known atrial fibrillation risk factors. Thus, the achievement of this study series may bring benefits for many people worldwide."
Next, the researchers said they hope to conduct future clinical trials to clarify if periodontal intervention reduces atrial fibrillation occurrence and improves patient outcomes.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2405500X22007290?via%3Dihub
www.sciencedirect.com
Atrial fibrosis contributes to the onset and persistence of atrial fibrillation (AF) and AF-related stroke. Periodontitis, a common infectious and inf…
The IFDH Wishes our members and colleagues a very happy International Woman's Day.
#equality #IWD23 #IFDH
Did you know, that leaving the water running while brushing your teeth wastes an average of four gallons each time.
So, turn the faucet off as often as possible when brushing those pearly whites.
Have a nice weekend! 🤗
The Israeli Dental Hygiene Association celebrated International Dental Hygienists Day on November 16.
Read more on IFDH member news:
ifdh.org/ifdh-enews-december-2022-member-news/
ifdh.org/world-dental-hygienist-awards
Sunstar announces the return of the World Dental Hygienist Awards and the launch of a new regional Awards of Distinction
· Sunstar partners up again with the International Federation of Dental Hygienists (IFDH) to re-launch the World Dental Hygienist Awards
· A new European Award of Distinction has been announced together with the European Dental Hygienist Federation (EDHF), in parallel with the North American Award of Distinction. Both act as a qualifying round for the World Dental Hygienist Awards
· The World Dental Hygienist Awards ceremony will be held at the International Symposium on Dental Hygiene (ISDH) in Seoul, South Korea, in 2024
The European and North American regional awards are now open for entries
ifdh.org/world-dental-hygienist-awards/
Prevention and the treatment of oral mucositis: the efficacy of sodium bicarbonate vs other agents: a systematic review.
Oral mucositis (OM) is a major side effect of cancer therapy, which is associated with significant symptoms, treatment delays and increased costs for the health system. It is an important component of the quality of life of cancer patients and, until now, there has been no gold standard regarding prevention or treatment of this pathology. Notwithstanding the paucity of treatment guidelines (due to limited evidence from high-quality, rigorous studies), sodium bicarbonate (SB) rinses are one of the most used agents for OM management.
bmcoralhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12903-022-02586-4
bmcoralhealth.biomedcentral.com
Introduction Oral mucositis (OM) is a major side effect of cancer therapy, which is associated with significant symptoms, treatment delays and increased costs for the health system. It is an important...
In last enews special focus was on
Dental Hygienist Day/Week/Month.
This is what our lovely House of delegate Eva López de Castro in Spain was creating, a bodcast.
www.ivoox.com/episodio-7-en-rebotica-infarmarte-audios-mp3_rf_103149488_1.html
Isolation of Clinical Microbial Isolates during Orthodontic Aligner Therapy and Their Ability to Form Biofilm
The purpose of this study is to calculate microbiological composition of aligners after a day of wearing them. To date, the dental market for orthodontists offers many ways to correct bites.
www.mdpi.com/2304-6767/11/1/13
www.mdpi.com
The purpose of this study is to calculate microbiological composition of aligners after a day of wearing them. To date, the dental market for orthodontists offers many ways to correct bites. Aligners ...May your weekend be filled with sunshine, love, laughter, sweet experiences, and delicious foods. 🍫🤭❤️
Our Wonderful President, Wanda Fedora is an inspiration to us all. Wanda has travelled to Honduras on a charity mission. Here she is teaching toothbrushing at a local girls school🪥🪥🪥🦷🦷🦷😁😁😁🥰
World Oral Health Day 2023
Check out our resources
Use the following resources to show your support for World Oral Health Day, whether you're organizing an event or simply spreading the word among family and friends. All content is free to use by everyone as long as it's used in its original form (no modifications allowed) and never in association to a product or business (i.e. dental practice).
www.worldoralhealthday.org/
www.worldoralhealthday.org
What is World Oral Health Day? On the 20 March every year, we ask the world to unite to help reduce the burden of oral diseases, which affect individuals, health systems and economies everywhere.
Member news:
International Dental Hygienist Day in Scandinavia!
In October 2022, the Danish Dental Hygienists in cooperation with the Swedish and Norwegian Dental Hygienist organizations marked the day of Dental Hygiene.
Read more here:
www.ifdh.org/ifdh-enews-december-2022-member-news/
Periodontitis prevalence in patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease - PPCC: A case–control study OPEN ACCESS
The evaluation of the survey responses showed that patients with IBD had a higher probability of perceiving the overall health of their teeth and gingivae as worse and of having severe periodontitis. Those patients diagnosed with Crohn’s disease reported worse oral health than those diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and had higher odds of having lost more teeth than the control group.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcpe.13615
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Aim The aim of this questionnaire-based case–control study was to assess whether self-reported oral health and periodontitis in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) differ ...
Click on the link below to find a new series of patient information leaflets.
www.bsperio.org.uk/patients/infographics
They're free to download and provide helpful information for patients on a range of important topics.Take a look at our new series of patient information leaflets, designed by members of our Early Career Group: www.bsperio.org.uk/patients/infographics
They're free to download and provide helpful information for patients on a range of important topics.
Celebrate With Us
Watch our 4.5 minute video below to learn about IFDH
