Italy, 2026

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It’s always memorable to get together, whether at our Board meetings, our House of Delegates Business Meeting, or at our International Symposium on Dental Hygiene. As one delegate said “These meetings have taught me so much through learning from presidents, delegates, and leaders around the world sharing experiences, overcoming challenges, exchanging ideas, and bringing those lessons back home to strengthen our profession and improve patient care.”

House of Delegates Business Meeting

July 6-8, 2026; Baveno, Italy

The week started off with 2 days of meetings for the Board of Directors, discussing the final details for the House of Delegates meeting, the Leadership Workshop, the ISDH Opening Ceremonies, the Social Responsibility Workshop, the Closing Ceremonies and so much more!

The delegate events kicked off with a Leadership Workshop on Monday afternoon, July the 6th in the small town of Baveno, on Lake Maggiore, an hour from Milan. We had two exciting, 90-minute sessions:

- The Intelligent Hygienist and Therapist: Using AI to Elevate Care, Careers, and Clinical Impact

- Beyond the Basics: The Scope, Skills, and Service of our Therapist Colleagues

This was followed by a Welcome Reception to allow everyone to meet and catch up with some new and familiar faces at a lovely setting on the edge of Lake Maggiore.

Representatives from 22 Countries

In total, 22 countries were represented at the House of Delegates Business meeting and events. There are 32 country members in the IFDH, with some repeat delegates and many attending for the first time. The Board had prepared a “Glossary of Meeting Terms” document. Also provided ahead of time was a video explaining the meeting procedures. Both of these helped our first-time attendees.

Once the meeting starts, it finds its rhythm and business was completed in one and a half days with efficiency and good humor, with the board, staff and all members taking an active part in the proceedings. See the video.

President Jill Rethman presided over the meeting. Significant highlights included reports from each country member, committees and board members, voting for the new board members for 2026-2028, a look into the IFDH future from newly-elected President Fouzieh Eliassy (Sweden), and an exciting update from UAE on plans for the 2028 ISDH in Dubai.

Tuesday evening included a lovely dinner in the hotel, with a beautiful view of Lake Maggiore and a few of the close by islands, along with some current and Italian “oldies” music, with a lovely live sax background sounds. This was another chance to socialize with the delegates, enjoy some festive Italian food and to dance the night away…as always!

On Wednesday, President Jill announced winners of the IFDH Impact Awards for best country member programs – given to The Slovak Republic, Australia (left) and the United States (right). Thank you to Colgate for this program.

After business was completed, the morning meeting was followed with the new committees of choice by the delegates. They discussed strategies to reach the goals as set out by newly elected President Eliassy.

What a jam-packed 2.5 days of IFDH business, education, networking and fun! Then, on to the bus to Milan for our 15th International Symposium on Dental Hygiene, since 1986!

International Symposium on Dental Hygiene

July 9-11, 2026; Milan Convention Center, Milan, Italy

A modern and dynamic city, Milan is the economic capital of Italian fashion, an international hub for business and innovation, renowned for its elegance and ability to blend tradition with cutting-edge trends – a perfect location for our symposium!

With over 1,300 participants from 48 countries, 100 oral presentations and 175 posters from around the world, the 2026 International Symposium on Dental Hygiene in Milan was a great success! Our local host organization, Associazione Igienisti Dentali Italiani (AIDI), pulled out all the stops – to ensure an excellent experience.

The Opening Ceremony was not to be missed, with the IFDH member countries proudly presenting their flags. This long-standing tradition symbolizes how we come together as colleagues to learn, advocate, and advance our profession. After this IFDH President Jill Rethman introduced the celebration of the IFDH 40th Anniversary, by showing a historic video of IFDH accomplishments.

This year, we welcomed our newest IFDH members, dental therapists, oral therapists, and oral health therapists. As primary oral healthcare providers, we embrace these professionals and foster collaboration to improve patient care. It’s wonderful to have them here!

The scientific program had something for everyone, and clinicians, educators, researchers, and students found educational programs to enhance their knowledge and skills. The symposium theme was “Oral Health and General Health: Prevention & Progress”, with focused programs related to all stages of life, attendees attended engaging sessions on topics related to oral health during childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age.

The goal of the symposium was to uncover the vital role dental hygienists and therapists play as primary healthcare providers through the exploration of evidence-based and innovative approaches. This was achieved through the presentation of 100 oral sessions and over 175 posters; selected from over 350 submissions!

This role becomes a promoter of an integrated vision of care, where prevention is not just about oral hygiene but an integral part of a conscious approach to health. Education, motivation, and active involvement of individuals thus become expressions of a new health culture.

There were 16 countries represented by speakers from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Korea, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States.

Not only did the symposium deliver on scientific content but networking opportunities were also highly rated. Sponsors and exhibitors played a huge role in making the event a success with 35 exciting and informative trade displays, including the new IFDH booth. We thank our major sponsors (shown at the bottom) and many exhibitors for their support.

4 Unique Programs Presented

One of our regular IFDH programs, the World Dental Hygienist Awards, continued its new turn from 2024. Along with our partner Sunstar Foundation, IFDH President Jill Rethman, introduced the awardees and asked them informative questions in front of the large audience. Also included was an audience participation element via cell phone survey response – providing some quick feedback from our global audience.

IFDH presented a Social Responsibility Workshop on Saturday. Details of the three winning social responsibility programs from Slovakia, Czech Republic, Italy and the Netherlands were presented to the enjoyment of the attendees, many seeking ideas for their own countries. A huge thank you to the generosity of our sponsor DentsplySirona, for their key involvement and making the recognition of these outstanding projects possible.

This was the first time for an Oral Health Educators Workshop, and a Research Session in collaboration with our International Journal of Dental Hygiene.

An Evening to Remember

On Friday evening, we were whisked away by bus to a beautiful private venue outside of Milan for the Gala dinner for over 500 people. What a fun night of quality Italian food, wine and music! The live entertainment brought everyone to the dance floor.

IFDH Awards Presented

At the Closing Ceremony, IFDH President Rethman highlighted the award winners from IFDH programs, including Research Grant recipients, Impact Awards for best country member programs. Jill also thanked our deserving sponsors, the Local Organizing Committee and International Scientific Committee, all who contributed to the success of the Symposium during the past two years. Her last official act was to present the IFDH President’s pin to the newly-elected President Fouzieh Eliassy.

At the Closing Ceremony, IFDH President Rethman highlighted the award winners from IFDH programs, including Research Grant recipients, Impact Awards for best country member programs. Jill also thanked our deserving sponsors, the Local Organizing Committee and International Scientific Committee, all who contributed to the success of the Symposium during the past two years.

The IFDH Board of Directors thanks the Local Organizing Committee from the Associazione Igienisti Dentali Italiani (AIDI), for presenting such a professional symposium and social activities that were enjoyed by all.

“La Vita e Bella” – Life is Beautiful! The 2026 International Symposium in Milan exemplified this saying. We’re glad that everyone could enjoy all that beautiful Italian life has to offer, and “Grazie Mille” for joining us. Watch the summary video.

IFDH looks forward to its next International Symposium on Dental Hygiene in Dubai, UAE, June 8-10, 2028. See you there!