UNITED!!

“Alone, we can do so little. Together, we can do so much.”

Helen Keller

It’s Spring! I always look forward to this time of year with joyful anticipation – what lies ahead and how can we embrace the changes in front of us? I truly believe the answer to thriving during new challenges and opportunities is to unite. We are one, strong voice!

Our Dedicated Board

Your IFDH Board held its first virtual meeting of the year in February and there was much to discuss. I am always amazed by the dedication of my fellow Board members and the insight they provide. We continued our work at our annual in-person meeting that took place in Vienna, May 12-13. It was a fantastic meeting, where much was accomplished, and many great ideas were discussed.

And as you probably saw from all the social media posts, the IFDH was well represented at the EuroPerio Meeting that took place immediately after our Board meeting. It was great to see so many of you there!

Our Partnerships Are Key

We continue to work alongside several different organizations that share our goals and vision:

• President-Elect Fouzieh attended a virtual meeting with the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), the Association for Dental Education in Europe (ADEE), and other educators in dental education where the discussion focused on advancing the WHO Global Oral Health Action Plan. The meeting addressed ways for educators to incorporate curriculum changes to improve oral health through the WHO Action Plan.


• I was asked to review and edit a paper by the above group of educators that will be published in the June issue of the European Journal of Dental Education (EJDE). I was also able to review and edit a short video from them that is planned for distribution and posting on various websites. It’s great that they are including the voice of the dental hygienist in their efforts!


• We released a joint statement written by the IFDH and the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) that highlights the importance of competent, skilled, practitioners to provide dental hygiene services. In the United States, there are efforts by organized dentistry organizations, including the American Dental Association (ADA) to allow foreign trained dentists and dental students to practice dental hygiene. There are also initiatives in numerous states that would allow dental assistants to perform supragingival scaling on “healthy” patients. These types of actions not only erode our profession but also could endanger patients.


• I had a wonderful email exchange with The Platform for Better Oral Health in Europe (PBOHE)! The IFDH is an Associate Member of the organization, and they welcome our input, most notably our ideas on prevention for better oral health. They will be drafting a Joint Call to Action, signed by all members of the Platform and we are happy to remain engaged and involved with their efforts.



• In the planning stages is a joint Position Paper from IFDH and EDHF – stay tuned! While at the EuroPerio meeting, we had a lovely dinner with the EDHF officers. And congratulations to Gitana for her involvement in the joint EFP/EDHF session. A first!!

IFDH White Papers – Excellent Resources!

Thanks to our sponsor Haleon, we are publishing a series of 6 White Papers to be completed by the end of 2025. So far, we have published:

• Oral Health During Pregnancy and the Role of Dental Hygienists
• The Impact of Sustainability - NEW!
• The Cost Effectiveness of Prevention - NEW!

Be sure to log on to the IFDH website and read these excellent papers, written by your colleagues. And stay tuned for the following topics:

• Aging and Oral Care,
• Oral Health for Medically Challenged Patients, and
• Behavioral Change

My Virtual Greetings

The next best thing for me being at your annual meeting in person, is for me to send you virtual good wishes. I truly wish I could visit you all! And while it’s not the same as having the opportunity to visit and interact with you, I can share greetings and encouragement.

In the past few months, I’ve been able to virtually visit Nepal, The Czech Republic, The Slovak Republic and Israel. The outstanding work that you are doing is so inspiring and proof that our professions of dental hygiene, dental therapy, oral therapy and oral health therapy are shining examples of dedication in action! (See the President Visit Request form in the HoD Resources section under IFDH Procedures.)

Committee Highlights:
Award Committee

You’ve heard me say that the IFDH committees are the backbone of our organization. With that in mind, I’d like to highlight the work they are doing in each issue of the eNews. In this issue, I’ll focus on the Awards Committee.

This committee is a new committee, and they have been doing an excellent job of reviewing applicants and choosing awardees for various IFDH awards, such as the Innovation Awards, the Impact Awards, and the Sunstar World Dental Hygienist Awards. Tayyaba Fiaz from Canada chairs the Awards Committee, and her team includes Enrica Scagnetto (Italy), Ellen Bol (The Netherlands), Elaine Johnson (South Africa), Wanda Fedora (Canada), and Wendy Stewart (Canada). President Elect Fouzieh Eliassy serves as the Board Liaison to the committee.

I asked Tayyaba, the Chair, to share a few thoughts about her involvement with the committee: "It has been a truly enriching experience to chair the IFDH Awards Committee. Collaborating with such a dedicated and accomplished group of professionals to honor excellence and innovation in dental hygiene has been both inspiring and deeply fulfilling."

Connected & United!

As you can see, it has been a fruitful and rewarding time for IFDH since our last eNews, with much more to come! As always, reach out to me any time with your thoughts, ideas, suggestions and news. We are connected by our profession, and we are united by our desire to always move #UPWARD!!

Warmest Regards,

Jill Rethman, RDH, BA, FADHA
IFDH President, 2024-2026