IFDH President's Report:
September 2024
Greetings, IFDH Members!
“If we are to prosper together in our increasingly small world, we must listen to and learn from each other’s stories” ~ Queen Noor of Jordan
Where to begin? As I write my first President’s Report to you, I can only think how humbled and honored I am to be your 2024-2026 President. The path that has led me here has taken many twists and turns, but ultimately, I know I’m where I should be…. working with all of you in these exciting, changing, times of opportunity!
International Symposium on Dental Hygiene – WOW!!!
First, a HUGE 감사합니다 (Gahmsahabnida – Thank You) to our Korean friends and partners, The Korean Dental Hygienists’ Association (KDHA), who opened up their country, customs and hearts to us for the 2024 International Symposium on Dental Hygiene! Their enthusiasm and hard work made this event an incredible success, as there were over 1300 participants from 34 countries.
With the theme, “Dental Hygienists: The Center of Oral Health,” 88 oral presentations & 100 posters focused on the pivotal role dental hygienists play in oral and overall health. Through all these outstanding presentations, we learned that Collaboration, Optimization, Reimagination and Equality are perfect avenues to achieve our goal of better health for all.
Our Global Oral Health Summit included a panel discussion with four globally recognized leaders in dental hygiene: JoAnn Gurenlian (United States), Hyewon Lee (South Korea), Nicole Storman (Australia) and Rachael England (United Kingdom).
The World Dental Hygienist Awards returned after several years with a new look and format, that included a panel discussion with the awardees and an interactive cell phone element with the audience.
And the Social Responsibility Program highlighted the amazing work of our members. Since its inception 10 years ago, this program has showcased how our dental hygiene colleagues make a difference in so many ways. We not only prevent disease and treat conditions, we leave a lasting impact on our communities.
Along with the top-notch learning, we had much fun and celebration as well. The Gala Dinner included lots of laughs and dancing to the music of Fake Psy! You only needed to check your social media pages to see how entertaining that was 😉
Please check the IFDH website at for a full overview of the 2024 Symposium and the House of Delegates meeting…with photos too!
Of course, none of this would have been possible without the support of our sponsors, Haleon, Osstem, Curaprox, EMS, AIOBIO, TePe, Curasept, GC, NeoBiotech, Crest + OralB, Young Innovations, and W&H. And how about that exhibit hall! It was the place to be with lots of interaction, with so many great products to learn about and sample.
So….don’t miss out and mark your calendars now for the
2026 International Symposium in Milan, Italy, July 9-11!
My Work has Already Begun
After a week home at the conclusion of our International Symposium in Seoul, I headed to New Orleans for the ADHA Annual Conference. On the first day of the conference, Crest +OralB used the findings of our IFDH White Paper to conduct an informative panel discussion for the Opening General Session. What a wonderful way to educate our US colleagues about our White Paper, “Evidence-based self-care recommendations matter: Findings from IFDH global surveys”! Moderated by Andrea Johnson, panelists JoAnn Gurenlian, Tammy Filipiak, and Beth Jordan provided a dynamic discussion. At the end, every attendee received a copy of the White Paper. It was a proud and exciting event for IFDH! Thank you, Andrea, and Crest +OralB!!
Looking Ahead
As we move ahead into the next two years, I’d like to express my sincere appreciation to Immediate Past President, Wanda Fedora. Wanda has been a great mentor and friend, and I know I will continue to call on her when needed. I’d also like to thank my fellow Board members from the past term, Fouzieh Eliassy, Sharon Friedman, and Donna Paton. It was a pleasure to work with you, and I look forward to continuing to work with Fouzieh as the new President Elect, and Sharon as the new Vice President. Completing our circle of leadership for 2024-2026 is Carmen Lanoway as Secretary and Miranda Steeples as Treasurer (Click to see their photos and bio’s). I am fortunate to serve with a fantastic group of dedicated professionals!
Our Hard-Working Committees
Also, I can’t say enough about our committees. They are the backbone of our Federation with the important work they do. Every Chairperson and every member are a valued part of the leadership team. While their work is just beginning, I want to thank all the committees in advance for their time and effort – you make us grow! (Click to see the Committee Chair photos and committee overviews)
New Initiatives Coming
In the coming months you will hear about some new initiatives that I hope to begin, all centered around YOU, the dental hygienist. Educational enrichment and continued outreach to organizations and stakeholders who share our goals will be key.
In fact, it’s so exciting that our House of Delegates has taken the first step in that direction by adding dental therapist, oral therapist and oral health therapist organizations as Full Association members! Collaborating with like-minded groups will only make us stronger. And think of all that we can learn from each other in the process.
The quote above from Queen Noor of Jordan is perfect for us as we begin this next IFDH term. Always feel free to share your stories and ideas with me and our team as we continue to move our profession #Upward!
Jill Rethman, RDH, BA, FADHA
IFDH President, 2024-2026
Donna Paton, Fouzieh Eliassy, Sharon Friedman Yaniv & Jill Rethman wearing the Hanbok, traditional Korean attire
The 2024-2026 IFDH Board of Directors: Fouzieh Eliassy (President Elect), Carmen Lanoway (Secretary), Jill Rethman (President), Miranda Steeples (Treasurer)
JoAnn Gurenlian, Andrea Johnson, Beth Jordon and Tammy Filipiak pose with IFDH President Jill Rethman after the ADHA Opening General Session
