IFDH Research Grant Program
The purpose of this program is to promote experience in the research process and dissemination of findings contributing to the dental hygiene body of knowledge.
This grant program will provide small grants for students enrolled in dental hygiene graduate programs conducting thesis research (Undergraduate, Master’s or PhD levels). Students will submit a mini-proposal for consideration. Small grants will be provided (maximum up to $4000) and projects may not be fully funded. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all funds are granted.
Layout Guidelines:
- Font: Calibri (Body)
- Font size: 11
- Line spacing: 1.5
- Text alignment: Justify (Cntrl J: distribute your text evenly between margins)
- References: should use the APA 7th edition citation style.
- Cover page: use the template provided. Include the title of the Research Proposal, your name, affiliations, email address and a brief synopsis of your current career stage and/or work setting (word count limited to 250 words or less).
- Proposal: use the template provided names or personal information in the Proposal to enable fair/blind judging by the committee. Use of “XXX” where this information is required as part of the Proposal can be used.
- Format: Please submit both the Cover page and the Proposal as separate documents in pdf format.
Criteria for Evaluation:
- Is the purpose clearly stated?
- Is the purpose relevant?
- Will the study add to the dental hygiene body of knowledge?
- Is the research design appropriate to answer the research questions/test the hypotheses?
- Is the budget feasible?
Proposal Template
Send Your Application & Proposal via:
MAIL: International Federation of Dental Hygienists
100 South Washington Street, Rockville MD 20850, USA
Email: membership@ifdh.org
Subject: IFDH Research Grant Application
Deadline for Submission: October 15th, 2026
2025 Awardees:
Jessica Fribert
Dalarna University, Sweden
Oral Health Related Quality of Life among Older Adults: Do Dental Care Utilization over time make a difference?
Oral Health Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) reflects how oral health influences daily functioning and overall wellbeing. For older adults, it represents a lifelong investment in healthy behaviors and regular dental care. This project combines clinical register data with patient‑reported experiences to highlight the long‑term effects of dental care utilization on OHRQoL. It will also examine inequalities across sex, age, socioeconomic status, and dental care provider type. The findings aim to inform more equitable, person‑centered, and preventive dental care models for rapidly aging populations.
Farzana Sarkisova
Aukland University of Technology, New Zealand
Oral irrigators and interdental brushes in periodontal maintenance: A pilot randomised clinical trial
Periodontitis is one of the leading causes of tooth loss and is bidirectionally linked to numerous systemic conditions. It disproportionately affects underserved communities worldwide. Effective daily interdental cleaning is critical for successful long-term disease control. Oral irrigators may be recommended in periodontal maintenance. Evidence suggests that they can reduce periodontal inflammation, possibly by modulating the composition of the subgingival biofilm. This pilot randomised clinical trial will compare oral irrigators and interdental brushes in periodontal maintenance, examining their effects on subgingival microbial biofilm composition, periodontal inflammation, oral health-related quality of life, and assessing usability. The findings will inform a future full-scale trial and the development of improved periodontal maintenance strategies.