U.S. hygienists are voicing their concerns on social media after the American Dental Association (ADA) passed resolutions allowing unlicensed practitioners to perform dental hygiene services.
Recently, the ADA voted on and passed Resolutions 401, 413, and 514B, which would remove faculty-to-student ratios in dental hygiene programs and allow dental students and foreign-trained dentists to practice dental hygiene in the United States without passing a state licensing exam.
“As someone who’s worked hard to overcome obstacles, including profound hearing loss, it’s disheartening to see the recent ADA proposal that would allow foreign-trained dentists to perform dental hygiene services without a licence,” wrote a hygienist from the That Deaf RDH account, which has 1,411 followers on Instagram.
Another user responded, saying, “Feeling this,” adding, “We work so hard to be licensed, and how can an RDH not even practise in all states in our own country?”
I was licensed as a dental hygienist in Maryland in 1975. I retired from the field when COVID hit. I was not comfortable with the prevention in the office I was working in. A dentist, a member of the ADA not complying 100%. It does not surprise me in the least that the ADA is attempting to undermine the dental hygiene profession. I believe that has been the relationship between the two professional organizations from the beginning. The rift subsides than raises its ugly head again. We as dental hygienist govern ourselves through our professional organization ADHA. We do not answer to the ADA. They have no right to introduce unqualified personnel to the public under the guise that they are “dental hygienists”. Dental Hygienists do a better job of being watchdogs to the dental profession than vice versa. It saddens me that the ADA is trying through this blatant attempt to weaken our Dental Hygiene profession.
Shame on you ADA.