The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) has released a new white paper examining how professional self-regulation could affect public protection and access to oral healthcare, according to the association.
The white paper, titled “Dental Hygiene Self-Regulation: How Self-Regulation Strengthens Public Protection and Expands Access to Care,” evaluates regulatory models and outlines how allowing dental hygienists to govern their own profession could address long-standing barriers within the current system.
The research cited in the paper indicates that only two states—California and Washington—have achieved dental hygiene self-regulation. According to the association, in the remaining 48 states dental hygienists are regulated by state dental boards where dentist members are in the majority, despite dentists also being the primary employers of dental hygienists. The association states that this structure creates an inherent conflict of interest that can limit where and how dental hygienists are able to practice.
“Dental hygienists are uniquely qualified to regulate their own education, licensure, practice standards, and discipline,” said Lancette VanGuilder, ADHA president. “Self-regulation isn’t about serving our own interests, it’s about removing conflicts of interest so that decisions about dental hygiene practice are made with the public’s health as the top priority.”
The white paper also examines nursing as a long-standing example of professional self-governance. According to the association, nursing has been a fully self-regulated healthcare profession since 1903, operating through state Boards of Nursing and nurse practice acts that have supported expanded scope of practice and broader access to healthcare. Dental hygiene, the association notes, meets other defining criteria of a profession but has not achieved self-regulation in most states.
“Dental hygiene fulfills the expectations of a profession—an established body of knowledge, rigorous education, a code of ethics, and commitment to public service—yet in the 21st century, we remain regulated by another profession,” said Dr. JoAnn Gurenlian, ADHA’s director of education, research and advocacy. “This white paper offers a roadmap for change and demonstrates how self-regulation benefits not just dental hygienists, but also the communities we serve.”
The white paper calls on dental hygienists to become informed about self-regulation, engage in advocacy with peers, patients and policymakers, and collaborate with stakeholders to advance professional self-governance in the public interest.
The white paper was authored by Cynthia C. Gadbury-Amyot, RDH, MSDH, EdD; Sylvie Martel, RDH, DipHE; and Lisa J. Rowley, MSDH. More information is available at adha.org/whitepapers.
