History of Dental Hygiene
History of Dental Hygiene
History of Dental Hygiene
As a dentist in the early 1900s, Dr. Alfred Civilion there was the passage of higher Medicaid provider
Fones was concerned about the number of patients rates. The limited number of dentists in Connecticut
losing their teeth due to dental caries and who provide services to the underserved is
periodontal disease. Convinced that the removal of significant. Nationally, dental hygienists are listed
plaque, calculus and sugared substances from the among the top ten fastest growing health care
surfaces of the teeth and gingival margins could occupations with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLA)
reduce or prevent tooth loss, he began a crusade to predicting that the current population of over
persuade others in the dental and medical fields that 150,000 dental hygienists will grow by 30 percent by
some dental diseases could actually be prevented. 2016. Conversely, the dental profession is growing
This vision of disease prevention was almost at a much slower rate, with the number of dentists
unknown in a field where tooth extractions were who retire annually, approximately 6,000, outpacing
frequent treatments for dental problems. the approximately 4,000 dental school graduates
that enter the workforce each year. BLS data notes
Against the support of many health professionals, in that the population of dentists is not anticipated to
1906, Dr. Fones trained Irene Newman to be the first be able to meet the growing health care needs of
dental hygienist in the world. Her purpose was to the country over the next ten years.
provide preventive dental cleanings or prophylaxes
to his patients. The results were successful. So The Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioner (ADHP)
successful, that he spent much of his time during the model developed by the American Dental Hygienists’
next years spreading the word about this new Association (ADHA) is a mid-level oral health
member of the dental team. In 1913, he opened provider designed to serve as the oral health
the Fones School of Dental Hygiene in Bridgeport, equivalent to the nurse practitioner. ADHA began
Connecticut and the philosophy of teaching dental the process to establish the new provider in 2004
disease prevention had then begun. The and over the past four years has solicited input for
Encyclopedia Britannica states, “dental hygiene was stakeholders in oral health on the development of
the most important development of the dental art the draft ADHP competencies.
appearing in 1911-1922”.
The ADHP will increase utilization of finite health
This new vision of Dr. Fones was two-fold. Not only care resources and will enable more patients to be
did he think it important for dental hygienists to seen and referred to dentists or other health care
work in private dental offices with patients who professionals for comprehensive care. ADHPs are
could afford its services, he thought it equally envisioned to work in collaboration with dentists and
important that dental hygienists provide outreach other members of the oral health care team to
services to those who could not afford private dental deliver quality oral health care services in a variety
care. He and Irene Newman instilled in their of public health settings, such as community health
students the benefits of both private and public centers, school-based health clinics, Head Start or
health dental hygiene. To this day, dental hygiene pre-school programs, long-term care facilities, and
programs in the United States are required to have a hospitals. The demand for oral health services is
clinical and public health component. In other particularly acute in such venues and the advanced
words, prevention and access to care continue to dental hygiene practitioner can help fill the need in
remain the philosophy of dental hygiene. underserved communities.
Positive actions have been taken in recent years in The ADHP concept takes into account the workforce
Connecticut to address the access to care issues realities our country, and Connecticut specifically,
specific to the state. The Connecticut General are facing. The model leverages the talents and
Assembly passed legislation that formalized its expertise of the existing dental hygiene workforce by
commitment to improving access to oral health care adding a new provider to the oral health care team.
by addressing a number of policy issues that impact The ADHP will be a licensed dental hygienist
the delivery of oral health care service. In 2007, educated at the Master’s-level and will have an
1
ETIKA PSIKG
Fakultas Kedokteran Gigi Universitas Gadjah Mada
[email protected]
2
ETIKA PSIKG
Fakultas Kedokteran Gigi Universitas Gadjah Mada
[email protected]