6 Membership Options for RDHs that You May Not Know About

Registered Dental Hygienists are essential members of collaborative care, ensuring comprehensive, patient-centered health solutions. As valued healthcare providers, a professional membership and community are vital to pushing expansive initiatives forward. However, with so many hygienists unsatisfied with their career choice, it's a good time to look at all of our choices and ensure our support is aligned with our personal and professional needs.

Local and long-standing organizations dominate internet searches, causing other organizations to never get discovered; even when they are exactly what a hygienist is searching for. So this article serves to highlight smaller, grass roots organizations with an integrative, international focus that you may not know about. We can learn so much more from each other when we zoom the lens beyond our state, national and provincial politics and policies.

1. National Network of Healthcare Hygienists (NNHH)

Founded in 2018, the National Network of Healthcare Hygienists (NNHH) is a 501c (3) nonprofit certificate level education platform for Registered Dental Hygienists (RDHs) who have an oral systemic health focus over dental health alone. NNHH supports hygienists with comprehensive, integrative certificate programs. Their members come from many inspiring career pathways, but most are clinical hygienists who want to feel more confident educating their patients chairside.

Their vision is that every collaborative care team includes at least one RDH to increase access to oral-systemic education, understanding, and treatment protocols around the globe. They welcome any clinical, non-clinical or hybrid hygienist who understands English worldwide. Membership is not required to take their certificate programs, but does offer a discounted rate on the advanced education and credentials they offer, which are between regular dental CE and a degree. 

NNHH believes in collaboration over competition, and forms formal affiliations with like-minded organizations that are interested in bi-directional referrals, increasing audiences with shared messaging, and growing the mission of dental-medical integration together.

Learn more about their membership options here: https://www.healthcarehygienists.org/membership

2. American Mobile & Teledentistry Alliance

Founded in 2019, the American Mobile & Teledentistry Alliance (AMTA) is designated a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization and is the only professional association focused on the future of Alternative Care Delivery Models. AMTA is designed to support the dental professionals, dental practices and brands around the world who are utilizing mobile, virtual and other non-traditional care delivery methods. Their mission is to eliminate barriers to oral health internationally by promoting care outside of traditional dental settings.

Membership options are open to individual healthcare professionals, medical and dental practices, corporate partners, and other stakeholders whose interests are to help facilitate the advancement of Alternative Care Delivery Models and expanding access to dental services to all communities.

Learn more about their individual and organizational membership options here: https://www.amda.net/join-us

3. International Federation of Dental Hygienists (IFDH)

Officially formed in 1986 in Norway, the International Federation of Dental Hygienists (IFDH) promotes global oral health by advocating for the role of dental hygienists as prevention specialists, and by collaborating with international organizations to implement policies that support access to quality dental hygiene care for all populations, aligned with the World Health Organization (WHO) goals. The IFDH is an international non-governmental organization, free from any political, racial, or religious ties. It is incorporated and registered in the United States as a 501(c6) non-profit organization. It unites dental hygiene associations from around the world in their common cause of promoting dental health.

They offer six types of membership for national associations, affiliated associations, individuals, students and more.

Learn more about their membership options here: https://ifdh.org/membership/

4. American Academy of Oral Systemic Health (AAOSH)

Founded in 2010, The American Academy for Oral Systemic Health is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization of healthcare leaders and health professionals dedicated to expanding awareness of the relationship between oral and whole-body health. AAOSH membership includes and is open to health professionals from many allied health disciplines, corporate supporters and sponsors, health educators, and healthcare leaders. They promote medical and dental partnerships, building closer ties between allied health professionals and improving interdisciplinary communication and professional referral relationships. AAOSH invites all health professionals to increase their knowledge of the relationships between oral and systemic health, and to become actively involved with them in changing the public and professional attitudes and awareness related to oral-systemic connections.

Learn more about their five levels of membership here: https://www.aaosh.org/about-membership

5. International Association of Orofacial Myology (IAOM)

Founded in 1971, the International Association of Orofacial Myology is a 501(c) 6 nonprofit organization, that established the certification process in the field of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy. They provide information, resources, and support to professionals treating Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs). IAOM is a professional organization dedicated to the field of Orofacial Myology, and all of the professionals who practice it, including dental hygienists.

Learn more about their membership options here: https://iaom.com/membership/

6. International Academy of Biological Dentistry & Medicine (IABDM)

The International Academy of Biological Dentistry & Medicine was founded in 1985 to teach and promote a more informed dentistry – one that fully accounts for the systemic nature of health and illness, and the body’s self-regulating ability. They offer certifications to facilitate patient trust through recognition of Certified Biological Dentists, Hygienists, and other dental workers.

Learn more about their membership options here: https://iabdm.org/membership-benefits/