Chicago (Oct. 1, 2015) — Throughout the month of October, the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) and the Wrigley Oral Health Care Program (WOHP) are proudly partnering for the sixth straight year to provide dental hygienists and the public they serve with a wide range of resources and information as part of National Dental Hygiene Month (NDHM). This year’s campaign is focused on dental hygienists starting a conversation with their patients about “Doing the Daily 4” — brushing teeth twice daily, flossing each day, rinsing with an antimicrobial mouthrinse and chewing sugar-free gum after eating or drinking when brushing isn’t possible.
“Each and every day, dental hygienists educate patients of all ages and walks of life on the value and importance of good oral health habits. The Daily 4 regimen is a great habit to implement, and talking to patients about brushing, flossing, rinsing and chewing sugar-free gum to stimulate saliva production in between brushings is a great way to open a conversation before discussing patient-specific oral care needs,” said ADHA President Jill Rethman, RDH, BA. “The Daily 4 is simple and effective and can help patients have a bright smile, fresh breath and healthy gums. The ADHA is grateful to the Wrigley Oral Healthcare Program for their commitment to help dental hygienists have this conversation with patients — a conversation that can have a huge impact on their oral and overall health. ”
This year’s National Dental Hygiene Month will feature a number of dental hygienist-focused initiatives, including resources and materials geared to help hygienists and patients start discussions about good oral health; samples and educational materials that can be utilized for community service projects or patient education initiatives; a free continuing education course for dental hygienists that looks at the important role saliva can play in preventing oral health issues; unique dental hygienist-related contests through social media; and much more. Plus ADHA members will receive a special thank you message from the organization and the Wrigley Oral Healthcare Program to help celebrate them and the vital role they play in bettering the health of their patients.
“Wrigley is proud to partner with ADHA in celebration of dental hygienists, and we’re excited to help provide resources to support their conversations with patients about the Daily 4, which includes chewing sugarfree gum like Orbit,” said Caroline Sherman, senior manager of external affairs at Wrigley. “This year, we refreshed the Wrigley Oral Healthcare Program to provide dental professionals with even more resources to help keep those conversations going and brighten the patient experience.”
In addition, for the sixth year the Wrigley Company Foundation, in partnership with the ADHA Institute for Oral Health (IOH), will offer community service grants of $2,500 or $5,000 to dental hygienists who are pursuing projects intended to improve their community’s oral health. Since 2010 more than 63,400 patients have already benefitted from this program in the United States. More information about the grants and the IOH can be found by visiting https://www.adha.org/institute-for-oral-health.
The ADHA encourages dental hygienists and the public to share their oral health care experiences, outreach efforts and thoughts via social media. Get social with the ADHA on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/youradha), Instagram (https://instagram.com/youradha) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/ADHADOTORG), and include the hashtag #NDHM2015 with your submissions. Dental hygienists also can find valuable resources on the NDHM webpage, https://www.adha.org/national-dentalhygiene-month, including fact sheets in both English and Spanish, as well as research and data on the benefits of chewing sugar-free gum after meals to help prevent cavities and other oral health problems.
