Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioner - What Are They For.

In 2000, the American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) began an initiative to develop an advanced dental hygiene practitioner degree program. The idea was a result of the Surgeon General's Report on Oral Health and the National Call to Action to Promote Oral Health. The report revealed that most of the public experiences unmet oral health needs.

The role of the advanced dental hygiene practitioner is to bridge this gap by providing preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic and basic restorative oral health care. The primary focus is to provide affordable oral health care to individuals with limited or no accessibility for their oral health needs. The goal is to positively impact oral hygiene care for every individual. Positions will be in hospitals, nursing homes, public health facilities, or wherever there is a need.

The advanced dental hygiene practitioner does not replace the traditional registered dental hygienist position, but rather is an opportunity for advancement in the dental hygiene field. This position is modeled after the nurse practitioner and extends beyond the entry-level education requirements for the dental hygienist. Including basic restorative care in the dimensions of practice will affect current laws, but will not require all dental hygienists to practice as an advanced dental hygienist.

Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioner Curriculum

The ADHA developed a comprehensive curriculum focused on the systemic well-being of the patient. This master's degree program builds upon the knowledge and skills attained at the baccalaureate level. The fundamental principle is to provide training that equips the student with instruments to diagnose correlations between oral and physical health conditions at the onset. The advanced dental hygiene practitioner will make the necessary referrals for treatment, whether it is to see a dentist or other healthcare provider.

The curriculum fosters independent thinking, preparing the student for clinical, evidenced-based decision making. Upon completion the program, the advanced dental hygiene practitioner will exhibit analytical skills, broad-based perspectives, and enhanced abilities to integrate theory, research and practice.

The educational framework is based on five themes: (a) Provision of Primary Oral Healthcare; (b) Healthcare Policy and Advocacy; (c) Management of Oral Care Delivery; (d) Translational Research; and, (e) Professionalism. The curriculum provides course guidelines for institutional program development. Total hours are 37 credits, which include 21 didactic courses and 16 advanced practice clinical courses.

Currently, Normandale Community College located in Bloomington, Minnesota has partnered with Metropolitan State University in St. Paul to offer the advanced dental hygiene practitioner program as an oral health care practitioner once it is approved. Washington State, New Mexico and Oregon are also in the planning phase of offering this program.