October is National Dental Hygiene Month! NDHM is ADHA’s annual celebration of the dental hygiene profession. This year’s theme, The Power of Us, is about what hygienists accomplish when they work together. Each week highlights one source of that strength: prevention, career, voice and patients. ADHA supports hygienists in each of these areas, and every week below shows how. Follow along @youradha!
JDH October Issue: 100 Years of Research
Free to read all month. President Jessica August reflects on 100 years of dental hygiene research, and Kimberly Milleman explores the oral-systemic link.
Build Their Bouquet with GoTu x ADHA
Thank a hygienist who keeps dentistry running, with a free digital bouquet. Build and send them out in under a minute, with no account needed.
Join the #NDHMBrushRelay
Film yourself brushing, tag colleagues to pass the brush and share with #NDHMBrushRelay. Help raise $10,000 for the ADHA Foundation by Nov. 1.
Key Dates
Wed., Oct. 7
Making Oral Care Count
Free webinar | 6:00–7:00 pm CT | 1.0 CE
Sponsored by Listerine®
Fri., Oct. 9
#PostYourPurple
Wear purple, snap a photo and tag @youradha
Wed., Oct. 14
Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes
Free webinar | 7:00–8:30 pm CT | 1.5 CE
Sponsored by Crest + Oral-B
Wed., Oct. 21
Implementation in Practice: How Dental Hygienists Drive Clinical Change
Free webinar | 1:00–2:00 pm CT | 1.0 CE
Sponsored by Healthy Smiles, Healthy Hearts™, American Heart Association
Wed., Oct. 28
Money Makes the World Go Round, But Drugs Can Make It Spin!
Free for members | 6:00–7:30 pm CT | 1.5 CE
Prevention is what dental hygienists do best. This week we celebrate the expertise hygienists bring to every patient, every visit. ADHA supports that work with evidence-based resources, free CE and the latest science behind everyday prevention.
Free Webinar: Making Oral Care Count
Wednesday, October 7 | 6:00–7:00 pm CT | 1.0 CE
JoAnn Gurenlian, RDH, MS, PhD, AAFAAOM, FADHA and Ann Eshenaur Spolarich, RDH, PhD, FSCDH
Effective biofilm control can reduce inflammation and support whole-body health. Review the evidence behind a complete oral hygiene routine, including essential-oil mouthrinse, plus strategies to help patients stick with it. Free for members and nonmembers. Registration closes October 7 at 5:15 pm CT.
This webinar was developed with support from Listerine.
#PostYourPurple on Friday, October 9
Purple is dental hygiene’s signature color. Wear it on October 9, snap a photo and share it with #PostYourPurple and @youradha.
Rinse Resource Center, Supported by Listerine
Evidence-based information on mouthrinse types, ingredients and patient recommendations.
Visit the Rinse Resource Center
Fluoride Resources for Your Practice
Prevention starts with the science. Find evidence-based fluoride guidance and tools for confident patient conversations.
No two hygiene careers look the same. This week we celebrate the many paths hygienists take, from clinical practice to education, public health, research and business ownership. ADHA helps you grow at every stage with professional development and career resources.
Free Webinar: Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes
An Evaluation of the Periodontal-Systemic Link
Wednesday, October 14 | 7:00–8:30 pm CT | 1.5 CE
Katrina M. Sanders, RDH, BSDH, M.Ed
Oral inflammation affects the whole body, yet management protocols have barely changed in 70 years. Explore the periodontal-systemic link from head to toe and what it means for patient care. Free for members and nonmembers.
Sponsored by Crest + Oral-B
New: Professional Skills Training
Fifteen self-paced modules on communication, teamwork, leadership and more, developed by ADHA Fellows. Earn up to 10 CE, with a certificate for each module.
Lead With Who You Are
By Lancette VanGuilder, BS, RDH, PHEDH, CEAS, FADHA
You already have a professional brand. Lancette VanGuilder shows how to shape it intentionally through consistency, strengths and purpose.
More Career Paths
Look for articles coming on career paths in myofunctional therapy, military service and public health!
Empowering You: Business Development & Entrepreneurship
4.0 CE | Members $100 | Nonmembers $160
Grow your career beyond the operatory, or build income alongside it. This four-part series covers branding, marketing, finances and communication. Complete all four sessions to earn your certificate.
Find Your Next Opportunity
New grad, ready for a change or exploring a nonclinical path? Search open positions at the ADHA Career Center.
When hygienists speak up, policy changes. Autonomy is the destination. Advocacy is the path. This week we celebrate the members who show up for the profession in state houses and on Capitol Hill. ADHA advocates for your scope and autonomy every day and gives you the tools to add your voice.
Your Voice Moves the Profession Forward
Hear from Advocacy Advisory Committee Chair Alyssa Aberle and Student Member Jazmin Cortez on why getting involved matters.
Alyssa Aberle, MBA, RDH, CDIPC, FADHA, Chair, and Jazmin Cortez, BSDH, RDH, Student Member, ADHA Advocacy Advisory Committee
Read the transcript
Alyssa Aberle: I love being on the ADHA Advocacy Advisory Committee because I love being a part of some of the things that are happening on a federal level that will affect all of us as hygienists across the country. Being a part of the change, getting to talk to legislators, getting to hear about what’s going on in states and bring that back to ADHA and the national level is so much fun, and it’s a passion of mine.
Jazmin Cortez: Hello, my name is Jazmin, and I am a part of the ADHA Advocacy Advisory Committee. I really enjoy this committee because I get to learn from so many different hygienists about the importance of being involved legislatively. It’s also really great to be a part of the change, not just after the fact. It’s really good to be involved with what’s going on currently.
Contact your legislators and stay current on what’s happening in your state.
Take Action Read Advocacy in Action
Free Webinar: Implementation in Practice
How Dental Hygienists Drive Clinical Change
Wednesday, October 21 | 1:00–2:00 pm CT | 1.0 CE
Christine Horton, RDH, CHC, FAAOSH, FADHA, CH-OSE; Terri Komay, RDH; and Tulsi Patel, RDH, MHA, FADHA
Join the American Heart Association for a panel of dental hygienists on bringing blood pressure screening into routine care. Learn practical workflows for screening, referral and follow-up, plus lessons learned from practices already doing it. Free for members and nonmembers.
Presented by Healthy Smiles, Healthy Hearts™ from the American Heart Association.
GoTu’s 4th Annual State of Work Survey
What are you actually paid? Are you burning out? Share your experience in under 10 minutes and you’re entered to win $2,500, plus a shot at eight more cash prizes. Everyone who finishes gets a free digital planner and data guide.
In collaboration with GoTu. By completing this survey, you may be added to GoTu’s mailing list. See GoTu’s Privacy Policy for details.
Your Voice at Work
- Building Bridges: ADHA’s Strategic Return to Federal Advocacy
How ADHA rebuilt its presence on Capitol Hill. - Back on the Hill: ADHA Continues Federal Advocacy Push
In federal advocacy, showing up once isn’t enough. - Hygienists on the Hill: A Conversation with Incoming President Jessica August
Inside ADHA’s Capitol Hill Day. - The Periodontal EFDA Rule in Missouri
One state’s vote could reshape who scales teeth everywhere.
Support ADHA Advocacy
From Capitol Hill to state houses, advocacy takes resources. Contributions of any amount help ADHA show up for dental hygienists.
1,000 Allies Strong. Help Us Grow.
Some of the most powerful advocacy happens chairside. Join more than 1,000 Hygienist Inspired Allies sparking interest in dental hygiene careers, and invite a colleague to take the pledge.
Every patient relationship is a partnership. This week we celebrate the trust hygienists build chairside and their impact on whole-body health. ADHA equips you with the clinical knowledge and resources to help patients get healthy and stay that way.
Free Member Webinar: Money Makes the World Go Round, But Drugs Can Make It Spin!
Patient Assessment and Drug Interactions
Wednesday, October 28 | 6:00–7:30 pm CT | 1.5 CE
Mark Donaldson, BSP, RPh, PharmD, FASHP, FACHE
A patient on five medications has a greater than 50% chance of a drug interaction. Learn to spot common interactions, understand drug metabolism and use trusted databases to protect your patients. Free for ADHA members and CE Smart subscribers. Nonmembers $45. Registration closes October 28 at 5:15 pm CT.
Mental Health & Wellness for Dental Hygienists
5.5 CE | Members $89 | Nonmembers $119
Learn to recognize mental health warning signs and support patients, colleagues and students in crisis, with practical intervention strategies and referral pathways.
Better Care, Together
- Healthy Gums Do Not Bleed
Reframe periodontal conversations with ethical, evidence-informed communication. - When a Routine Hygiene Visit Signals Heart Disease
Recognize early chairside clues of coronary artery disease. - The Empowered Provider: Integrating MI and Trauma-Informed Care
Pair motivational interviewing with trauma-informed care to strengthen patient relationships.
Save the Date: Integrated Care Summit 2027
April 30–May 2, 2027 | Park City, Utah
Dental hygienists, physicians, nurses and other providers come together to advance whole-person care. Registration opens January 11, 2027. Join the Park City First list to hear first.
Thank You for Celebrating The Power of Us
Prevention, career, voice and patients. This month showed what dental hygienists make possible together. The resources on this page stay available all year.
Volunteer During NDHM
Put The Power of Us into action this October. Through our partnership with Colgate® Bright Smiles, Bright Futures®, you can join the Mobile Community Program and help children in your community build healthy oral health habits. Opportunities in select states.
Not a member yet? Save 25% on national dues when you join by October 31.
Use code NDHM26 at checkout.
The Power of Us
Together, we celebrate, advocate, and advance the dental hygiene profession.
Thank you for being part of this amazing community. We’re at our best, together.
