ADHA Announces Recipient of 2011 Colgate/ADHA Community Outreach Award—Lincoln Dental Hygienists’ Association

CHICAGO, July 6, 2011—The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) has named the Lincoln Dental Hygienists’ Association (LDHA) of Lincoln, Neb., as the recipient of Colgate/ADHA Community Outreach Award. They were honored during the Plenary Session at ADHA’s 88th Annual Session in Nashville, Tenn. on June 18, and Cynthia R. Carlson, PHRDH, accepted the award on behalf of LDHA.

LDHA was chosen for its work with the new People's City Mission Medical Clinic, where members helped establish a dental hygiene component within the newly established dental clinic. LDHA members worked with the state Dental Director and developed procedure so that any hygienist could work under general supervision of a volunteer DDS at the clinic. Members helped set up the dental clinic, developed protocol, ordered supplies, recruited volunteers, and even helped produce a commercial to educate the public on the services provided at the medical clinic. The dental clinic is free to qualifying clients and the dental staff is composed entirely of volunteers. The two-chair complete dental clinic provides much needed preventive care, education and restorative care. There are over 600 clients on the waiting list and a demand for volunteers.

This award recognizes components that have implemented significant community outreach programs focusing on preventive oral health care. The winning component organization demonstrated collaboration with appropriate nondental and dental partners, innovation and creativity in application of proven strategies, and a congruence of program strategies with established objectives.

ADHA is the largest national organization representing the professional interests of more than 150,000 dental hygienists across the country. Dental hygienists are preventive oral health professionals, licensed in dental hygiene, who provide educational, clinical and therapeutic services that support total health through the promotion of optimal oral health. For more information about ADHA, dental hygiene or the link between oral health and general health, visit ADHA at www.adha.org.

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