The American Dental Hygienists’ Association Welcomes
New Editor-in-Chief for its National Scientific Journal

Chicago–December 15, 2005–The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) is delighted to announce that Rebecca S. Wilder, RDH, BS, MS has been selected to serve as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Dental Hygiene (JDH), ADHA’s quarterly refereed journal, effective January 2006.

As the editor-in-chief, Wilder will be responsible for the overall content of the journal. This entails soliciting articles and other scientific material for possible publication, reviewing the content of manuscripts prior to publication, appointing members of the JDH editorial review board, and overseeing the manuscript review process. She will also consult with authors and the editorial staff as to the final disposition of manuscripts. In addition, Wilder will author editorials for publication in JDH.

“The Journal of Dental Hygiene has a respected legacy that Rebecca will surely carry on as the new editor-in-chief, particularly with her extensive dental hygiene research background,” said Ann Battrell, RDH, MSDH(c), ADHA executive director. “Rebecca brings a forward-looking perspective to JDH that will be instrumental in increasing the visibility of the journal as an online publication.”

Wilder has been in academia for 25 years and at the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry since 1981. She serves as an associate professor and director of the graduate dental hygiene education program and also teaches undergraduate dental hygiene students. Her teaching responsibilities include periodontology and management/administration. She is also former co-director of the practice management course for junior dental students and advanced education general dentistry residents. In addition, Wilder frequently lectures via continuing education courses to oral health care professionals throughout the country.

“As the editor-in-chief of ADHA’s premier research journal, my goal is to uphold the high standards embodied by the Journal of Dental Hygiene,” said Wilder. “My affiliation with an internationally recognized university and dental school will hopefully serve to enhance the quality of the JDH and its contents. Additionally, with JDH published exclusively online, I will ensure that our readers understand how to take advantage of the unparalleled search capabilities so essential to practitioners, educators, researchers and students. ADHA is among many leading health associations who have adopted online formats for their scientific journals. The journal continues to publish high quality evidence-based research articles and I intend to preserve its value for our members and subscribers.”

Wilder is the past chairperson of the ADHA Institute for Oral Health Research Grant Review Committee and is the chair of the ADHA Council on Research. She has served as a formal manuscript reviewer for many dental hygiene publications, including JDH. In addition, she is currently an editor for the 2nd edition of Mosby’s Dental Hygiene: Concepts, Cases, Competencies to be published in 2007. Wilder is the recipient of several professional awards. She has published approximately 100 articles and abstracts in professional journals and serves as a consultant and speaker for several dental manufacturers. She speaks internationally in the areas of non-surgical periodontal therapy, risk and practice management. Wilder is a member of the International Association of Dental Research and the American Dental Education Association and has been an ADHA member since 1977.

Wilder graduated with an associate of applied science degree from Guilford Technical Community College in Jamestown, N.C. as well as a bachelor’s degree and a master’s in dental hygiene education degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Mary Alice Gaston, RDH, MS has served as the JDH editor since fall 1997 and she will be retiring following the winter 2006 issue.

“ADHA has been proud to have Mary Alice provide her direction through so many topical issues for the profession of dental hygiene and for ADHA. Most recently, she was the guardian as ADHA embarked on the conversion of JDH to an online format,” said Battrell. “We thank her for her dedication to ADHA, her wisdom throughout the years, and her enlightening commentary to which our members related so well.”

ADHA experienced significant developments during Gaston’s tenure. In her first editorial for the journal entitled “Managing Change,” she wrote about how people adapt to changes that affect life and inevitably become part of a new reality. She related this point to the 1997 ADHA annual session discussions on managed care.

Today, the discussion is on the advanced dental hygiene practitioner and how this new position will positively affect access to oral health care. Gaston’s words still ring true. “Fortunately for us, ADHA has consistently encouraged and led dental hygienists to respond proactively to change and the resulting societal conditions and trends. Therefore, our real challenge is to expect, accept, and predict change. An even greater challenge is to be informed and aware enough to prepare for change, to influence it, and benefit from it.”

Providing cutting-edge research reports and education philosophy written and reviewed by the recognized leaders in the dental hygiene profession, JDH is published exclusively online in a referential database format to make it easily accessible and useful for research purposes. Readers are able to click on specific article elements (headlines, abstracts, body, editorials, tables, photos) and be linked directly, which offers unparalleled searching capabilities.

ADHA is the largest national organization representing the professional interests of more than 120,000 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 http://www.adha.org.

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Note: A high-resolution image of Rebecca S. Wilder, RDH, BS, MS is available here.