FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
American Dental Hygienists’ Association Calls for Adherence to Code of Ethics for Public Safety
ADHA stresses the Code’s role in maintaining the safety of individuals and practitioners during National Ethics Awareness Month
CHICAGO, March 19, 2025 – The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA®) issued a statement today calling on all dental hygienists to uphold the integrity of the profession and prioritize public safety by adhering to the ADHA Code of Ethics, coinciding with National Ethics Awareness Month in March.
The Code serves as the ethical cornerstone of dental hygiene practice, providing a framework centered on professional responsibility, development, and the well-being of the public. It embodies the profession’s core values of individual autonomy, confidentiality, societal trust, non-maleficence, beneficence, justice and fairness, and veracity.
The ADHA statement highlights that the Code creates clear professional standards, builds public confidence, and holds practitioners accountable to individuals, fellow professionals, and communities. It supports hygienists in standing up for vulnerable populations, pushing back against workplace exploitation, and fighting for access to care.
“The safety of those in our care remains non-negotiable in dental hygiene practice,” ADHA President Erin Haley-Hitz said. “Our Code of Ethics directly protects individuals by establishing clear boundaries for professional conduct. When hygienists follow these ethical standards, they create a shield that guards against harm and neglect.”
The statement emphasizes that unified dedication to ethical practice helps prevent harm, reduces care inequality, and safeguards community health.
The ADHA urges all dental hygienists to incorporate the Code of Ethics into daily practice, describing it as “a testament to our collective commitment to public safety, professional excellence, and the advancement of oral health for all.”
For the full position statement, visit adha.org/positions.
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About the American Dental Hygienists’ Association
The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) is the only organization representing the professional interests of the more than 220,000 dental hygienists in the United States. 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. The Journal of Dental Hygiene (JDH), published bi-monthly, is ADHA’s scientific journal and flagship publication. To learn more about the ADHA, dental hygiene or the link between oral health and general health, visit adha.org.
Media Contact
Bronwyn Barrera, MBA
ADHA
(312) 440-8911
[email protected]