About Us > History

Historical Perspective

In 1932, the National Dental Hygienists' Association (NDHA) was founded by African American Dental Hygienists' to address the special problems faced by African American hygienists in the profession as well as unite the limited number of minority dental hygiene practitioners in the United States.  It functioned for three years under founder Ernestine P. Gates of Missouri.

In the spring of 1962, Dr. James B Singleton, Dr. Eugenie Mobley and Barbara Ashby Robinson of Meharry Medical College contacted all of the African American Dental Hygienists' known to them and invited them to meet in Detroit, Michigan for the purpose of reactivating the organization.  During the 1962 National Dental Association (NDA) convention, the NDHA reactivated and implemented a restructuring initiative designed to enhance the visibility of the association. 

In 1963 NDHA elected its first President, Barbara Ashley.  The NDHA joined the NDA in holding concurrent annual conventions.  While the NDHA and the NDA still hold their functions jointly, the NDHA functions as an autonomous organization.  Today the NDHA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization designed to improve the dental health of the public through education and service.

The NDHA board is comprised of five officers and five trustees who are elected by the ever-growing general membership body.  

NDHA is proud to have nine component organizations functioning as official affiliated professional organizations:  

  • African American Dental Hygienists' Association (Chicago, IL) founded 1997

  • Beyond the Beltway Dental Hygienists’ Society (Maryland, Virginia, and District of Columbia) founded 2017

  • City of Lights Dental Society (Las Vegas, NV) founded 2005

  • Greater Ohio Dental Hygienists’ Society founded 2017 (Columbus, Ohio)

  • Inner City Dental Hygiene Society (Los Angeles, CA) founded 1996

  • Music City Dental Hygienist Association (Nashville, TN) founded 2011

  • River City Dental Hygienists' Society (Jacksonville, FL) founded 2009

  • Wolverine Dental Hygienists' Society (Detroit, MI) founded 1972

  • Tri-State Dental Hygienists' Society (Philadelphia, PA) founded 1995

Governance

The National Dental Hygienists' Association (NDHA) is a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to advocating for and supporting dental hygienists from historically overlooked groups, while welcoming all licensed dental hygienists and students enrolled in accredited dental hygiene programs who are committed to our mission, vision, and values. NDHA welcomes dental hygiene professional and students from every background and identity.

Founded to elevate professionals who have not traditionally received strong representation, NDHA is committed to advancing the art and science of the profession while working to strengthen oral health outcomes across communities that have long faced limited resources and limited access to preventative services, Our members take an active role in expanding care, education and outreach to individuals and neighborhoods that have historically lacked consistent support within the healthcare system.

NDHA also invests in the next generation of dental hygienists through mentorship, leadership development, and professional guidance. This commitment is reflected in the creation of Student National Dental Hygienists’ Association (SNDHA) chapters, beginning in the 1980s at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry—the first U.S. institution to formalize an SNDHA. We’ve proudly expanded this initiative to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), including Meharry Medical College and Howard University.

Our goal is to see SNDHA chapters established in every accredited dental hygiene program nationwide, helping prepare students to become knowledgeable, community-minded oral health professionals equipped to lead, educate and make an meaningful impact .

Mission

  • Promote the highest educational and ethical standards for dental hygienists.

  • Strengthen outreach efforts to attract students from communities with limited resources.

  • Support expanded pathways to oral health for neighborhoods across the United States that lack consistent services.

  • Improve the Associations’ visibility via public service.

  • Provide a professional network for dental hygienists who have been historically overlooked.

  • Expand the number of dental hygienists from groups that have not traditionally had strong representation in the profession.

Objectives

  • Seek and encourage individuals from historically overlooked groups to pursue careers in dental hygiene and provide support to their endeavors.

  • Cultivate and promote the art and science of dental hygiene.

  • Provide an arena for the development and advancement of the dental hygiene profession.

  • Maintain the highest professional standards and education of dental hygienists.

  • Strengthen membership among hygienist from historically overlooked groups and support long term engagement.

  • Increase public awareness of the profession of dental hygiene.

  • Enlighten and direct public opinions related to the dental hygienist and the dental hygiene profession.

  • Promote mutual improvement, social interaction, and goodwill among its members.

  • Share oral health education and guidance with the public.

  • Provide current, research based, dental hygiene academic, and clinical information to its members.