The Arkansas Dental Hygienists’ Association is here to support you as a dental hygienist. There are many changes to dental hygiene across the nation and we want to be part of the change. Your membership helps us to be advocate for you.

In Arkansas, we are currently working to advocate for:

• Hygienists being able to apply fluoride without a dentist present.

• General Supervision

• Our goal for 2027 is to hire a lobbyist to be more proactive in the legislative session. We are striving towards placing dental hygienists on the Offensive, rather than the defensive. The cost of lobbyists can range from $2,000 -$10,000 per month. If you have been on the fence about membership, let this be your call to action!

  In January 2025, SB111, the Dentist and Dental Hygienists Licensure Compact, passed in legislation!

  • The compact:

    • Facilitates multistate practice. 

    • Enhances license portability when changing state of residence. 

    • Expands employment opportunities into new markets. 

    • Improves continuity of care when patients or providers relocate. 

    • Expands consumer access to highly qualified practitioners. 

    • Supports relocating military spouses. 

    • Reduces the burden of maintaining multiple licenses.

    • More information about the compact can be seen here: https://ddhcompact.org.

    • This compact is currently in the rule making phase. This should be implemented soon.

    As of January 2024, hygienists can apply fluoride without a dentist present per the Arkansas Dental Board of Examiners. We were happy to attend the ASBDE meeting and gain clarification. At this meeting, we were able to advocate for the placement of Curodont Fluoride Repair. This product is now approved for dental hygienists to place in Arkansas. Product information and training can be found here: Young dental website. While this is a small feat, it is a step in the right direction for Arkansas dental hygienists. Stay tuned to see what else we accomplish to increase our scope of practice

Your Membership Means More

• Access to CE Courses

  • In 2023, we launched ArDHA Presents. Each quarter, we will be hosting a virtual CE event. These events provide a unique opportunity to learn about the latest industry trends and best practices from industry experts. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out, this event is perfect for anyone looking to enhance their knowledge and skills.

  • Access to CE Smart through the National Association

• Discounts to health, liability, and disability insurance.

• Your membership also helps to protect dental hygienists in other states. The American Dental Hygienists Association has a federal lobbyist that is working on national efforts. It also helps the ADHA be able to help states combat legislation that may be harmful to patients and dental hygienists.

Our current efforts are focused on increasing our scope of practice with general supervision for dental hygienists’ in Arkansas. We are interested in advocating for other dental hygiene advances, such as injection of botulism toxins and dermal fillers and general supervision for periodontal treatment and local anesthesia. If you feel strongly about a specific advancement of dental hygiene in Arkansas, we would love to have you join as a member to serve on our legislative council, alongside legislative chair, Alysha Thomas. If you are interested in serving to advocate for the advancement of dental hygiene, please email ardhalegislativechair@gmail.com.