Responses to Frequently Asked ADHA Membership Questions
Listed below are responses to frequently asked questions about
membership in the American Dental Hygienists’ Association.
1. What are the benefits of membership?
Security—Through ADHA membership, you will help to secure a
future for dental hygiene. ADHA is working to protect the value of
your educational credentials and to preserve the integrity of your
license. Only through uniting in one voice can ADHA continue to
represent dental hygienists successfully.
Access to Information—Members receive a subscription to the
Journal of Dental Hygiene, ADHA’s official publication that brings you
scientific and technical articles on clinical practice, research, and
education. In addition, members receive the association’s magazine,
Access, that helps you stay on top of the issues that are critical to
the dental hygiene profession.
Continuing Education— ADHA membership offers you a discount on
continuing education through self-study courses, courses the ADHA
offers at annual session, and constituent and component continuing
education events.
Employment Assistance— Members benefit from state employment
job referral services, national classified advertising, and employment
reference materials. ADHA is your professional partner, supplying you
with foreign employment contacts, information on state licensing
authorities, lists of accredited dental hygiene programs, and details
on research grants and scholarships.
Professional Contacts—As part of your dues, you automatically
become a member of your state constituent and local component
organizations. These groups sponsor meetings and activities for your
personal and professional benefit. By attending local, state, and
national membership functions, you have the opportunity to form new
friendships and develop professional contacts.
Insurance—Your membership will provide you with the opportunity
to apply for various types of insurance—professional liability,
disability, and major medical—at competitive premiums.
ADHA Credit Card Program—Offers members competitive interest
rates and the opportunity to earn points toward travel with every
purchase when combined with the mileage program. The program also
offers members financial planning tools.
Leadership Opportunities—Becoming active in ADHA gives you the
opportunity to acquire and develop new skills and interests, such as
leadership and public speaking.
Recognition—You can make contributions to your community’s oral
health standards through professional activities with your local
association. Professional membership builds an identity for you and
the dental hygiene field. You can also become a role model for
recruiting candidates into the dental hygiene profession.
Discounted Hotel Rates—Members may take advantage of discounted
hotel rates at over 4,000 hotels across the nation.
2. I can’t afford the dues.
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How can you afford not to be a member when dental hygiene is facing a
professional crisis and legislative tactics that allow
on-the-job-trained dental assistants to perform dental hygiene
functions that are threatening the value of the RDH credential and the
future of dental hygiene?
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How would you be able to afford ADHA’s many benefits and services
purchased separately?
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After all the time and hard work you’ve put into your career, doesn’t
$4.62 a week (or 66 cents a day) seem like a small investment to
protect your future and improve the quality of oral health care for
the public, which is part of the dental hygienist’s professional
commitment?
3. I don’t have the time. What is expected of me if I join?
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A member is expected to adhere to ADHA’s Principles of Ethics and
Bylaws, and members are counted upon to support the mission and goals
set forth by the ADHA.
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The benefits of membership are limited only by your involvement. The
value placed on your career goes hand-in-hand with the value placed on
membership in your professional association.
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You are not required to actively participate in ADHA. In today’s fast
paced world, not all members are able to do so. Some members are only
able to support ADHA and the dental hygiene profession by contributing
through membership dues.
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Becoming active in ADHA can give you the opportunity to acquire and
develop new skills and interests, such as leadership, public speaking,
etc.
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No state makes it mandatory to belong to ADHA in order to hold a
dental hygiene license; however, it is beneficial to become a member
of ADHA so that you will be informed on the issues that affect you and
your profession.
4. I only want the publications. Can I just get those?
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Considering what the subscriptions cost versus the cost of membership
dues, it is more advantageous for you to join ADHA as an active member
because you will receive a subscription to both publications, as well
as have access to all other benefits offered. A subscription to Access
is $48 a year (10 issues) and a subscription to the Journal of Dental
Hygiene is $45 a year (4 issues) for nonmembers.
5. Can I join only the state and local organizations?
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No. According to ADHA bylaws (voted upon by the house of delegates),
tripartite membership is required of members. That means that members
must belong to their national, constituent, and component (if one
exists) associations. Annual dues pay for membership in all three
organizations.
6. What does ADHA do for me?
In addition to all the benefits listed above, ADHA works to expand the
dental hygiene scope of practice, and increase the number of dental
hygiene career options in addition to working in a private dental
office. For example:
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In 46 states, dental hygienists may provide services under general
supervision in some settings.
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In 14 states, dental hygienists may provide services in certain
settings under various forms of unsupervised practice and less
restrictive supervision.
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In 31 states, dental hygienists can administer local anesthesia.
