North Suburban Dental Hygienists' Society

The North Suburban Dental Hygienists’ Society was chartered by the Illinois Dental Hygienists’ Association in 1966, being the first component in the state of Illinois. The North Suburban Dental Hygienists’ Society is a local organization which is a part of the Illinois Dental Hygienists’ Association (IDHA).  The Illinois Dental Hygienists’ Association is a state organization which is part of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA).

The society holds four to six seminars each year, offering continuing education credit hours to dental hygienists. The purpose of the society is to improve the public’s total health, to advance the art and science of dental hygiene by ensuring access to quality oral health care, increasing awareness of the cost-effective benefits of prevention, promoting the highest standards of dental hygiene education, licensure and practice, and research and representing and promoting the interests of dental hygienists. The American Dental Hygienists’ Association is the largest national organization representing the professional interests of more than 150,000 dental hygienists across the country. In November 10, 2015, over 80+ members of the Illinois Dental Hygienists’ Association (IDHA), joined by Ann Battrell, ADHA Chief Executive Officer Jose Rodriguez and Jason Nippa, ADHA Managers of Governmental Affairs, Jan Starr, IDHA Lobbyist and her staff, and John Cusick, IDHA-IFT Lobbyist encountered a significant legislative success in the IL Senate. The Senate voted (44 yes, 8 no, 4 present) to allow individuals  who are eligible for Medicaid or who are uninsured and whose household income is not greater than 200% of the federal poverty level to directly access dental hygiene services provided by a Registered Dental Hygienist in some public health settings without a prior examination by a dentist.