In 1932, the National Dental Hygienists' Association (NDHA) was founded by African American Dental Hygienists' to address the special problems faced by the minority hygienist in the profession as well as unite the limited number of minority dental hygiene practitioners in the United States.Â 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.Â During the 1962 National Dental Association (NDA) convention, the NDHA reactivated and implemented a restructuring initiative designed to enhance the visibility of the association.Â In 1963 NDHA elected it first President, Barbara Ashley.Â The NDHAÂ joined the NDA in holding concurrent annual conventions.Â While the NDHA and the NDA still hold their functions jointly, the NDHA functions as an autonomous organization.Â 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: Â

African American Dental Hygienists' Association (Chicago, IL) founded 1997
Beyond the Beltway Dental Hygienistsâ€™ Society (Maryland, Virginia, and District of Columbia) founded 2017
City of Lights Dental Society (Las Vegas, NV) founded 2005
Greater Ohio Dental Hygienistsâ€™ Society (Columbus, Ohio), founded 2017
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

NDHA 59th Annual Conference

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Conference Agenda