444 N. Michigan Ave.Suite 3400Chicago, IL 60611P: 312/440-8900F: 312/467-1806www.adha.org January 27, 2016
Ben SherwoodPresidentABC EntertainmentBurbank, CA
Dear Ben Sherwood, On behalf of the over 185,000 registered dental hygienists across the country, the American Dental Hygienists’ Association is outraged that ABC and The Bachelor would take aim at the dental hygiene profession. Dental hygienists are formally educated and licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Dental hygienists graduate from one of the nation’s 335 accredited dental hygiene education programs, and successfully complete both a national written examination and a state or regional clinical examination. The average entry-level dental hygiene education program is 84 credits, or about three academic years, in duration. Presently, in 49 states and the District of Columbia, dental hygienists are required to undertake continuing education as a part of the licensure renewal process to maintain and demonstrate continued professional competence.
Research has identified periodontal (gum) disease linked to heart and lung disease, diabetes, premature, low birth weight babies and a number of other conditions. The 2000 Surgeon General's report, Oral Health in America, has called attention to this connection and states that, if left untreated, poor oral health is a "silent X-factor promoting the onset of life-threatening diseases which are responsible for the deaths of millions of Americans each year."
As such, it is the core ideology of the ADHA to lead the transformation of the dental hygiene profession to improve the public’s oral and overall health. Our vision is to integrate dental hygienists into the healthcare delivery system as essential primary care providers to expand access to oral health care.
ADHA would request a full apology and retraction from ABC, as this is the second time the network has demeaned dental hygienists since The View in 2012. We also request that ABC reconsider its social media strategies that slander and do not provide accurate depictions of other professions.
Sincerely,
Ann Battrell, MSDH Jill Rethman, RDH, BAChief Executive Officer President
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