I have finally joined those of you that have aspired to become officers of your state dental hygienists= associations. I was installed as the President of the Maryland Dental Hygienists= Association in October. I am truly honored by this position. My Presidential Theme for this year is Education, The Stairway Upward for Our Profession.

I strongly believe that every hygienist has a responsibility to his or herself, the profession, and the public to keep abreast of current issues and trends in dentistry. So the first step on the stairway upward for our profession is taking responsibility to continue to educate ourselves.

The second step is to educate one another. It is crucial that we share our knowledge with each other. By not sharing information we do our profession a grave injustice. It is through the sharing of knowledge that we will grow. We need to listen to one another and to look at issues from all directions in order to make the best decision for our profession. It is through this debate process that we begin to take ownership in our beliefs and then set goals for our organization. Along with knowing the issues comes knowing the legislative process. The legislative arena is where our profession=s boundaries are established.

The third step is educating the public. Once we have discussed the issues and have established our goals, we can then pass the knowledge to the public. The public is a key entity to our professional future. The public needs to know that we are licensed professionals, with their health and safety in mind. We need to instill in them their right to have licensed professionals providing quality treatment to them.

The fourth and final step is educating the legislators. We are fortunate to have numerous members who are very knowledgeable about how the legislative process works, those who maintain contacts with key persons in their respective general assemblies and most importantly are eager to share their knowledge, contacts, and enthusiasm with other hygienists. We need a multitude of hygienists to make an impression in the legislative arena. The ADHA=s office personnel are also a wealth of knowledge and are just a phone call away. I have found them very willing to assist in any way they can.

In summary, it will take teamwork to climb and reach the top of the stairway. We need to first continue our own education; secondly, education one another by sharing our knowledge; thirdly, educate the public and finally educate the legislature. With the intelligence and determination I see in this organization, I have no doubt that we will climb to the top of that educational stairway for our profession.

If you belong to ADHA and particularly if you are active, I applaud you. If you do not belong, PLEASE consider joining. I truly believe that ADHA (with its constituent organizations) has kept our profession viable. Without the binding forces and the interaction among our peers gained through ADHA, we would not be the organized profession that we are today. In fact, we probably would not have our profession because unlicensed individuals would be doing the services we now provide.

So the next time you ask, AWhat does ADHA do for me?@ Remember this answer--ADHA is the binding force that keeps our profession alive!