March 2026
Public Health Dental Hygienist Bill
It’s that time of the year when our Senators engage in the busy process of hearing from advocates seeking to pass new bills. Many dental hygienists practice daily without fully understanding the legislative efforts that occur in Springfield. To provide some insight I want to share details of one particular bill IDHA has been working on for years. IDHA’s Public Health Dental Hygienist (PHDH) Bill, which passed into law, enabled licensed dental hygienists with PHDH certification to provide preventive oral healthcare services to new patients in public health settings before they have had an exam by a dentist under public health dental hygienist supervision.
There are already about 225 certified Illinois PHDHs! The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Oral Health Section is in charge of compiling and reporting its Annual PHDH Service Data. IDPH found the PHDH Model to be very effective and recommends that this critical workforce model be supported and expanded. IDPH found that since starting to practice from 2020 to 2024, PHDHs have provided preventive oral healthcare and referrals to dentists to over 33,122 Illinois residents who did not have access to a dentist!
Timeline for the IDHA’s Public Health Dental Hygienist Law
Late 2015: The Illinois Public Health Dental Hygienist (PHDH) legislation, allowing hygienists to practice in specific public health settings without direct dentist supervision, passed.
July 2016: The bill was signed into law.
August 2017: The curriculum required for PHDH certification was submitted to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulations for approval, but final approval was not achieved.
February 2019: The Illinois Dental Society submitted a bill outlining PHDH certification requirements. IDHA then worked with ISDS to reach a consensus.
July 12, 2019: The governor signed the bill into law.
May 2020: The first group of hygienists received their PHDH certificates. This journey highlights the slow and challenging process of passing legislation.
Expanding PHDH Practice Settings
Fall 2022: Another bill was introduced to broaden the scope of practice for PHDHs.
January 2023: Legislation allowed PHDHs to practice in long-term care facilities and prisons.
Fall 2024: Work began on further extending practice settings, aiming to allow PHDHs to operate in any setting agreed upon by the collaborating dentist and the PHDH.
On February 6, 2025 the bill was filed by Sen. Mary Edly-Allen. The bill had its first reading and was referred to assignments.
On February 25, 2025 it was assigned to Licensed Activities Committee.
On March 19, 2025, with our lobbyist and legislative chair ready to testify, the bill was postponed, half an hour before it was to be heard.
On March 21, 2025 we were informed that the deadline to have the bill read again was April 11, 2025.
On April 11, 2025 it was Re-referred to Assignments
From July 2025 to January 2026 your IDHA Leaders met with the ISDS lobbyist and leaders, also with IDPH and IDFPR, trying to agree on the wording to refile our bill.
March 9, 2026, the last day for bills to be assigned, we did not get an assignment.
PHDH’s are vital members of the dental team, especially in improving access to care. Many people have loved ones who are homebound, living in assisted facilities, or skilled nursing facilities. It is important to consider how often these individuals receive assistance with oral hygiene or have their teeth brushed—often, it does not happen. Supporting and becoming a PHDH will help raise awareness and improve access to dental care for those individuals who cannot physically get to the dental office.
This message serves two purposes: to inform you about the role and significance of PHDH’s and to highlight the extensive work and resources required to pass legislation. The funds are needed to pay our lobbyist, who advocates for us in Springfield. This is why your membership is crucial to our continued efforts.
This PHDH legislation is one example of many for how the IDHA represents and protects your profession in Illinois. To support our efforts in Springfield, please become a member so you can receive updates and calls-to-action in real time. Interested in PHDH certification? Please visit our PHDH webpage and email our PHDH coordinator Laura Scully at publichealth.idha@gmail.com. Thank you!
January 2026
Our Time to Shine
As I transition into my role as President of the Illinois Dental Hygienists’ Association, I have gained a deeper appreciation for the work that happens every day to keep IDHA strong and shining. This organization thrives because of the dedication, leadership, and commitment of those who have served before us. I am sincerely grateful to past leaders and volunteers whose vision and perseverance have allowed IDHA not only to endure, but to continue growing and evolving. Their efforts have positioned us well for the future and have truly made this our time to shine.
This year, our focus is on growth—both in membership and in mentorship. One of our primary goals is to expand our membership while actively mentoring student dental hygienists on the value and importance of belonging to a professional association.
Membership gives us a unified voice, enabling us to advocate for our profession and speak clearly about what dental hygiene represents: a commitment to caring for the oral health of all people.
Being a member of IDHA also means investing in yourself and in the profession. It provides access to continuing education, leadership development, and opportunities to connect with peers who share the same passion and purpose. Through networking and collaboration, we strengthen not only our individual practices, but the profession as a whole.
Together, we have an opportunity to build on the strong foundation that has been laid before us. By growing our membership, supporting our students, and engaging with one another, we ensure that IDHA continues to shine brightly—today and for generations to come.
As we enter the legislative session in the coming weeks, IDHA will once again actively advocate on behalf of our profession. We will submit our bill to update the PHDH certification, an important step in advancing dental hygiene practice and access to care. At this time, we do not know what legislation the dental organizations may bring forward, which makes staying informed especially critical.
I strongly encourage all members to read IDHA emails carefully and stay up to date on legislative developments. Last year, member involvement was essential—particularly through the completion of witness slips. We will need that same level of engagement this year. The IDHA will provide additional information and guidance as the session progresses.
Advocacy is one of the most powerful ways our membership makes a difference, and your participation truly helps ensure this is our time to shine.
November 2025
2025 Annual Session
Let me introduce myself-I am your newly elected President of IDHA. Below are the words I shared during my Presidents Address at our Annual General Assembly meeting on November 8th.
I am truly honored to serve in this role, and I look forward to representing you throughout the coming year. Please don't hesitate to contact ildha.president@gmail.com if I can support you.
I would like to extend a heartful thank-you to Beth Hartrich and her dental hygiene department at Lake Land College for all their help in making our conference a success, also the Lake Land Alumni Foundation for the venue they supplied.
It is an honor to stand before you this afternoon as we celebrate our theme "Our Time to Shine". These words are not just our Theme; these words are a reminder to us whether student, new graduate, or seasoned professional-that we have the power and the responsibility to make our light visible in the world of dental hygiene.
Everyday we bring compassion, skill and knowledge to our patients, but beyond the operatory, our light shines brighter when we support one another, mentor the next generation and stand united through our professional association.
To our Students- you are the future of this profession of Dental Hygiene. You are the foundation that allows us to advocate for our profession.
To our Members- thank you for keeping our organization strong. You are the foundation that allows us to advocate for our profession, elevate standards, and protect the integrity of dental hygiene.
But we can't do it alone. Each of us has the ability to invite one more colleague to join, to explain the "why" behind membership, and to show that our strength lies in our unity, our sorority.
This year, lets focus on connection, membership, and engagement. Let's reach out to those hygiene friends who haven't yet discovered the value of belonging. Let's continue to inspire our students and empower our members to step forward -to volunteer, to lead, and to SHINE.
Because together, we are not just individual lights-we are a constellation. And when we come together, we illuminate the path forward for our profession.
So, let's make this year our brightest year yet-because truly it is "Our Time to Shine". Thank You!
To view messages from past IDHA Presidents, please view the archive below:
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