American Academy of Periodontology Launches Hygiene Engagement Initiative

The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) has announced a brand new initiative designed specifically to provide deeper periodontal education to dental hygienists. To kick it off, the AAP hosted a Dental Hygiene Symposium at its Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas, that offered insight and education on important periodontal topics. These topics included periodontal patient management, peri-implantitis treatment, soft tissue’s role in healing, and more, according to a press release from the AAP.

This initiative aims to take a robust approach to perio, adding more opportunities for hygienists to brush up on this important topic. The symposium, which was just the start, will be supplemented by things like AAP member-led Dental Hygiene Study Clubs, the Dental Hygiene Recognition Program, the Hygiene Learning Library, and more. Each of these opportunities provides unique experiences for dental hygienists wishing to expand their periodontal repertoire, per the press release.

• Dental Hygiene Study Clubs will localize programs for dental hygienists, making it easier and more accessible for them to collaborate and learn from fellow hygienists and AAP members. This part of the initiative also serves to help hygienists build their periodontal network.

• The Dental Hygiene Recognition Program is built to bring in hygienists to Study Clubs, continuing education (CE), and other education opportunities.
• The Hygiene Learning Library will be an online resource of periodontal information, providing a 1-stop for hygienists to learn more about periodontology.
• Finally, the AAP is working on a collection of webinars, article series, and other online content that will provide insight and updates for hygienists.

Because hygienists play such a key role in patients’ overall oral health, the Dental Hygiene Engagement Initiative was a vital step for AAP, according to past president of the organization and head of the Task Force on Dental Hygiene Engagement, Dr Wayne Aldredge.

“We developed the Dental Hygiene Engagement Initiative to deliver high-quality, evidence-based information to hygienists with the goal of enhancing periodontal care and facilitating co-management of patients,” Dr Aldredge says in the press release. “The turnkey Study Club in particular will help members share their clinical expertise and serve as mentors for their local dental hygiene community.”

To learn more about this initiative, please visit the AAP’s website here.