The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) has released a white paper outlining three proposed doctoral pathways for the dental hygiene profession. The document, Advancing Dental Hygiene Education: A Strategic Framework for Developing Differentiated Doctoral Pathways, is intended to position dental hygiene for parity with nursing, physical therapy, and pharmacy, professions that have established doctoral-level educational pathways for advanced practice.
The white paper describes three doctoral pathways: an entry-level professional doctorate, a Doctor of Philosophy, and a Doctor of Oral Health Practice. Each pathway is designed to prepare dental hygienists for distinct roles in clinical practice, research, and education. ADHA noted that it first identified doctoral education as a goal for the profession in 2005, and the new framework updates that work using current curricular models while also responding to a documented shortage of doctoral-prepared faculty. The association cited findings from the 2024 ADEA Survey of Allied Dental Program Directors, which identified 150 open faculty positions across 214 dental hygiene programs nationwide.
“Nursing, physical therapy, and pharmacy have all advanced doctoral pathways that support the evolving needs of healthcare. Dental hygiene belongs at that level. As leaders in prevention and patient-centered care, our profession must continue to advance to meet the opportunities and challenges ahead,” said Lancette VanGuilder, ADHA president. “This white paper gives our profession a real framework for getting there. We know what the path looks like because other health professions have already walked it, and this paper presents models that can serve as a foundation for building our own.”
According to the association, the proposed pathways build on two previous proposals published approximately a decade apart. An entry-level professional doctorate and a Doctor of Philosophy were first proposed in 2016, followed by an updated Doctor of Philosophy model paired with a new Doctor of Oral Health Practice in 2024. The white paper also examines how nursing, physical therapy, and pharmacy advanced doctoral education through accreditation, policy development, and professional association advocacy.
“Dental hygiene is already functioning at a level that warrants doctoral preparation in education, research, leadership, and policy. We’re not proposing something unprecedented, we’re following the same path that nursing, physical therapy, pharmacy, and other health professions have taken as they evolved,” said Leciel K. Bono, lead author and chair of the Department of Dental Hygiene at Idaho State University. “Developing a doctoral degree isn’t about changing the profession, it’s about aligning educational preparation with the level of leadership and expertise that already exists.”
According to the association, the white paper recommends standardizing curriculum models anchored in the discipline’s core concepts and framework, implementing and supporting differentiated doctoral pathways, securing institutional commitment to the goals and mission of doctoral education, and identifying funding streams for curriculum design, faculty employment, and program development.
The ADHA represents the professional interests of more than 220,000 dental hygienists in the United States. It publishes the Journal of Dental Hygiene, its peer-reviewed scientific journal, and supports the advancement of preventive oral healthcare through education, clinical practice, and research.
The white paper was authored by Leciel K. Bono, RDH-ER, MS, EdD, FADHA; Jennifer L. Brame, RDH, BSDH, MS, EdD; Jennifer Cullen, RDH, MPH; and Harold A. Henson, RDH, MEd, PhD, FADHA. It can be downloaded at adha.org/whitepapers.
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