Dimensions of Dental Hygiene’s Editor in Chief to Lead International Federation of Dental Hygienists
Dimensions of Dental Hygiene’s Editor in Chief Jill Rethman, RDH, BA, was elected president of the International Federation of Dental Hygienists (IFDH) on July 9, 2024, in Seoul, Korea, at the International Symposium on Dental Hygiene. She is joined on the new board by President Elect, Fouzieh Shaffi Eliassy, RDH, BA, of Linkoping, Sweden; Vice President Sharon Friedman, RDH, MHA, of Jersusalem, Israel; Treasurer Miranda Steeples, MSc, Grad Dip DH, DTh, of Pevensey Bay, England; and Secretary Carmen Lanoway, RDH, BScDH, of Munich, Germany.
The IFDH was officially established on June 28, 1986, in Oslo, Norway, succeeding the International Liaison Committee on Dental Hygiene formed in 1973 by several European countries, the United States, Canada, and Japan. IFDH is committed to uniting global dental hygiene associations. It advocates for the profession’s recognition as primary providers of preventive oral healthcare and promotes oral health integration into overall health. IFDH focuses on leadership, collaboration, education, research, and practice excellence to advance these goals worldwide.
Rethman has been involved in dental hygiene for more than 40 years — from clinical practice to speaking to publishing. A visiting clinical instructor of dental hygiene at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine and assistant professor at Ohio State University, Rethman is also a past president of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association. She has published extensively in dental hygiene and dental journals as well as textbook chapters. Rethman speaks both domestically and internationally on topics ranging from periodontal updates to patient motivation. Click here to read more.
