When you join the American Dental Hygienists' Association, the Michigan Dental Hygienists' Association and your local component, you take an important step. Through Membership, you assure your professional stature. You are represented on a national and state level, and you are provided with exhaustive membership services. Dental Hygienists are committed,caring individuals, and have found tripartite professional membership an ongoing invaluable resource.

A member is defined as one belonging to a group or association, an important part of the whole. A Benefit is defined as something that helps or betters a group, putting them in an improved position. Benefits of your professional association are an integral part of your membership. These benefits, both tangible and intangible are offered through the MDHA.

The benefit of interaction with fellow dental hygienists who share your professional goals and beliefs is a very important intangible benefit of membership. Camaraderie of peers and the opportunity to network with those who represent a multitude of oral healthcare facets are invaluable assets to any association member.

There are numerous opportunities for dental hygienists to grow through developing leadership skills and by making contributions to the community by participating in oral health projects. Contacts with fellow professionals can lead to employment opportunities and advancement. These contacts may lead to positions in clinical practice, education state and federal programs, sales, research insurance companies or government agencies.

Continuing education courses, a variety of insurance programs, credit cards, ADHA website, and professional publications are benefits offered through ADHA, MDHA and local components. The ADHA Institute for Oral Health has provided scholarships and grants to to Michigan dental hygiene students and members since 1986.

Representation takes on a variety of benefit forms. Legislative representation contributes to the role of the dental hygienist in the healthcare delivery system. It assists in keeping the RDH informed and ready to participate in ongoing changes and trends in the dental professions.

Belonging to a group or association is an important part of the whole. Utilizing the benefits of ADHA, MDHA and local components places the individual dental hygienist, the profession of dental hygiene and your professional association in a position to meet future challenges.