Links for Volunteerism Opportunities
CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS FOR ORAL HEALTH
In NJ you can assist children is obtaining needed oral healthcare - volunteer and/or contribute with:
The Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact is now active in eleven States and is NOW being considered in New Jersey Legislation.
A-1702 and S-806 are New Jersey’s bills regarding the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact (DDH Compact). As you may know, the DDH Compact is a comprehensive, interstate licensure agreement that allows licensed dentists and dental hygienists to practice in all participating states without needing to obtain individual licenses in each one. The compact has already been enacted in 11 states, with pending legislation in 15 others.
Let’s ensure New Jersey stays at the forefront of advancing oral health care—take action today!
-NJDHA & ADHA Leaders
Click the link below to let your legislators know you support the DDH Compact!
Proud to share something BIG for our profession 🤍🦷
Created by ADHA in partnership with the Foundations of Delta Dental, Hygienist Inspired is an innovative chairside recruitment program designed to leverage the powerful relationships dental hygienists build every single day to strengthen our workforce.
Why was it created?
✨ Address Workforce Shortages – The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects dental hygiene employment to grow 9% from 2023–2033 (that’s twice the average rate of other professions!). We need more hygienists.
✨ Improve Access to Care – Underserved communities, especially rural areas and communities of color, often lack access to dental care. This program cultivates future professionals from within those communities.
✨ Increase Diversity in Our Profession – In 2022, 96% of dental hygienists were female and 82% were white (U.S. Census Bureau). A workforce that reflects the population we serve benefits everyone.
Hygienist Inspired is now in its second year, and NJ had the opportunity to be part of it! 🇳🇯
NJDHA President Pam, Immediate Past President Stacy, and member/educator Mary Lou spent the weekend in Ft. Lauderdale for training — and we are bringing this energy back home.
We’re calling on dental hygienists, educators, and oral health advocates to introduce the RDH career path to patients and community members we encounter every day.
💫 Become a Hygienist Inspired Ally.
Allies raise awareness about the vital role of dental hygienists by doing what we do best: building relationships, sharing knowledge, and sparking interest in this rewarding career — without adding extra demands to your schedule.
TAKE THE PLEDGE
#HygienistInspired #ADHA #NJDHA #DentalHygienist #OralHealthAdvocate #FutureRDH #ProfessionalPride
Dental hygienist are healthcare professionals, and there needs to be an increase in the awareness of our profession for all people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, races, cultures, ages, and genders. This ADHA HI Ambassador program does exactly that. As dental hygienists, we bring our diverse backgrounds and experiences to share with others to inspire them to either consider the dental hygiene profession for their future or to spread the word to others they know to inspire them. Absolutely love being a trailblazer and change maker to improve the lives of others. It’s such an honor to be part of a program with other inspiring dental hygienists and knowing two daughters that I was able to inspire already. I’m ready for the journey and will enjoy every minute. Please reach out to me if you have any questions at stacyonofriettirdhphd@gmail.com.
Need help in accessing Your support?
Contact Becky Pugh, NJDHA Foundation Liaison or Central Office
The Special Olympics of New Jersey welcomed the New Jersey Dental Hygienists’ Association and the dental hygiene schools to their Healthy Athletes Special Smiles Program for the 2026 Summer Games that took place the first weekend in June and was another success. Many dental hygienists stepped forward donating their services and time to athletes to provide oral health screenings. The event included mouthguards for the athletes, visits by the friendly tooth and bags of oral hygiene products.
Spend a moment to review photos from the Summer 2026 Special Smiles Event, showcasing dental hygienists and dental hygiene students with instructors from Eastern International College. NJDHA volunteer members included Immediate Past President Dr. Stacy L Onofrietti, Bergen Community College Retiree Denise Avrutik, EIC Clinic Coordinator Evelyn Garcia, and Public Health Issues Director Giovanna Onofrietti, all volunteering their time to support this crucial annual oral healthcare initiative. Dental hygiene students showing up to donate their time providing oral hygiene instruction and mouthguards helped enhance the lives of many athletes and increased their knowledge and experiences working with various populations in the community.
If you are interested in making a difference and wish to volunteer for the Special Smiles event as a dental hygienist or dental hygiene student, please watch for the Fall 2026 link from NJDHA coming soon to help provide services like prophylaxis and radiographs to the athletes at their headquarters in Lawrenceville, NJ. If you have any questions about these events, please contact Dr. Stacy Onofrietti at stacyonofriettirdhphd@gmail.com
Giovanna Onofrietti, RDH
NJDHA Public Health Issues Director
See NJDHA President Pam on an episode of ADHA26 PODversations.
Excited to be a featured speaker at Hygienist Collective for Your Voice, Your Profession: An Advocacy Fireside Chat! 🦷📣
Across the country, changes to scope of practice are challenging what it means to provide preventive dental care. But dental hygiene is so much more than “just a cleaning.”
I’ll be talking about why licensure matters, what these changes mean for our profession, and why having a strong, organized voice through ADHA and our state associations is so important.
As President of NJDHA, I’m proud to bring New Jersey’s voice to the conversation. 💜
Your voice matters. Your membership matters. Our profession is stronger when we advocate together.
This November 13–15, I am honored and excited to be speaking at the BrownGirlRDH Leadership Conference. As I prepare to step onto the stage, I’ve been thinking about what this opportunity means to me not only as a dental hygienist, but as a mentor, leader, speaker, and woman who has spent more than 20 years in this profession.
My presentation, “Protecting Our Profession,” comes from something I believe deeply: we cannot protect our profession without protecting the people in it.
Throughout my career, I have seen dentistry evolve in incredible ways. We have innovative technology, better clinical tools, and greater opportunities for dental hygienists to expand our impact. But there are also conversations we cannot afford to avoid conversations about harassment, discrimination, bias, ethics, boundaries, and workplace culture.
Sometimes inappropriate behavior is obvious. Other times it is subtle—a comment that makes someone uncomfortable, a stereotype disguised as a joke, unequal treatment based on age, gender or ethnicity, or a situation that simply does not feel right.
Too often, people stay silent because they are not sure what to do next.
That is why I created this presentation.
During my session, I want attendees to do more than listen. I want us to talk, think, reflect, and learn from one another.
Through real-life scenarios and my CLEAR approach, we will explore how to recognize concerning behavior, understand our ethical responsibilities, establish professional boundaries, document, and report appropriately, and have the confidence to advocate for ourselves and others.
I want every person who leaves my session to understand this:
Your voice matters. Your boundaries matter. Your professionalism matters. And speaking up when something is wrong can help protect someone who may not yet have the confidence to speak for themselves.
That is also why presenting at BrownGirlRDH feels so meaningful.
BrownGirlRDH is about more than continuing education. It is about representation, mentorship, leadership, opportunity, connection, and creating pathways for dental professionals to thrive.
There is something powerful about being in a room filled with people who understand the journey—the challenges, the victories, the sacrifices, and the desire to keep growing.
As someone who believes strongly in mentorship, I especially appreciate an organization that not only celebrates where we are today but also reaches back to help the next generation move forward.
For me, November 13–15 will be more than another speaking engagement.
It will be an opportunity to connect, pour into others, learn, laugh, grow, and be inspired. I am looking forward to meeting hygienists at every stage of their careers—from students and new graduates to seasoned clinicians, educators, entrepreneurs, and leaders.
After more than two decades in dental hygiene, there is more for us to do, more for us to learn, and more space for us to lead.
And sometimes leadership begins with simply having the courage to say:
This matters. This is not okay. We can do better.
I look forward to bringing “Protecting Our Profession” to the BrownGirlRDH Leadership Conference this November.
Because protecting our profession isn’t someone else’s responsibility.
It starts with us.
