Index

I. President’s Message

Thank you for visiting the official website of the Japan Dental Hygienists’ Association (JDHA).

The Japanese dental hygiene system has been operating for more than 70 years. As of December 2020, Japan has 142,760 working dental hygienists, the second largest number after the United States. JDHA was established in 1951 and collaborates with 47 prefectural dental hygienists' associations. Together we aim to contribute to the promotion of public health and welfare through improving and disseminating the ethical values of dental hygienists, strengthening academic research in the field of dental hygiene, and promoting oral hygiene awareness.

In Japan, a super-aging society, a “Community-based Integrated Care System” is scheduled to be established by 2025. This is a system in which people help each other in their community so that everyone can live their own lives in familiar neighborhoods until the end of their lives. In other words, in order to provide housing, medical care, nursing care, and preventive care in an integrated manner, dental hygienists perform many roles in collaboration with interprofessional teams, such as in home dental care and perioperative oral function management. In addition, as large-scale disasters are increasing worldwide, Japan is also experiencing frequent earthquakes and floods, where dental hygienists are also playing a role in providing support to disaster victims.

JDHA is actively working to establish a Lifelong Training System to improve the qualifications of dental hygienists to meet the diversifying needs of society. Furthermore, to support the research activities of dental hygienists, we have established a grant program and an award program. We also hold an annual academic conference and publish two academic journals a year.

As a member of the International Federation of Dental Hygienists (IFDH), we will continue to contribute to people's health through our activities in Japan and overseas.

Sincerely,

Naomi Yoshida, RDH, PhD

President

Japan Dental Hygienists’ Association

II. Aims and Projects

Aims

JDHA, in cooperation with the prefectural associations, aims to contribute to the promotion of public health and welfare through improving the quality and ethics of dental hygienists and promoting academic research in the field of dental hygiene, in addition to promoting oral hygiene awareness.

Projects

1. Improve the quality and ethics of dental hygienists
2. Promote academic research, such as organizing the annual meeting of the Japan Society for Dental Hygiene
3. Promote dental hygiene awareness
4. Enhance dental hygiene services
5. Improve/develop international cooperation in dental hygiene
6. Coordinate and cooperate with prefectural dental hygienists’ associations and other related organizations
7. Others necessary to achieve the aims of JDHA

Details of the projects

A. Projects intended to contribute to public health and welfare in developing the human resources of dental hygienists by further enhancing their quality, as well as promoting professional ethics and academic research

B. Projects intended to contribute to promoting public health and welfare by raising dental hygiene awareness

C. Projects intended to contribute to the promotion of public health and welfare by supporting community dental health activities

D. Other projects

E. Other projects necessary to achieve the aims of JDHA

III. History of JDHA

In 1948, the Japanese Dental Hygienist Act was enacted and promulgated.

In 1949, Japan opened its first dental hygienist schools.

In 1950, the first class of dental hygienists in Japan graduated as professionals in the preventive dentistry field.

In 1951, JDHA was established.

In 1953, JDHA published its first newsletter.

In 1955, the Japanese Dental Hygienist Act was amended. (Articles on assisting dental procedures were added.)

In 1966, JDHA was approved as a general incorporated association.

In 1972, JDHA published its first academic journal and renamed its newsletter.

In 1973, JDHA held its first academic conference.

In 1975, the 5th International Symposium on Dental Hygiene was held in Tokyo.

In 1981, JDHA established the Dental Hygienists’ Charter. Further, the academic conference was held and renamed.

In 1983, all dental hygienist schools introduced a mandatory two-year educational program.

In 1989, the Japanese Dental Hygienist Act was amended. Articles on licensing requirements and oral health guidance were added. The 40th anniversary of the enactment of the Dental Hygienist Act, a ceremony of commemoration and law amendment, was held.

In 1990, JDHA launched a training session designated by the Minister of Health and Welfare.

In 1992, the first National Dental Hygienist Examination was conducted.

In 1995, the 13th International Symposium on Dental Hygiene was held in Tokyo.

In 1998, the 50th Anniversary Commemoration Conference of the Dental Hygienist Act Enactment was held.

In 2004, several universities launched a four-year educational program for dental hygiene.

In 2005, all dental hygienist schools introduced a mandatory three-year educational program. Further, JDHA launched a Specialized Training II “Specific Course” owing to the extension of the educational period.

In 2006, the Japan Society for Dental Hygiene was established. The first annual meeting was also held.

In 2008, JDHA launched the advanced Certified Dental Hygienist System.

In 2009, the first dental hygienists were certified under JDHA’s Certified Dental Hygienist System. The Japanese Dental Hygienist Act was amended. (The examination was renamed “the National Dental Hygienist Examination.”)

In 2010, the ordinance of the enforcement of the Japanese Dental Hygienist Act was amended. (The subjects of the National Dental Hygienist Examination were amended.)

In 2011, the Act concerning the Promotion of Dental and Oral Health was promulgated and implemented.

In 2012, JDHA was approved as a public interest incorporation foundation. It further held a commemorative ceremony for the 60th anniversary of its establishment and published a commemorative issue of its 60 years of operation.

In 2014, the Japanese Dental Hygienist Act was amended. (Article 2-1 was amended, and Article 13-5 was added.)

In 2017, JDHA launched the Dental Hygienist and Clinical Training Instructor’s Course.

In 2019, JDHA held a commemorative ceremony for the 65th anniversary of its establishment and published a commemorative issue.

IV. The Dental Hygienist Profession in Japan

In Japan, dental hygienists are certified by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

PDFDental Hygienists Act

As oral health promoters, dental hygienists support people by educating them on adequate oral hygiene and nutrition to improve oral health throughout their lifespan. They further:

1. Provide individual and group oral health education such as guidelines on oral hygiene and nutrition

2. Prevent caries and periodontal diseases through dental scaling, dental sealing, and fluoride treatments

3. Assist with clinical dental treatment

An expanding workplace:

The following graph represents the types of workplaces in which dental hygienists are active today.

Dental hygienists predominantly work in clinics, hospitals, and public and private health centers, in that order.

Since the implementation of the Community Health Law in April 1997, dental hygienists have increasingly been placed in municipal health centers and facilities for the elderly across the country.

Japan is experiencing a low birthrate and an aging society. Therefore, “lifelong dental health maintenance” is becoming an immediate concern among many people in pursuit of a better quality of life.

The national nursing care insurance system, adopted in April 2000, is further increasing the demand for and expectations of dental hygienists.

V. Dental Hygiene Education in Japan

1. To qualify as a dental hygienist, a degree in dental hygiene is required. This degree is granted by the departments of Dental Hygiene of vocational schools, junior colleges, and universities in Japan.
2. As of 2021, 149 vocational schools and 16 junior colleges offer three-year programs while 12 universities offer four-year programs in dental hygiene. There are an increasing number of graduate programs offering master’s and doctoral degrees in dental hygiene.
3. Qualifications for admission
   A high school diploma or equivalent.
4. After graduating from the educational institutions and successfully completing the National Dental Hygienist Examination, the graduates are granted licensure by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The pass rate of the March 2022 National Dental Hygienist Examination was 95.6%.

VI. Certified Dental Hygienists System

Dental hygienists who are certified by JDHA possess advanced practical knowledge and skills in a specialized field.

There are three types of certifications: A, B, and C.

Type A

If their credits meet the criteria of JDHA’s Lifelong Training System, dental hygienists can participate in training programs for certification. JDHA certifies the dental hygienists only after they have completed the program and passed their examination.

1. Prevention of lifestyle-related diseases
2. Dysphagia rehabilitation
3. Instruction for home care and management of oral health
4. Guidance on diabetes prevention
5. Medical-dental cooperation and oral health management in perioperative period
6. Dental safety management

To become certified for “Instruction for home care and management of oral health,” it is necessary to complete a practical training program or work experience

Type B

This type of certification is granted by JDHA in collaboration with related academic societies such as the Japanese Society of Disability and Oral Health and the Japanese Society of Gerodontology.

Collaborating societies

1. Special needs dentistry (Japanese Society for Disability and Oral Health)
2. Geriatric dentistry (The Japanese Society of Gerodontology)
3. Community dental health (The Japanese Society for Oral Health)
4. Oral health management (The Japanese Society for Oral Health)
5. Dental caries prevention management (The Japanese Society of Conservative Dentistry)

Type C

This type of certification is granted to dental hygienists who have completed a training course for training and clinical practice instructors and attained types A and/or B certifications under the JDHA-certified dental hygienist system.

VII. The Japan Society for Dental Hygiene

1. Defining the Japan Society for Dental Hygiene
   This society was established by JDHA to contribute to the public health and welfare of people as dental hygiene practitioners, educators, and instructors with the aim of promoting academic research. The society holds an annual academic conference to present the results of academic research. The academic journals are published bi-annually.
   In addition to the members of JDHA, individuals, companies, or organizations that support the goals of the society can become a member of the society.
2. Benefits of joining the society
   Members of the society can:

VIII. The Charter and Code of Ethics for Dental Hygienists

We established the Dental Hygienists’ Charter to be fully aware of the importance of the profession and its social mission, and to further incorporate them into our dental hygiene practices.

We shall contribute to the society with pride and responsibility as a public dental hygiene professional group.

We shall always understand the situation of the community residents and pursue our practice with sincerity.

We shall always strive to improve our character, knowledge, and technique as a professional group.

We shall abide by the laws and ordinances concerned and contribute to the development of dental health services.

We shall always strive to promote mutual harmony and unity to further promote dental hygiene services.

※ This charter was established in 1981 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of JDHA.

PDFCode of Ethics for Dental Hygienists

IX. Link to IFDH

The Japan Dental Hygienists' Association was involved in the establishment of the International Liaison Committee of Dental Hygiene, the predecessor of the IFDH. Two international symposiums were held in Tokyo, in 1975 and 1995.

As a full association member of IFDH, we will continue to support oral health care and contribute to the health of people in Japan and around the world.

外部リンクhttps://www.ifdh.org/