The History of Dental Hygiene in South Australia

Dental hygiene in Australia began in 1971 when enabling legislation was enacted in Adelaide, South Australia. The impetus for this came from a group of general dental practitioners in Adelaide who had worked with dental hygienists while undertaking postgraduate studies in the United States of America and the United Kingdom.

This small group of dentists had enjoyed the benefits of working in a team relationship with dental hygienists and wished to provide this service to their patients as well as the wider dental community. They lobbied the Australian Dental Association (SA Branch), the Dental Board of South Australia and the Minister of Health for several years before achieving their goals.

Initially the first dental hygienists to work in South Australia were overseas trained, mainly from the UK, USA and Canada. Several of the UK trained were dental assistants from Adelaide who travelled to the UK to undertake a course of training before returning to work in Adelaide.

It was not until 1974 that the first training facility for dental hygiene was established in Adelaide. This was an initiative between the Department of Further Education, the University of Adelaide Department of Dentistry and the Adelaide Dental Hospital. The first intake of dental hygiene students was May 1975.

The Certificate in Dental Hygiene was conducted full time over 12 months and had an intake of 10 students, 5 from private practice and 5 from the Adelaide Dental Hospital. Graduates were paid a senior dental assistant's wage while doing the course, however, a condition of this was a 2 year bond, to the State of South Australia, post graduation.

It was not until the second intake of students graduated in May 1977 that dental hygienists in Adelaide began the process to form a professional association. On 22nd September 1977 the Dental Hygienists Association of South Australia Incorporated was formed with 22 members. Lesley Mackrill was elected as President. The Association became incorporated in South Australia on 30th November 1977.

Over the next decades the Association grew from a fledgling Association into a strong professional body representing dental hygiene in Australia. It established open lines of communication with the Australian Dental Association (SA Branch) and the Dental Board of South Australia. It regularly liaised with and was consulted on matters pertaining to dental hygiene practice in South Australia. Achievements resulting from this were:

Representation on the Disciplinary Tribunal of the Dental Board of South Australia

Membership on the Dental Health Education Committee and the Cancer Awareness Committee of the ADA

Establishment of a Liaison Committee with the Employer Dentist Federation resulting in the drawing up on an Employment Agreement for use by employing dentists & hygienists

Invitations to attend the ADA national Guest Speaker programme

Participation in Dentistry 2000

 Invitation to attend ADA Branch meetings/guest speakers

 ADA Congress attendance in 1991,1993 and 2005

 Membership on the working group on Integrated Dental Education in South Australia established by the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Adelaide

Membership on Curriculum Review Committees and Accreditation Committees of TAFE

Established the DHAA (SA Branch) Inc. annual award for Clinical Excellence to the top student from the TAFE course

Financial support was given to the TAFE school of dental hygiene in the form of donation to the library budget

Dental Societies i.e. Periodontology, Aesthetics, Dental Practice Management, Society of Oral Health Care extended invitations to our members to attend specific meetings of joint interest with the aim to provide a common base for education and issues of joint interest

The Postgraduate Committee in Dentistry ran a joint course with the Association on “Working with a Dental Hygienist”. Yearly the Postgraduate Committee invited members to attend relevant courses

Membership on the planning committee for Dental Awareness Month and participation in activities in the community

Organisation and coordination of the first national dental hygiene conference run in conjunction with the Scientific Programme of the ADA Congress, held in March 1991, in Adelaide

Profit share agreements with ADA (SA), Postgraduate Committee in Dentistry and select Societies

Membership on Australian Health Ministers Advisory Committee (AHMAC)

After nine years and steady growth in dental hygiene numbers the Association became a member of the International Dental Hygienists’ Federation in June 1986, in Oslo, Norway. This was the initiative of Jean McNicol, a dental hygienist tutor at the school.

In 1985 the Association changed its name to the Dental Hygienists’ Association of Australia (South Australian Branch) Incorporated and on the 2nd September 1991, in preparation to form a national association the name was changed to The Dental Hygienists’ Association of Australia (S.A. Branch) Inc.

As more jurisdictions in Australia passed legislation allowing dental hygiene practice and other dental hygienist associations were formed the DHAA (S.A.Branch) Inc. initiated discussions to form a national association. It was instrumental in initiating and coordinating the writing of the DHAA Inc. constitution, liaising with and organising a meeting of all Australian dental hygiene associations and initiating the inaugural national dental hygiene meeting on March 18th 1991, in Adelaide, at which a resolution was passed to form The Dental Hygienists’ Association of Australia Inc. (the DHAA Inc.). The National Association was registered in South Australia on 2nd November 1991.

South Australia remained the representative organisation for Australia on the IDHF (now IFDH - the International Federation of Dental Hygienists) until the DHAA Inc. was formed, after which it relinquished its position and passed membership to the National Association at the IFDH House of Delegates Meeting in The Hague, Netherlands, in July 1992.

South Australia was well established by this time and as a sign of goodwill donated $1,000 start-up funds to the National Association and continued to fund the activities and travel of the IFDH delegates until DHAA Inc. took over membership.