The Journal of Dental Hygiene has released its centennial issue, commemorating 100 years as the only peer-reviewed scientific journal in the United States devoted exclusively to dental hygiene research.
The February 2026 issue (Volume 100, Number 1) opens with a guest editorial by Rebecca S. Wilder, RDH, MS, FADHA, editor emeritus, who reviews key moments in the journal’s history. The issue also includes congratulatory letters and video messages from partner organizations across the oral health community, highlighting longstanding professional relationships.
“These messages reflect the types of collaborative relationships that have strengthened the journal, the ADHA and our profession over these 10 decades,” said Lancette VanGuilder, BS, RDH, PHEDH, CEAS, FADHA, ADHA president, in a letter published in the issue. “As we enter our second century of dental hygiene scholarship, we remain committed to the partnerships and collaborative spirit these letters represent.”
The journal’s origins date to August 1926, when the ADHA Board voted unanimously at its annual meeting in Philadelphia to publish its own journal rather than affiliate with an existing publication. Dorothy Bryant of Augusta, Maine, was appointed the first editor, and Volume 1, Issue 1 was published in January 1927.
Catherine K. Draper, RDH, MS, FADHA, editor in chief, has led the publication since 2016 and emphasized its ongoing responsibility to the profession. “Every issue we publish builds on the foundation laid by 17 editors before me,” Draper said. “Our responsibility is to ensure the journal continues to promote the science that will advance the evidence-based care decisions of clinicians while also supporting the next generation of dental hygiene researchers.”
Throughout 2026, ADHA will recognize the centennial with retrospectives, archival exploration, contests, special guest editors and initiatives highlighting the role of clinical research in dental hygiene. Special announcements will be shared through ADHA newsletters, social media channels and online, with more information available at adha.org/jdh.
A subscription to the Journal of Dental Hygiene is included as a benefit of ADHA membership, and members can access the publication online. The journal also serves individual and institutional subscribers worldwide, including Japan, Australia, Europe, Canada and South Africa, as well as dental hygiene programs across the United States. Centennial-related content is available as open access, with more information available at jdh.adha.org.
ADHA represents the professional interests of more than 220,000 dental hygienists in the United States and publishes the Journal of Dental Hygiene bimonthly as its flagship peer-reviewed scientific journal.
