Welcome Message
Benvenuto a Milano – Welcome to Milan
The International Federation of Dental Hygienists (IFDH) is thrilled to welcome you to the incredible city of Milan! With its breathtaking architecture, world renown cultural offerings, outstanding food, and vibrant people, Milan is the perfect destination for the International Symposium on Dental Hygiene. And while the city itself beckons you, the International Symposium offers its own reasons for you to spend July 9-11, 2026, with us.
The theme for the 2026 International Symposium is “Oral Health and General Health: Prevention & Progress”. Our host organization, Associazione Igienisti Dentali Italiani (AIDI), fare il possibile – pulled out all the stops – to ensure an excellent experience.
The scientific program has something for everyone, and clinicians, educators, researchers, and students will all find educational programs to enhance their knowledge and skills. With focused programs related to all stages of life, attendees will find engaging sessions on topics related to oral health during childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age.
Valuable networking opportunities abound with the lunch & coffee breaks and Welcome Reception. And the Gala Dinner promises to be an evening unlike any other at a beautiful setting with fantastic entertainment. But…c’è di piu – there’s more!
The Opening Ceremony is not to be missed, with the IFDH member countries proudly presenting their flags. This long-standing tradition symbolizes how we come together as colleagues to learn, advocate, and advance our profession. This year, we welcome our newest IFDH members, dental therapists, oral therapists, and oral health therapists. As primary oral healthcare providers, we embrace these professionals and foster collaboration to improve patient care. It’s wonderful to have them here!
A special thank you to our supporters, sponsors and exhibitors. Without you we wouldn’t be able to organize this exceptional event. You are the wind beneath our wings that enables us to soar #Upward!
La Vita è Bella – Life is Beautiful! The 2026 International Symposium in Milan exemplifies this saying. Enjoy all that beautiful Italian life has to offer, and Grazie Mille for joining us.
Ciao,
Jill Rethman, RDH, BA, FADHA
President, International Federation of Dental Hygienists
Welcome to Milan, to ISDH 2026!
A modern and dynamic city, Milan is the economic capital of Italian fashion, an international hub for business and innovation, renowned for its elegance and ability to blend tradition with cutting-edge trends.
In this cosmopolitan city, the International Symposium on Dental Hygiene 2026 will take place from July 9 to 11, thanks to the synergy between AIDI (the Italian Dental Hygienists Association) and IFDH (International Federation of Dental Hygienists).
The goal is to promote innovation, cultural, and professional growth of dental hygienists both nationally and internationally.
The Symposium represents a great opportunity for exchange through professional and personal knowledge sharing, allowing participants to experience unique human and cultural moments and fostering a broader vision of health and care concepts.
ISDH 2026 will explore themes of oral health in relation to systemic health, with a new perspective that places the promotion of oral health at the forefront of technological and research advancements. This unmissable event will offer remarkable surprises, leaving an indelible mark on attendees as they experience something truly unique.
The themes of prevention, oral and general health throughout the various stages of a person’s life will be addressed within a comprehensive pathway centered on patient care and the fundamental role of the dental hygienist. This role becomes a promoter of an integrated vision of care, where prevention is not just about oral hygiene but an integral part of a conscious approach to health. Education, motivation, and active involvement of individuals thus become expressions of a new health culture.
However, this concept of health would be limited if not placed within a broader context that includes art, fashion, landscape, tradition, music, and food, as they all speak the same language of well-being, achievable only through maintaining a psycho-physical balance.
ISDH 2026 embraces this expanded and integrated vision to improve each of us professionally and personally. With this wish for a bright future for the profession, we welcome all colleagues!
We look forward to welcoming you to share moments of growth and enjoy the culinary and artistic delights of our nation.
President
of the Scientific Committee
Antonia Abbinante
Congress President
Maria Teresa Agneta
AIDI
The Italian Dental Hygienists Association (A.I.D.I.) was founded on February 18th, 1981, and in 2018, it was included by the Italian Ministry of Health in the list of Scientific Societies and Technical-Scientific Associations of health professions.
This fundamental recognition has allowed AIDI to enhance the educational and cultural role of the dental hygienist profession by drafting guidelines and recommendations for the proper exercise of the profession.
Over the years, AIDI has collaborated with the most important institutions and organizations in the dental sector. It has advocated for the full recognition of the dental hygienist profession and, together with its members, has engaged in educational and preventive efforts for oral health in public squares, pharmacies, early childhood and primary schools, prisons, counseling centers, and senior centers, promoting a new culture of oral health.
As stated in its Statute, AIDI aims to protect and promote the development of the profession and encourage continuous professional development, fostering international relations and integrating dental hygienists into the public and social healthcare context of the country.
Through the organization of national congresses and regional training courses, AIDI has always ensured a continuous medical education (CME) program.
At the II Symposium of the International Federation of Dental Hygienists (I.S.D.H.) held in Canada in 1989, the Italian Dental Hygienists Association became an official member of the I.F.D.H for Italy, taking on the honour of representing Italian dental hygienists worldwide and pursuing the Federation’s international objectives.