We recognize you.

There are multiple paths to airway practice. We're here to support you on that journey.

Mission Statement

The International Association of Airway Hygienists is the world's first professional organization for Registered Dental Hygienists practicing in sleep and airway specialties. We're dedicated to connecting, advancing, educating, and empowering dental hygiene professionals. We strive to create a supportive space to empower each other with tools and insight, and help encourage other dental hygienists to springboard ahead and realize their professional goals. We facilitate connections between hygienists at all stages of sleep and airway practice from across the world, establishing mentorship, career advancement, and business opportunity potential."

Procedures, Processes, and Actions of an Airway Hygienist

The airway hygienists' practice includes the assessment and remediation of orofacial myofunctional dysfunctions or compensatory patterning of orofacial musculature, and further advocates that dental hygienists complete advanced clinical and didactic continuing education prior to providing treatment. The IAAH recognizes that the remediation of orofacial myofunctional discorders is a separate discipline from clinical dental hygiene, dentistry, dental and medical specialties. The topic of myofunctional disorders is typically absent from current dental school curriculum. Therefore, the IAAH supports clinicians with additional education beyond the dental hygiene curriculum in addressing intervention for orofacial myofunctional disorders without supervision of another licensed healthcare professional to patients of all ages.

Therapeutic procedures for the airway hygienist include verbal and physical instructions in elimination of compensatory orofacial muscle function, and establishing correct functional activities of the tongue, lips, mandible, and other orofacial muscles at rest, during mastication and during the oral phase of swallowing, and breathing re-education to encourage homeostasis.

Collaborating with a team of professionals, an airway hygienist may assist with:

Optimal growth and development of the face and dentition in youth
Functional orthodontic appliance goals and outcomes
Obstructive sleep apnea treatment and other related sleep breathing disorders, and adherence to APAP, CPAP, BIPAP devices
Alleviation of adverse compensations related to TMJ disorders
Reduction in snoring and other sleep breathing disorders
Intervention and remediation of deleterious oral habits
Optimization of tethered oral tissue release surgical outcomes through active wound care management and restoration of proper muscle function following tethered oral tissue release surgery
Encouraging nasal and diaphragmatic breathing
Identifying head, neck and body postural abnormalities for appropriate referral

Join Us

The IAAH was established to support licensed and registered dental hygienists who also practice complementary alternative health therapies related to airway health.

The goal of the IAAH is to establish a robust membership base in order to provide member benefits such as:

GROUP RATE MALPRACTICE INSURANCE

LEGAL SERVICES

CLARITY OF RULES AND REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO ALTERNATIVE HEALTH PRACTITIONERS

CENTRALIZED AND UNIFIED DIRECTION FOR THE FUTURE

CAMARADERIE

NETWORKING

JOB POSTINGS

MENTORSHIP POSTINGS

EVENT AND CE POSTINGS

Q&A BLOG