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Dear Colleagues,
We have 3 exciting and informative CE programs planned for you in March, April, and May 2007.
On March 23rd Marie George, RDH,BS.MS from DENTSPLY Pharmaceutical will present Assessing For Non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy and Key Concepts of Esthetic Whitening at the renowned Army/Navy Club in Arlington, VA Please note that a dress code is enforced at the club for all programs. Only business/casual attire allowed .No one with denim, tennis shoes etc will be admitted.
The 75th Annual Nation’s Capital Dental meeting, Annual Hygienists program, is on Saturday April 21, 2007. Beverly Maguire, RDH will speak on Diagnosis Driven Hygiene: the Ten Steps to Transitioning Your Office.
Please refer to the enclosed program, page28, for the overview. Also, you must use the registration form 2-Non-Dentist/Resident located in the back of the program or you may register on line at www.dcdental.org.
The full day program will include lunch and we will have time to share information, visit the exhibits and collaborate with colleagues.
Gifted speakers for May 5, 2007 are Thomas E. Rams,.DDS, MHS and Dr. Hani Thariani., DDS, MMSc, PC. The topics for the day are Periodontics and Orthodontics: New Technologies and Early Interventions. Location for this stimulating and thought-provoking program will also be at the Army/Navy Club.
We are honored to have all of these speakers join us for 2007 continuing education and would be honored if you would join us, as well.
Sincerely,
Jill Grassmick, RDH President DCDHA
ADHA Emphasizes Access to Care Issues
after Recent Tragedy
Chicago—March 1, 2007—The Washington Post, on Wednesday, February 28, 2007, reported that a twelve-year-old boy in the Washington D.C. area, Deamonte Driver, had died of complications resulting from an untreated dental abscess, after bacteria from the untreated tooth had spread to his brain. Deamonte had undergone two brain surgeries and more than six weeks of hospital care. This story highlights what the Surgeon General called in 2000, a “silent epidemic” of dental disease that affects our most vulnerable citizens–poor children, the elderly, and many members of racial and ethnic minority groups.
In the greater Washington D.C. area, patients currently do not have direct access to dental hygienists because of restrictive public health policies. In many other states patients are allowed direct access to dental hygienists for preventive procedures, which has been an effective model in increasing access to care.
The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA), along with many other oral health care organizations, has made finding a solution to expanding access to care a top priority in recent years. In 2004 ADHA created the Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioner (ADHP), after a near-unanimous vote at its 81st annual session, as a practice model designed to have greater reach and impact upon the underserved populations in the U.S. By lowering restrictive barriers currently obstructing direct preventive care to the public and increasing basic restorative services, the ADHP will allow dental hygienists to be a more effective piece of the entire dental team.
“This is a sad, sad story,” says Margaret Lappan Green, RDH, MS, ADHA president. “Access to care is at crisis level in this country, and Deamonte’s death emphasizes that even more. Hopefully the Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioner will significantly improve the level of access to care in this country, but until its completion, and even beyond, the dental community must look for new and creative ways to reach these underserved populations and maximize the potential of current technologies, such as teledentdistry, that are already in place. ”
Dental hygienists are prevention specialists who are uniquely qualified and positioned to meet the oral health needs of the underserved. Dental hygienists can detect signs and symptoms of many life-threatening diseases, educate patients to develop oral health care treatment plans, and serve as an invaluable pipeline for referring those who need the care of a dentist.
Linda DeVore Leadership Scholars Program
The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) and Pfizer Inc invite applications for the Linda DeVore Leadership Scholars Program. Funded by Pfizer Inc, this program is designed to facilitate professional growth of entry-level junior faculty.
If you are an active member of ADHA, hold a bachelor degree and possess a valid dental hygiene license, download and submit your application for the ADHA/Pfizer Inc Linda DeVore Leadership Scholars Program today! The postmark deadline for all applications is March 30, 2007.
Download the application at:
http://www.adha.org/downloads/Linda_DeVore_Application.pdf
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