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Let's boost the membership of the ADHA to protect our profession for the future. 

Share with us why you think it is so important to join the ADHA.  please email me with your comments and I will add them to the website. Share anything that you feel is important.  It can be funny, inspiring, heart-warming, anything that you want to share. Thanks for your contributions!

Hello~ I just wanted to mention to everyone that membership in the ADHA is so important!!! There are some scary things happening in the Dental Hygiene Profession today across the country. We need strength in numbers to help stop any of these legislative issues that face Dental Hygiene today that "lowers the standard" for a Dental Hygienist. If anything, with how periodontal disease can affect one's overall health, the standards should be raised. We need to not only protect our future, but protect the future of our patients. I have personally seen children who have only been "polished" who need scaling and root planing procedures to get the burnised subgingival calculus off from years of being polished over. These poor kids face early periodontal disease due to lower standards of care. Problem is, their parents don't even know the difference between a Licensed and educated hygienist and an unlicensed assistant. Educate your patients!!!! Let's all fight this together to save our profession and protect patient's rights. I forgot to mention that for me, it is also fun attending the meetings and networking with other hygienists. Please join the ADHA! -- Amy Nieves, RDH

Membership is about being good to yourself, your profession and your patients/ clients. It is your insurance that the profession will continue and that you will continue to reap the benefits of your own professional career. - Kristy Menage Bernie, RDH, BS

Through my experience the last several years of going to our state capitol and speaking with senators, representatives and lobbiest. Membership numbers speak when they are considering opposing sides to an issue. Issues such as perceptorship, local anesthesia, general supervision, etc. Keeping your career a profession a profession with standards. If you couldn't come up with any other reason (which I believe there are many) this one would do for me. I have worked hard for my degree. I believe in high standards. I don't believe we can maintain those without a governing body that understands our profession. In my opinion that governing body should be the ADHA. Vickie E. Jones, BSDH

For those that don't know what preceptorship is, here is another state that looks like it is going to be in the battle against it. Here is a reprint of an article that tells what the Texas hygienists are going to be battling.  Listen, and fight now to save your profession before something like this happens in your state! THIS IS FOR REAL AND A REAL THREAT TO THE DENTAL HYGIENE PROFESSION AS WE KNOW IT!!!!

HB 2298 Will Jeopardize Dental Patients' Safety, Says Texas Dental Hygienists' Association


AUSTIN, Texas, March 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Dental hygienists strongly oppose House Bill 2298 and are asking consumers to tell their legislators to vote "no" on the bill, which is pending after a public health hearing on March 14 in the House Public Health Committee. The bill would allow unlicensed trainees to provide oral health services after receiving minimal or no clinical education, only on-the-job training taught by a dentist or dental hygienist. 

"On-the-job training is just not adequate to prepare individuals to provide safe patient care. Providing a complete teeth cleaning is a complicated skill that involves using a razor-sharp instrument. An unskilled and inexperienced oral health care worker runs a greater risk of jeopardizing a patient's health," says Dianna Prachyl, BSDH, MS, governmental affairs chair, of the Texas Dental Hygienists' Association. 

The preventive care provided by dental hygienists includes performing a thorough teeth cleaning above and below the gumline, identifying signs and symptoms of potentially serious oral and general diseases, and referring patients, when indicated, for appropriate treatment and/or counseling. Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General identifies this care as crucial in combating periodontal (gum) disease, which affects three out of four adults. 

A new analysis of recent research has revealed that gum disease may represent a far more serious threat to the health of millions of Americans than previously realized. These studies found that periodontal infection may contribute to the development of heart disease, the nation's number one cause of death, increase the risk of premature, underweight births, and pose a serious threat to people whose health is already compromised due to diabetes and respiratory diseases. 

This link between gum disease and general health makes it more critical than ever that oral health care services be provided by qualified, formally educated dental hygienists, according to Prachyl. 

"Because we now know how important oral health is to total health, we should be looking at maintaining and enhancing educational preparation -- not weakening it. In other states, steps have been taken to expand dental hygiene functions and to remove restrictive state practice laws that prevent dental hygienists from providing safe preventive care to those populations who don't currently have access," says Prachyl. "Changing practice laws, not diluting education standards, would help expand quality oral health care to all Texans." 

Supporters of the bill contend that the legislation was proposed because of a "severe" shortage of dental hygienists in many areas of the state, the state's dwindling population of dental hygienists during the past decade and because the establishment of a new method of training hygienists would increase the supply and expand the availability of oral hygiene services in the state. 

However, according to government statistics, it is the state's population of dentists that is declining -- not dental hygienists. In 1998 there were 7,360 dental hygienists and 7,286 dentists in Texas. The number of dentists in Texas declined 4 percent between 1991 and 1998 while the state's population grew 14 percent. The result was a 15 percent decline in dentists per capita compared to a 12 percent decline nationwide. During this time, the annual number of dental school graduates in the U.S. declined by 23 percent, while the number of dental hygiene school graduates grew by 20 percent. 

"Dental hygienists have been fighting for years to keep organized dentistry from reducing dental hygiene education standards and from making on-the-job training a reality. Dentists, on the other hand, have disguised the on-the-job proposals by declaring a 'manpower crisis' or a call for alternative educational programs. In Texas, they are calling it 'equivalency' training to expand the availability of oral hygiene services in the state," says Prachyl. 

"The Texas Dental Hygienists' Association membership is committed to providing consumers with access to quality oral health care, and we urge concerned Texans to contact their legislators' office and ask them to vote 'no' on HB 2298." 

For more information about safeguarding your health, HB 2298 and dental hygiene, visit TDHA's Web site at www.texasdha.org . 

SOURCE Texas Dental Hygienists' Association 

CO: Texas Dental Hygienists' Association 

ST: Texas 

IN: HEA 

SU: LEG 

03/19/2001 12:34 EST http://www.prnewswire.com 

RDH ALERT TO NORTH CAROLINA HYGIENISTS:

On Thursday, Apr. 5, an alert came across Mary George's email (at UNC)
from a legislative 'watchdog' announcing that legislation had been
introduced to rewrite the dental hygiene statute concerning our
education.  Here's what the NC Dental Law says now:

"No person shall be entitled to or be issued a dental hygiene license
unless such person is a graduate of a school or college for dental
hygienists whose dental hygiene program is accredited by the Commission
on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association or its
successor specialty accrediting agency.  Such school or college must be
accredited by a regional accrediting agency for colleges, universities
or institutions of high education which is recognized by the US
Department of Education and must conduct a curriculum consisting of not
less than two academic years for dental hygiene graduation with courses
at the appropriate level to enable matriculation into a more advanced
academic degree program."

Here's how they want to change it:

"Dental hygienist shall mean any person who has satisfactorily completed
a Board-approved program of dental hygiene education and training, who
has been licensed by the Board, and who practices dental hygiene as
prescribed by the board."

On licensing by credentialing - " The applicant for licensure must be of
good moral character, have graduated from an accredited high school or
hold a high school equivalency certificate , and have satisfactorily
completed dental hygiene education and training in the US military
service."  I've known several military trained hygienists who would
attest forcefully to the fact that they did not know diddley about
dental hygiene----until they went to hygiene school!

Currently, dental hygiene schools have to go through a rigorous
accrediting process through the Commission on Dental Accreditation
(CODA).  The phrase "have graduated from an accredited high school..."
keeps out the CODA accreditation.  This is an insult.

The whole purpose of licensure by credential is to eliminate
examination.  This gives the Board the okay to conduct an examination if
it chooses to, giving them too much control.

So, here we go in NC!!!

Dianne

Membership in the ADHA will protect our careers and the health of our clients. Please join the ADHA today. Evone

Membership in ADHA has both tangible and intangible benefits. Those tangible benefits iclude discounts at CE courses, subscription to RDH, Acess and other professional publications, discount on car insurance, the ability to purchase group health insurance and much more. I think protection of our professional standards and a push to increase those standards is very tangible as well. The population as a whole is keeping their teeth much longer than any generation before. We are learning about medical complications linked to periodontal disease. There is going to be a greater need for better educated dental hygienists to help these patients achieve periodontal health. Many will be medically compromised and a dental hygienist trained through perceptership may not know how to handle the situations that will be coming through the doors of our practices in the future. ADHA, the state associations and components across the country need hygienists who want to advance the profession to be ready for the coming years. Membership in ADHA is paramount in challange we face to hold on to what we have and to further our education making us more valuable to the general public. Educate your patients on what it took for you to become a dental hygienist. Let them know there is the possiblity that the state Dental Association may be looking at ways to reduce the level of education and train Dental Assistants on the job. Would they like someone who they believe knows what they are doing to be working on them the frist time the Assistant/hygienists picks up a dental hygiene instrument. Most of my paitents I talk to about this are amazed at my educational background. I am sad that only an Associate degree is available in Dental Hygiene in Florida. Dental Hygienists...our future can be bright. There are new horizions out there for those of us willing to join forces and work for what we believe will be a bright future. But, we need all of you paying your dues and becoming active to meet goals set forth by state hygiene associations and local associations across the country. We need to have both the money and power that great numbers in membership provide. We are the only profession that is governed by our bosses. ADA is a very powerful group and with out each one of you helping ADHA we face a struggle each year while we watch hygienists in great states such as Texas fall into a trap of preceptorship trained hygienists as being "good enough".

DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU. DON'T PUT ME AND YOURSELF INTO A POSITION OF SOMEDAY BEING FIRED BECAUSE THE PRECEPTORSHIP HYGIENIST IS CHEAPER TO HIRE. IT CAN AND WILL HAPPEN IF YOU JUST SIT BY AND DON'T WATCH WHAT IS HAPPENING.

JOIN ADHA TO HELP KEEP YOUR JOB AND JOBS FOR THE FUTURE OF DENTAL HYGIENE! Susan L. Mitchell, RDH, Member ADHA, FDHA, HCDHA

Hi, I'm an RDH and hold license in WVA. and OHIO. In WVA, they are changing the laws as you read this. Dental assistants will be able to do just about anything without any formal training. It's called (under Dr. supervision and training} In reality that means, the Dr. shows you once and you do it from now on with no increase in pay because you don't have an education! RDH's can give injections with a class. Sure RDH's can do whatever the assistant is allowed to do, but that's just as scary as an assistant without and education to me. I've worked with RDH's that weren't dental assistants first. They don't have a clue how proceedures are done! Wow to the patients in WVA. Our ADHA is trying to stop what's going on, but memebership is soooooo looow in WVA, we don't have much of a voice there with the ADA. If you are familiar with the EFDA program that they have in Ohio, then you know that in Ohio you have to have a formal education to perform class I-IV fillings or to pick up a handpiece. In WVA you don't. You won't even need a high school diploma! If there were a bigger membership in WVA, we might be able to stop this train, but alas, it's not going to happen. They are literally giving away our jobs in WVA. Listen up everyone.....you have to belong to your ADHA association to stop this kind of thing from happening in your state. The vast majority of the public in WVA. has no idea what is happening there, they don't have a clue that uneducated people can be placing fillings and temporaries and a whole host of other proceedures without benefit of and education.....SCARY! Don't let it happen where you are.....increase your memberships in ADHA it's the only way to protect your jobs and the public from what I see as a get rich quick scheme. There are unethical Drs. out there I know, I've worked for them, albeit, only a short time, but they are there and the potential for abuse of this "anything goes" law stagers the imagination. Thanks for listening. MARY RDH

I am a student dental hygienist in California. I am preparing for national exam (tomorrow morning)and graduation in June as well as California state boards in July. I enjoy my clinic time greatly. My patients are really wonderful people. I get attached so quickly and look forward to their next appointment. It has been difficult this term to begin "passing my patients down" so they can continue to benefit other students for years to come. I remind myself that I will soon be in practice and no longer need to do this and I look forward to all the future patients I will work with to improve their oral health. As I complete my two years in program (after 2 1/2 years of pre-reqs) I can't imagine anyone attempting to work on patients without the training I and my classmates have endured. Yes endured! As any RDH who has been through the experience of hygiene school knows, it is intense, and trying, and there is NO WAY that anyone off the street is going to have the knowledge that has been impressed on us. Preceptorship programs allowing people to take CE units as their main courses is appalling! Do they not comprehend the idea of CE? It is quite simple: Continuing Education.... continuing, not main course of study!! Where are these "hygienists" to learn oral biology, morphology, embryology, or even proper instrumentation? These are the classes that CE units continue on, the basis for our field of study. The very nightmares of which hygiene school is made of.=) Joining ADHA is an important step in stopping preceptorship programs. I have every intention of continuing membership to ensure a good position for myself and others for years to come. Kim,SDH,CA

I am still a student, (I graduate in May!) but it is clear to me already that the only people responsible for the fact that so much of the general public doesn't have a clue what a dental hygienist is is the dental hygiene community. Joining the ADHA should not be considered an option, it should be viewed as a necessity to being a licensed professional. Every one of us that says "it isn't worth the money", says "my profession isn't worthy of my support." Believing in yourself means believing in what we stand for. We cannot expect people to respect our profession if we do not respect it ourselves. Together we are a strong force, and we can transform dental hygiene into a well-recognized and respected profession. Marti Seeliger, SDH, president of Fones chapter of SADHA at U of Bridgeport.

I think it is important to join the ADHA because our profession is one of a kind and we should support what we love! Amber WSU Dental Hygiene Student

Joining ADHA, with membership in your local component, should be the easiest decision of your professional career. Our working environment is very isolated--we may see a few other RDH's in our daily practice, but usually we are on our own. What better way to keep current with state practice acts, education, changes across the country, & in our own area, than to meet with and share ideas with our peers. I have learned so much from my wonderful friends in the professional associations over the years, I know that's what has kept me going since I graduated in 1970. 32 years is a long time to be involved in such a dymanic profession as ours, and supporting each other will keep us all fresh and ready for the next challenge. Claire H. Denshuick, RDH Southern New Jersey DHA, President 2002

Why join the ADHA? 1. Job security 2. Money (Unfortunately, it talks when it comes to politics) 3. The value of being part of something bigger than yourself 4. Being able to do something before it's too late. The main reason: to protect our patients who trust us. They pay the money to support us; the least we can do is protect them by giving them all we can. Yes, "it's a lot of money" but not having the profession as it stands now, and one we have worked so hard to create, could put us in jeopardy that no amount of money could fix. The saddest part: If preceptorship goes through, the patient will pay the same fee as they have always paid and the dentist will laugh all the way to the bank. Don't kid yourself! Just write the check and live more peacefully knowing you were part of the solution and not part of the problem. Juli Kagan RDH, M.Ed./Educator Broward Community College and Nova Dental School

I cannot stress how important supporting our professional association is to each and every one of us. Without numbers we will have absolutely no support on major issues that we all know are lurking in the wings....re: especially preceptorship. Juli Kagan recently wrote: "Yes, "it's a lot of money" but not having the profession as it stands now, and one we have worked so hard to create, could put us in jeopardy that no amount of money could fix. Don't kid yourself! Just write the check and live more peacefully knowing you were part of the solution and not part of the problem".... I cannot agree more...I stress membership at every NDHB and Florid State Board review that my company presents as well as at the dental college of which I am an adjunct faculty member. I firmly believe that active membership in the ADA by dentists and in the ADHA by hygienists is a MUST and we hygienists must show our support. So please join this association so that we will have the numbers that we need when we need them as well as the dollars. Thanks. Jane Weiner, RDH Jane Weiner, RDH, Board Reviews, Inc. and adjunct faculty member NOVA SE College of Dental Medicine, Predoctoral Periodontal Clinic, Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

I am still a student,(I graduate in May!) but it is clear to me already that the only people responsible for the fact that so much of the general public doesn't have a clue what a dental hygienist is is the dental hygiene community. Joining the ADHA should not be considered an option, it should be viewed as a necessity to being a licensed professional. Every one of us that says "it isn't worth the money", says "my profession isn't worthy of my support." Believing in yourself means believing in what we stand for. We cannot expect people to respect our profession if we do not respect it ourselves. Together we are a strong force, and we can transform dental hygiene into a well-recognized and respected profession. Marti Seeliger, SDH, president of Fones chapter of SADHA at U of Bridgeport.

We RDHs are an "endangered species" and we urgently need to manage our professional risk. "Numbers Talk!" Non-ADHA members are not heard by legislators. They look for strength in numbers and do not listen seriously to our concerns because and we are merely a whispering wimper! ADHA supports our professional life; we need to support ADHA's legislative efforts to protect both consumers and hygienists. Our individual investment of $280 (a day's wages) annually is such a minor amount to rescue RDHs from the abysmal drowning that we now face. A life is a terrible thing to waste, especially if its your own! This is Dental Hygiene's "9/ll" Cry for help. JOIN ADHA today and we'll all Stay Alive. You'll be so glad that you count and your voice was heard. Antoinette Covino RDHCC Vice President 2003-2005