Noteworthy News

Worlds most powerful man speaks out about importance of oral health and the relationsip to total health!

The U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass H.R. 3590, the health care overhaul bill passed by the Senate in December, thus ushering in a new era of heath care delivery in the United States. The 219-212 vote closely followed party lines with only Democrats voting in favor of the measure. The bill now awaits President Obama's signature in order to become law. H.R. 3590 contains a number of oral health provisions that will have a significant impact on the oral health care delivery system and the dental hygiene profession. As the leading resource for information about your profession, ADHA offers this update on health reform as part of the series of health reform e-mails that have been sent since August.

The House vote brings closure to more than a year of national debate about whether or not to fundamentally overhaul the national health care system. The new law will extend health care coverage to tens of millions of Americans. While much media attention has been focused on the broad medical provisions contained in H.R. 3590, little has been reported about the significant oral health provisions included in the bill. The following offers an overview of some of the key oral health provisions:

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How Dental Care Will Be Changed by Healthcare Reform

Health reform will offer major changes in the arena of dental care; the bill that has been offered by the United States Congress for healthcare reform will have a lasting effect on the field of dentistry and the type of dental care that people receive.

There promises to be a huge expansion of coverage for individuals in need of dental care once health reform is initiated. The healthcare reform bill looks very promising for people who have long awaited adequate coverage for their dental needs.

Children will get greater dental care because the health reform options are seeking to cover all children in the United States today. Funding will possibly be offered for professionals within the industry seeking to further their education in the field of dentistry too; this means more qualified dentists to treat more individuals who receive coverage via the healthcare reform bill.

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In a recent study from the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Buffalo (Shibly O; Effect of tobacco counseling by dental students on patient quitting rate J Dent Educ. 2010 Feb;74(2):140-8), it was discovered that once dental professionals received appropriate training in tobacco counseling cessation protocol for their patients they can be effective in motivating patients to quit smoking.

At 7am on December 24th, the Senate passed H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The passage of the legislation marks another hurdle in the effort to pass sweeping health reform legislation in Congress. The House passed its health reform bill in November and now Senate and House leadership will reconcile the differences between the two pieces of legislation, setting the stage for final passage of a health reform bill. 

The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) is committed to keeping the dental hygiene community informed on health reform matters that impact the profession. Both the House and Senate bills contain significant oral health provisions that are not often mentioned in media coverage of health reform.  

ADHA respects that there are many opinions on health reform within the dental hygiene community. This update is not intended to sway recipients in one direction or the other on the issue, but is offered as a means to update dental hygiene professionals about the oral health provisions contained in the Senate bill (H.R. 3590) and the House bill (H.R. 3962).

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ADA Launches Community Dental Health Coordinator Pilot Program at Temple University

CHICAGO, Nov. 24, 2009-The American Dental Association (ADA) has signed an agreement with Temple University to train new dental team members as part of a pilot program to improve the oral health in underserved communities. The Community Dental Health Coordinator (CDHC) is a member of the dental health team who works in communities where residents have limited access to dental care to improve their oral health.

The CDHC provides a limited range of preventive dental care services-including screenings and fluoride treatments. However, of greater importance to these communities, the CDHC will help patients navigate the health system and access care by a dentist or an appropriate clinic and engage in educational activities to improve community members' oral health habits.

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On Saturday, November 7, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.   The landmark vote marks one step in the efforts of Congressional leaders and the Obama Administration to pass comprehensive health reform legislation. 

The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) is committed to keeping the dental hygiene community informed on health reform matters that impact the profession. ADHA respects that there are many opinions on health reform within the dental hygiene community. This update is not intended to sway recipients in one direction or the other on the issue, but is offered as a means to update dental hygiene professionals about the oral health provisions contained in H.R. 3962 and to offer an overview of ADHA’s engagement in the process thus far.

Health reform legislation in the House and Senate touches on many facets of the health care delivery system. The following offers a brief overview of oral health provisions contained in H.R. 3962:

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Update from the American Dental Hygienists’ Association

This e-mail is another update from the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) on issues related to health reform.  This week Congress will return to session after an August recess where dialogue on health reform took center stage across the country.  As part of our effort to keep the dental hygiene community informed on health reform matters that may impact the profession, ADHA is submitting this update.

Certainly health reform has proven to be a highly charged issue with passionate advocates on both sides.  This update is not intended to sway recipients in one direction or the other on the issue, but is being offered as a means to update dental hygiene professionals about the role that oral health plays in pending health reform legislation and offer an overview of ADHA’s engagement in the process thus far.

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State report says agency that oversees dentists and hygienists is rife with errors.

Is your head where your heart is?

Is your head where your heart is? It may be now. A strong connection between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been suggested in recent clinical studies. As many as 75 percent of adults in the United States have been affected by periodontal disease and an estimated 80.7 million adults (1 out of every 3) have been a victim of CVD in 2006 according to the American Heart Association. From the 80.7 million adults in the United States, 38.2 million are less than 60 years of age, which is almost 50 percent.

According to the latest study "Oral Body Inflammation Connection" presented during the 57th Annual Meeting of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), The AGD's Annual Meeting in Baltimore, MD, July 8-12, 2009 there is a powerful link between perio disease and heart disease. The revelation was made a a team of experts and the observations are believed to be proof that there is a mouth-heart connection.

The discussion will be one of the first discussions held at the AGD's annual meeting that integrates both dentistry and medicine because the disease is common to both health management groups. "It is critical for all dentists and physicians to collaborate in helping patients reduce inflammation, which can become a target factor for cardiovascular disease," says Dr. Slepian. Both Drs. Slepian and Gottehrer, with the help of an expert doctoral panel will discuss the correlation between periodontal disease and CVD. Information presented during this session will provide dentists with hands-on knowledge regarding how to communicate with physicians in order to collaborate and create more proactive management periodontal disease treatment plans (including non-surgical options), which can then improve periodontal and associated physical health by reducing CVD.

CVD has a wide range of categories, which affect adults in the United States every day including high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure. A recent study that will be cited during the presentation explored the existence of bacteria known to cause periodontitis and the growth of blood vessel walls, which is a symptom of CVD. After examining the subjects used, the investigators found a positive connection between the growth of blood vessel walls and the existence of bacteria found in dental plaque, causing periodontitis.

Occasional Smoker, 47, Signs Tobacco Bill

President Obama does not discuss the fact that he still occasionally smokes, a habit he very publicly tried to kick during his race for the White House.
But there he was on June 23, 2009, talking about cigarettes. As he signed legislation bringing tobacco products under federal control for the first time, the president conceded that the new law, aimed at keeping children from starting to smoke, could have helped him three decades ago.
Mr. Obama noted that 90 percent of smokers began on or before their 18th birthday.
“I know — I was one of those teenagers,” he said, standing beneath a punishing afternoon sun at a Rose Garden ceremony. “I know how difficult it can be to break this habit when it’s been with you for a long time.”
With that, Mr. Obama moved on. He did not mention whether he still smokes, a topic that has been a subject of considerable curiosity, and family drama, for years. Instead, he talked about the dangers of the addiction and its causes.
“Kids today don’t just start smoking for no reason,” he said. “They’re aggressively targeted as customers by the tobacco industry. They’re exposed to a constant and insidious barrage of advertising where they live, where they learn and where they play.”
The new law, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, allows the Food and Drug Administration not only to forbid advertising geared toward children but also to lower the amount of nicotine in tobacco products, ban sweetened cigarettes that appeal to young taste buds and prohibit labels like “light” and “low tar.”
When Mr. Obama entered the presidential race, he said his candidacy had been contingent on a deal with his wife, Michelle, that he quit smoking. The couple discussed his habit on “60 Minutes,” where Mrs. Obama declared, “I hate it.”
“That’s why he doesn’t do it anymore, I’m proud to say,” she continued. “I’m the one who outed him on the smoking. That was one of my prerequisites for, you know, entering this race, is that he couldn’t be a smoking president.”
Now there are few touchier questions inside the White House than whether Mr. Obama is still smoking. One senior administration official declined to answer, but pointed out that the president spoke Monday in the present tense, saying, “I know how difficult it can be to break this habit,” as opposed to “I know how difficult it was to break this habit.”
As Mr. Obama shook hands with some of the guests at the bill-signing ceremony, he wandered near a group of reporters. Dan Lothian, a correspondent for CNN, asked, “Mr. President, how difficult has your struggle been with smoking?”
The president, a mere few feet away, did not reply.
Several minutes later, the question came up at the daily White House press briefing. When asked directly if Mr. Obama was still smoking, the president’s press secretary, replied: “He struggles with it every day. I don’t honestly see the need to get a whole lot more specific than the fact that it’s a continuing struggle.”

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2009 B.J Long Scholarship Winner
Neelie Bruce
Congratulations Neelie and Best Wishes!!!

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Congratulations Alicia Grant!!!
The Dallas Dental Hygienists' Society is proud to announce the appointment of our own, Alica Grant, to the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners by Govenor Rick Perry. Alicia will serve a 6 year term on the board. The mission of the board is to safeguard the dental health of Texas by developing and maintaining programs that ensure that only qualified persons are licensed to provide dental care and ensure that violators of laws and rules regulating dentistry are sanctioned as appropriate.

Alicia Grant is a 1998 graduate of Tarrant County College (TCC) where she received her Associate Degree in Dental Hygiene. She is currently employed as a clinical dental hygienist for a general dentist in Dallas, Texas.

Prior to attending TCC, Ms. Grant received an Associate Degree in Dental Assisting Technology from El Centro College in Dallas and become a Certified Dental Assistant. She practiced dental assisting for 17 years until her return to TCC to study dental hygiene.

Since graduation from TCC, Ms. Grant has been employed as a clinical dental hygienist in both general and periodontal dental practices. Additionally, she served as the Executive Director of the Children’s Oral Health Center, a non-profit providing dental care to indigent students in the Dallas Independent School District.

She is an active member in the American Dental Hygienists’ Association, Texas Dental Hygienists’ Association, and the Dallas Dental Hygienists’ Society. She has held numerous positions in each organization including President of the Texas Dental Hygienists’ Association. She has served on the Council on Association Policy and Bylaws for the American Dental Hygienists’ Association as well as on the Council on Public Relations and Council on Regulation and Practice.

Additionally, Ms. Grant served on the Texas Oral Health Steering Committee with the Texas Department of State Health Services as they established the Texas Oral Health Coalition. She chaired the Population-Based Prevention Workgroup and later the Coalition itself.

In addition, she has served on the Health Advisory Committee to Head Start of Greater Dallas, Inc and the Dental Hygiene Advisory Committees to Collin County Community College and Baylor College of Dentistry/Caruth School of Dental Hygiene.

Ms. Grant has volunteered dental hygiene care at various local dental clinics that serve low income populations in the Dallas area. She is passionate about dental hygiene and the desire to provide quality oral health services for the underserved. She is politically active and enjoys educating lawmakers and those who influence public policy regarding the importance of good oral health and its relation to total health.

Ms Grant has been married to her husband Daryl Grant for 34 years. They have been active in their church where each has held numerous volunteer positions. They have two sons, two daughter-in-laws, two grandsons and one granddaughter. They all currently reside in the Dallas area.

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American Dental Association Applauds Legislators for Introducing “Meth Mouth” Bill

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2009—Dr. John S. Findley, president of the American Dental Association (ADA), applauded Capitol Hill legislators today for introducing a federal bill aimed at understanding and treating “meth mouth”—a condition where teeth can become blackened, stained, rotting and crumbling from methamphetamine use.

To read the full press release, please visit ADA.org at this link: http://www.ada.org/public/media/releases/0902_release05.asp

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The SCHIP bill became law on Feb. 4. It adds 11 million children to the program. SCHIP was established in 1997 to provide coverage for health care services to children and pregnant women from families that are not Medicaid-eligible but are unable to afford private insurance.

A motivation for starting the program was that people completely dependent on government programs had no incentive to work toward independence if getting a job meant losing health care for themselves or their children. SCHIP allowed children in families with incomes up to 200 percent (about $46,000/yr income) of the federal poverty level to enroll children, expecting co-pays from parents in the upper ranges.

Currently, most states offer a dental benefit as part of their state CHIP program, but the benefit is optional and subject to being eliminated when state budgets become constrained. A “dental wrap” benefit will enable children of families that meet income and other eligibility requirements for SCHIP and receive medical benefits through an employer-sponsored medical insurance plan, to access just dental coverage through SCHIP.

President Barack Obama signed a bill that reauthorized and expand SCHIP to an additional 4 million children. “In a decent society, there are certain obligations that are not subject to tradeoffs or negotiation, and health care for our children is one of those obligations,” he said. Notably, the measure passed both chambers with bipartisan support.

Bad news for smokers. The expansion is to be funded by a 62-cents-per-pack increase in the federal cigarette tax.

As things stand, parents will seek and get health care for their children when it’s needed. If they are uninsured, clinics and hospitals write the expense off as uncompensated care and then increase charges for patients who pay. In some way these expenses can and must be paid. SCHIP is not a bad program, especially in these economic times.

ADHA President Diann Bomkamp, RDH, BSDH, remarked, “The collective effort within the dental community to advocate for the inclusion of dental benefits in SCHIP demonstrates the strength of collaboration and the positive impact it can have on the patients we serve. Those efforts resulted in dental coverage for millions of low-income children who desperately need access to preventive and other oral health care services.”

For additional information on SCHIP visit: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/home/schip.asp

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Consumers Want to Buy Products That Dental Hygienists Recommend
www.Gumbrand.com offers robust suite of dental products for consumers, .

Sunstar Americas, Inc., an international leader in mouth and body care products, has commissioned a survey by Mintel International Group Limited to demonstrate consumers' desires to purchase products recommended by their dental hygienists.

The 1,957 people who participated in the online survey distributed in March of 2007 were asked about their relationship with their dental hygienist; the majority said they trust their dental professionals completely. What's more, 81 percent said they trust the product recommendations of their dental hygienist.

The study also found that women are more likely to visit their dental hygienist than men (47 percent to 39 percent), and that 69 percent of those women are more likely to shop for oral care products for themselves and the entire household.

"We know how hard dental hygienists work to educate their patients on the appropriate products to use, and this confirms patients are listening," said Ann Foppe, Professional Marketing Director of Sunstar Americas, Inc."Gumbrand.com has our entire suite of products online and is perfect for patients who are having a hard time finding the product recommended by their dental hygienist. It's a quick and easy shopping experience, with everything in one location."

The upgraded Web site is not only easy to navigate, it has product and oral health information for consumers as well as dental professionals. There are downloadable product pages which dental hygienists can use to check off recommendations and give to their patients as a reminder on which products to buy. A small tip card directing patients to the Web site is also available to download.

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Congratulations to our own Chrissy Samples!  Chrissy was awarded 2008 TDHA Future Leader Award.  We are very proud of Chrissy’s hard work and dedication to our profession.

 

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Dialing 211: Connecting People with Important Community Services

Every hour of every day, someone in the United States needs essential services- from finding an after-school program to securing adequate care for a child or an aging parent. Faced with a dramatic increase in the number of agencies and help-lines, people often don't know where to turn. In many cases, people end up going without these necessary services because they do not know where to start. 2-1-1 helps people find and give help.

€ Basic Human Needs Resource: food banks, clothing closets, shelters, rent assistance, utility assistance.

€ Physical and Mental Health Resources: health insurance programs, Medicaid and Medicare, maternal health, Children's Health Insurance Program, medical information lines, crisis intervention services, support groups, counseling, drug and alcohol intervention and rehabilitation.

€ Support for Older Americans and Persons with Disabilities: adult day care, congregate meals, Meals on Wheels, respite care, home health care, transportation, homemaker services.

€ Support for Children, Youth and Families: childcare, after school programs, Head Start, family resource centers, summer camps and recreation programs, mentoring, tutoring, protective services.

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American Heart Association New Guidelines for Pre-Medication 2007

Patients at the greatest danger of bad outcomes from infective endocarditis and for whom preventive antibiotics are worth the risk include those with:

€ Artificial heart valves
€ A history of having had infective endocarditis
€ Certain specific, congenital heart conditions including:

- Unrepaired or incompletely repaired cyanotic congenital heart disease, including those with palliative shunts and conduits

- A completely repaired congenital heart defect with prosthetic material or device, whether placed by surgery or by catheter interventions, during the first six months after the procedure

- Any repaired congenital heart defect with residual defect at the site or adjacent to the site of a prosthetic patch or prosthetic device

Antibiotic premedication is no longer indicated for dental patients with mitral valve prolapse, rheumatic heart disease, bicuspid valve disease, calcified aortic stenosis, congenital heart conditions, such as ventricular septal defects, atrial septal defects, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3047051

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RDH talk was created for hygienists everywhere to be able to onnect & visit with one another; its a place to just talk and become friends with other RDH's. You can ask advise on products, equipment, share oncerns, good news and more!

Spread the news to your colleagues, its fun, informational on available when you are.

If interested you have to sign up here:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RDHTalk/

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To all Dental Hygienists

You recently received an invitation from the Dental Association to join
their allied staff. This may appear to be a very inexpensive alternative to
joining the organization that represents your profession. Yes, you will get
a break on the annual session but for that break you will be giving your
voice to the the dental association. In essence you are saying what ever
policies the ADA endorses that you agree with them. This can be pretty
devastating if they do not wish to promote the same direction for Dental Hygiene as you would like to see.

Consider instead joining ADHA which will provide you with updates relating to how your career is changing and evolving. You also will be involved in a professional organization that represents you profession only. The American Dental Hygienists' Association is continually looking for ways to enhance our profession.

Currently there are a lot of Dental Hygienists who have been unable to find jobs. We need to be looking for ways that hygienists can close the gap on access to care. Our organization is doing just that and we need all the support we can get from all the members of our profession.

Thank you for considering not joining the allied staff and looking into joining our State Dental Hygiene Association.

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