Course 1: Navigating Perio Referrals (1.5 CEs)

Presenter: Kimberly Pratt
Course Category: Direct Clinical Patient Care
 
Course Description
This course will review the basics of periodontal staging and grading.  We will review how to evaluate mucogingival defects.  The instructor will discuss the components of a well written periodontal referral versus reviewing some examples of poorly written referrals.  We will also discuss the ingredients to maintaining an effective relationship with your patient’s periodontist and how that will improve your patient’s collaborative experience.
 
Learning Outcomes

• The attendee will discuss the basics of periodontal staging and grading.
• The attendee will recognize the importance of a well written periodontal referral.
• The attendee will describe how to maintain a relationship with your patient's periodontist that will improve the collaborative treatment process.

About Our Presenter

Course 2: Dental Hygiene Treatment Planning: What is the Correct CDT Procedure Code for a Cleaning? Oh Wait! There IS no "Cleaning" code! (1.5 CEs)
Presenter: Kathy Forbes, BS, RDH, FADHA
Course Category: Direct Clinical Patient Care

Course Description
Accurate, evidence-based diagnosis is the best method to determine appropriate treatment.  Once this dental hygiene diagnosis is determined, the clinician will develop a treatment plan.  This includes selecting the correct CDT procedure codes for the treatment.  Too often, the procedure code selected may be inaccurate because dental software programs ONLY include the code number and title, NOT the descriptor.
 
There are 7 distinct CDT procedure codes from which dentists and hygienists usually select for the services they provide for their patients, and each has a very distinct descriptor.  Many clinicians are unaware of the ADA’s Current Dental Terminology (CDT) descriptors for each procedure code which must be used by the business staff to correctly bill patients and their insurance carriers.  Inaccurate billing can often result in patients having to pay more out-of-pocket dollars then they were expecting to pay which then can lead to mistrust. 
 
As technology and treatment modalities evolve, new CDT procedure codes are developed, and current CDT procedure codes are amended by the ADA’s Code Maintenance Committee (which meets every March).  This course will provide the latest nomenclature and descriptors for the Evaluation codes (Exams) used to determine the Preventive/Perio codes (the 7 “cleaning” codes and more).  And what about the ICD-10 Diagnostic Codes (720 of them) listed in the current CDT Procedure Codes Manual?  How and why do we need to know these?  So many questions!
 
Learning Outcomes

• Explain the definitions and descriptions of the CDT Procedure Codes for Evaluations, Preventive Services, Periodontal Therapy, and, time permitting, the additional procedures provided by dental hygienists in accordance with their state practice act. 
• Discuss the basics of “Dental Insurance 101” and what is happening within the dental ‘insurance’ industry related to benefits.  Typically, how do insurance carriers benefit (or not benefit) these procedures?  And what about billing Medical Insurance for these dental procedures? 
• Describe various verbal strategies for communicating with patients about their need for preventive, periodontal or restorative treatment and the importance of allowing your office to help them manage their long-term dental care.

 
About Our Presenter
Kathy has been a dental hygienist, educator, speaker, author, consultant, seminar, and study club leader for over 40 years.  She speaks frequently about the correct classification, documentation, treatment planning, and CDT procedure code selection for patients with periodontal disease.
 
She has recently been appointed to chair the ADHA Coding Committee after serving as a Director for the DentalCodeology Consortium in reviewing and developing CDT procedure codes relevant to dental hygiene practice which are presented to the Code Maintenance Committee of the American Dental Association each year. She has attended these hearings since 2017, providing verbal testimony and answering questions related to procedure code submissions.
           
For over 25 years, her faculty appointments have included the Dental Hygiene Program at Concorde Career College in Aurora, CO, the Dental Hygiene Programs at Pierce College in Tacoma, WA and Shoreline Community College in Seattle, WA.  Through the University of Washington’s Continuing Dental Education Program as well as the Pacific Northwest Dental Hygiene Institute, she has taught local anesthesia and restorative procedures for out-of-state hygienists seeking licensure in Washington state and the Teaching Practicum Series for Eastern Washington University’s Degree Completion program for licensed dental hygienists seeking their Baccalaureate Degree.

Course Description
In this course Heidi M Klobes EPDH, M.Ed will share tips and tricks for providing a comfortable patient experience that promotes connection and trust, focusing on body language, verbiage and power dynamics. Finding ways to connect to patients increases your value to the practice by increasing your awareness of provider-patient & provider-provider interactions and how they affect everyone during an appointment experience. This course also focuses on the differences in personality styles (DISC) and fostering your ability to connect with patients from all backgrounds.

1. Recognize shameful phrases and discuss ways to create a shameless dental experience.
2. Identify different personality styles (DISC)
3. Relate power dynamics & Body language; identifying low and high-power body language and relate its effect on interpersonal communication.

Heid M Klobes  M.Ed, EPDH, CDA, OMT has been in the field of dental hygiene for over two and a half decades. Spending much of this time in clinical practice but pivoting in 2020 into education. Currently Heidi teaches at two local institutions in both dental hygiene and dental assisting programs. Connecting with others, especially patients, and learning about both verbal and non-verbal dynamics of interacting has fascinated Heidi for her entire career. Finding that she has often had patients follow her through her career because of her attention to interpersonal interactions and relationships has given her the passion to share with the next generation of hygienists what it takes to truly connect and motivate patients, with the ultimate goal of career fulfillment and successful patient motivation.

Course 4: Clocked In & In Control: Practical Time Management for New Dental Hygienists (.50 CE)
Presenter: Payton Cuellar, MPH, RDH, EPDH
Course Category: General Continuing Education
 
Course Description
This 30-minute continuing education course provides new dental hygienists with realistic, clinic-tested time management strategies to improve efficiency, reduce stress, and enhance patient care. Participants will learn how to prioritize tasks, streamline clinical workflows, manage patient interactions, and set professional boundaries without sacrificing quality.
 
Learning Objectives

• Identify common time-management challenges faced by new dental hygienists in clinical practice.
• Apply at least three chairside efficiency strategies to improve appointment flow without compromising patient care.
• Differentiate between productive multitasking and time-draining habits in a dental hygiene schedule.
• Implement communication techniques to manage patient expectations and stay on schedule.
• Develop one personalized time-management goal to use immediately in clinical practice.

About Our Presenter

Payton Cuellar, MPH, RDH, EPDH is a registered dental hygienist, clinical educator, and public health advocate with experience in clinical practice and dental hygiene education. She has served in leadership roles within the Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association and is passionate about supporting new dental hygienists as they transition from school to clinical practice. Her work focuses on practical, evidence-based strategies that promote efficiency, sustainability, and high-quality patient care in dental hygiene.

Course Description
Imposter syndrome is common among early-career dental hygienists—especially when navigating complex cases, high patient expectations, production pressures, and dentist-led practice environments. This course is designed for dental hygienists in their first 1–5 years of practice who want to better understand and manage self-doubt in clinical care.

Through real-world hygiene scenarios, participants will explore how imposter syndrome uniquely shows up in dentistry, including the impact of professional hierarchy, scope-of-practice boundaries, and rapid clinical decision-making. Learners will identify their personal imposter patterns, increase self-awareness during patient care, and strengthen confidence in evidence-based clinical judgment.

The course also provides practical tools to reduce uncertainty, integrate clinical guidelines with confidence, and build resilience under everyday workplace pressures. Participants will leave with strategies to manage stress, trust their training, and show up with greater confidence and clarity in their role as dental hygienists.

Learning Objectives

• Understand Imposter Syndrome Within the Dental Hygiene Profession
• Identify Common Triggers for Dental Hygienists
• Increase Self-Awareness in Patient Care and Clinical Judgment
• Strengthen Confidence in Evidence-Based Clinical Skills
• Develop Resilience to Common Workplace Pressures
• Improve Communication and Advocate for Your Professional Role

About Our Presenter
Karan is a registered dental hygienist with over 25 years of clinical experience, specializing in evidence-based, minimally invasive caries management. She holds a Master of Science from the University of California, San Francisco, with graduate research focused on caries risk assessment and detection. Her work centers on translating research into clinical practice, including CAMBRA implementation, development of caries management guidelines, and adaptation of SDF protocols for daily use. She regularly presents at regional and national meetings, has published on practical CAMBRA applications, and currently serves as Vice President of the National CAMBRA Coalition and Treasurer of the Oregon Dental Hygienists' Association.

Course 6: Dental Charting: Legality, Accuracy, and Continuing Care (1.5 CE)
Presenter: Kimberly Perlot, MAH, BS, DT, EPDH
Course Category: Direct Clinical Patient Care
On-Demand
 
Course Description
This course will review the importance of accuracy of dental charting.  Understanding why the hygienist should make clear, concise chart notes and serve all involved better. We will review legal and continuing care points of interest and how to best protect the patient and providers with complete and accurate charting.
 
Learning Objectives
• Understand why dental chart notes are important• Build awareness of Legal requirements and provider scope
• Identify components of accurate notes
• Understand risks of poor documentation• Improve daily charting habits
 
About Our Presenter
Kimberly Perlot is a dedicated Dental Therapist and Expanded Practice Dental Hygienist (EPDH) based in Central Oregon,where she provides comprehensive, community-centered oral health care through Capitol Dental Care’s mobile dental unit. A leader in expanding access to care in rural and underserved regions, she operated the first Gentle Dental EPDH tele-dentistry practice in Madras, Oregon in 2021, a milestone in expanding access to preventive dental care in rural communities.
 
Kim has been instrumental in implementing medical-dental integration systems, including the setup of multiple co-located clinics. She has trained Expanded Practice Dental Hygienists to collaborate effectively with medical providers, strengthening coordination between oral and primary health care.
 
Her professional leadership includes serving as the 2025–2027 Board President for the Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association. She also contributes to statewide workforce and academic development as a member of the Oregon Institute of Technology Dental Hygiene Advisory Board and the Central Oregon Health Coalition. Kim’s career includes extensive community engagement across a wide range of public health initiatives, including oral health education, child car-seat safety programs, teen drinking awareness and prevention, and collaborative outreach efforts with local partners. Her work reflects a longstanding commitment to health equity, prevention, and service to vulnerable populations.