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We still have spots available in-person and virtually via Zoom. Join us this Saturday! Details HERE.
Come walk with us at Cook Park in Tigard on September 23 | 8:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Registration opens September 11th. Exhibitors and Sponsors can email [email protected] to sign up today!
President's Message
Dear Membership,
September is here! I hope everyone had a fun summer! As we all settle back into fall routines, school starting, etc. I want you to reflect on what brought you into dental hygiene. September is Gum Care Month - well isn’t that right up our alley? As we speak our love language to our patients it reminds me of a special memory. I love being an Expanded Practice Dental Hygienist. It has brought me places I never would have ventured into had I not decided to take a new path in dentistry. A few years back I was volunteering at a Compassion Clinic Event. That day changed my trajectory. There is something unique when working in this different arena. A feeling that falls short of words to describe. All I knew is that I wanted more of it. I tasted, felt, and saw what a difference the power of healing that we have been gifted in this profession. As we share our love and passion for dental hygiene this month, share your story with your patients. How and when did you come to know that “gum care” played an important role in your own life and how it brought you to care so much about theirs. Enjoy reminiscing your story and sharing!
We have some cool events coming up. First off, start planning for our fall Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference (ODHC) November 10th and 11th at the Salem Convention Center with overnight accommodations at the Grand Hotel. We have a fantastic line up of CE opportunities this year! Registration will be live on our website on September 8th. Next up, our Components are getting going again after summer break and first up we have Medical Emergencies with Dr. Beadnell on September 9th. Register right away and get those final mandatory CE's out of the way before Fall Licensee Renewals. Fall socials are also starting, so make sure that you check out the Calendar and join us for the fun times planned ahead. Thank you to all our Board Members for keeping us on track!
If you’re looking to get more involved, on any level, I am always available to chat. We are growing our teams and it’s so fun when we can all come together to make it happen. Check out the call for Open Slate or maybe you want to be on a Committee? This is your time to take that CHANCE!! Our Association is strong, and we thank you in advance for your help and commitment.
Take that “chance” on what makes you and your personal brand! How will you be an influencer? Share it with the world. Make a difference. Let’s do it together! Have an AWESOME month!
With love,
Tracy Lynne Brunkhorst, RDH, EPDH, FADHA
President
Component News
North West
Hello RDH friends,
Fall is here! It’s time to start packing away shorts and flip-flops, and dig out cozy clothes. For many of us, this is a time to set new goals and get back in the routine of things.
It was fun saying farewell to summer with ODHA friends at our August social event, "The Dinner Detective". Good food, laughs, and clues were shared as our RDH investigators and their guests worked to solve a murder mystery. It was a hoot!!
Speaking of fun, the ODHA Fall & Winter Social Calendar has been released!
- WHAT’S NEW?? Each time you attend a social event you will be entered to win registration to (next year's) 2024 Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference!!
- We love guests! Feel free to invite non-members, friends, and family
- Click HERE to see the ODHA calendar through 2023 on our website!
Wishing you all a lovely September!
Warmly,
DeAnn Dardis, RDH, BSDH, EPP
North West Component Director
Metro East
Hello Fellow RDH’s!!
I can’t believe that we are hearing these three words, “Back to School!”. This Summer has gone FAST! We’ve had some really fun gatherings for our socials and the ADHA Conference in Chicago was unforgettable!
We have a new incentive for attending socials and CE that starts this year for 2024!
We will be announcing details at the Conference in November, but essentially what it entails is this: Every time you attend an ODHA Social or CE, your name gets entered into a drawing for FREE admission to the 2024 Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference the following year!! More attendance at ODHA events, more chances!! ODHA is finally picking up steam with members wanting to connect in-person, but we still have room for improvement!
The Conference this year is going to be incredible! We have some amazing speakers lined up and the President's Reception is going to be a 1920’s costume theme, so get out your flapper and dapper items for what is sure to be a swinging good time!!
We are looking forward to sharing what lays ahead for 2024-2025 in regards to socials and CE opportunities later this year!
Enjoy the sunshine in September (and don’t be too sad, it usually lasts another couple of months!).
Heidi M. Klobes RDH, BSDH
Metro East Component Director
South West
Greeting fellow South West Hygienists!
I hope you had a great summer. I was able to go camping a few times with my family and attend the National Dental Hygienist Conference in Chicago. It was my first year going since I graduated 17 years ago. I should have made efforts to start attending earlier. What a great experience all around with Oregon colleagues and new friends from other states! Top notch presenters and entertainers. If you haven't attended a national meeting, I advise you place it on your list of to dos for sure. I would be happy to share more about my experience at one of our next meetings. Next year's ADHA National Conference will be in New Orleans.
As for events happening in Oregon, our next ODHA hosted event is planned for September 9th - Medical Emergencies and Nitrous Update CE with Dr. Steve Beadnell. If we can get 50 people signed up for in-person viewing, thanks to Dr. Steve Beadnell's gracious support, lunch will also be included in the price of the class. I plan on being there in person, but if you can't make the drive, I still want to encourage you to sign up for the course via the Zoom viewing option. I also hope to also see more South West hygienists at our annual Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference at the Salem Convention Center, November 10 & 11. The Saturday morning Component Breakfast, which is included in your registration, is a great time for planning our 2024 activities. I am also hoping to have a new Director to introduce to you all by then. It would be super helpful to the new Director if we had a full local leadership team that included a Chair and Secretary. If interested, please plan on coming to the Component Breakfast, but in the meantime, please email [email protected] if you are interested in learning more about how you can be part of ODHA leadership!
Please be on the lookout for a South West membership survey via email this September regarding planning activities for 2024. When you receive this survey, please fill out in a timely manner. It is helpful to the future Southwest Leadership Team by having more membership input to consider when planning next year's activities. I am hoping that I can share the results with the new Director at the Component Breakfast in Salem in November. Have a great Fall and I hope to see some of you soon.
Jamie Christianson, RDH
South West Component Director
Committee News
Professional Development
Our First Oregon RDH Retreat has been postponed to Spring of 2024. The Committee still believes in its value to membership and looks forward to offering this event to our membership next year! Our sponsors for the event have agreed to work with us again in 2024 - thank you Ultradent and LumaDent!
In the meantime, we hope you had a chance to enjoy some of the social events put on by local components such as the Bubble Run this past summer. We look forward to our offering the Medical Emergency and Nitrous Oxide Update CE on September 9th. This class is offered in-person and online per promise from ODHA to help make each required CE accessible to ALL Oregon hygienists. Our goal of getting 50 people signed up for in-person can help ensure a meal is included thanks to Dr. Beadnell. So don't forget to tell your offices about this important class to help fill up those seats. More details can be found HERE.
We are also excited to present the 2023 Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference: Turning Towards Tomorrow. Two full days of CE and fun at the Salem Convention Center on November 10 and 11. Check out the Special ODHC rates for the convention at the Grand Hotel, which is connected to the Salem Convention Center. The Committee agrees that we are in for a treat this year with the pampering atmosphere, celebration of ADHA's 100 years, and dancing it up while dressed up for the Roaring 1920's President's Reception on Friday night (included in the full Conference Registration). Registration for this two day event will open on September 11th. Please check out our presenters, special events, and register right away!
Upcoming Professional Development Committee Meetings are scheduled for September 5 and 19, October 3 and 17, at 7 PM-8 PM via Zoom. We will be meeting regularly as we get ready for our 2023 Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference and then on December 5 we will meet to start planning for 2024!
If interested in attending, please contact our Chair, Jamie Christianson, at [email protected] prior to the meeting so that she can forward you the zoom link for the meeting.
Advocacy
Call for 2023 ODHA Award Nominations!
Do you have a colleague that is outstanding in the field of dental hygiene? Do you work with a dental partner who supports dental hygienists in an exemplary fashion? Please consider nominating him/her/them for an annual award!
The Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association has an Annual Awards Program that recognizes ODHA members & community partners who have demonstrated exemplary service, dedication & contributions to the dental hygiene profession in Oregon.
The Lynn Ironside Access to Care Award recognizes an ODHA member who has made a significant contribution to increasing access to dental care for underserved patients. This award was established by ODHA in 2016 to honor Lynn Ironside for her many years of work to increase access to care for underserved patients & to advance the dental hygiene profession. Lynn’s advocacy work with ODHA led to Oregon becoming one of the first states to create an opportunity for dental hygienists to practice without the supervision of a dentist so that they could increase access to dental care for underserved patients.
The Lois Whitford Outstanding Dental Hygienist Award recognizes an ODHA member who has made exceptional contributions to dental hygiene on the local, state, & national levels for an extended period of time, & who is known widely for their achievements & service. It is a prestigious award, which is presented only as warranted by the accomplishments of an Oregon dental hygienist.
The Outstanding Partner Award recognizes a community partner (agency, association, coalition, corporation, legislator, volunteer, etc.) who has worked in collaboration with the ODHA to advance the dental hygiene profession. Community partners are essential to achieving ODHA’s mission to provide advocacy, professional development & networking opportunities for dental hygienists & the dental hygiene profession.
For more information or to submit a nomination for any of these awards, visit our website HERE!
Awards nominations are due by October 16, 2023 and will be presented at the 2023 Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference (ODHC) to be held November 10 & 11, 2023. The awards program will be on Saturday, 11/11 from 12 - 1:30 pm during the conference. If you are not able to register to attend the conference but want to come support our award winners, please email [email protected] so we can get you registered just for the awards program.
Karen M Hall, RDH, EPDH
Advocacy Director
Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association
[email protected]
Membership Spotlight
Do you know an amazing ODHA member? Perhaps it’s you? We would love to spotlight an ODHA member each month in the newsletter! Email us contact information and we will do the rest. Please email Tracy Brunkhorst at [email protected] and put "Member Spotlight" in the subject line.
Oregon Board of Dentistry News
OBD will meet on the following Fridays of 2023:
| October 27 | |
| December 15 | |
| The Oregon Board of Dentistry will meet on Friday, October 27, 2023. This meeting will be both virtual and in-person (Board office located at 1500 SW 1st Avenue, Suite 770, Portland, OR 97201.) Anyone may participate in the Open Session portions of the Board meeting. The Agenda & Public Packet for Board Meetings are posted approximately one week before each meeting on the Board website at www.oregon.gov/dentistry. Scroll down to About Us and click on Meetings. The public packet is usually more than 200 pages in length. We recommend that you review this document online and only print pages if you need them. |
If you would like to participate in the Open Session of any board meeting, please contact ODHA Advocacy Director Karen Hall at [email protected] or more information.
Dental Hygiene License Renewal - Continuing Education Requirement
Dental Hygiene License Renewal Continuing Education Requirement
If you received your Oregon dental hygiene license during an ODD year, you will need to renew your license by September 30, 2023. Fortunately, ODHA offers most of the required courses needed for recertification, as well as other interesting courses. In the June newsletter, I accidentally wrote "even year."
Please refer to the newsletter and ODHA correspondence to learn about and sign up for as much of your CE as you can through your association!
To renew a dental hygiene license in Oregon you need to complete 24 hours of continuing education during every 2-year renewal cycle, or 36 hours of continuing education if you have an Expanded Practice Permit. Continuing Education must be related to clinical patient care or the practice of dental public health. Of your total hours of Continuing Education during each 2-year renewal cycle, 3 hours must be related to medical emergencies, 2 hours must be related to infection control and 2 hours must be related to cultural competency. No more than 2 hours of practice management or patient relations may be counted toward your continuing education requirement during a 2-year renewal cycle. Self-study Continuing Education such as correspondence courses & online courses may be counted if the course includes an examination & you pass the examination. There is no limit on how many hours self-study continuing education courses you can count toward your requirement.
You must maintain at all times current BLS for Healthcare Providers certificate or its equivalent. The initial CPR course must include a hands-on element. After the initial CPR certification, the Board will accept a BLS for Healthcare Providers or its equivalent online renewal course for recertification.
To renew a Nitrous Oxide Permit you must also complete 4 hours of continuing education in one or more of the following areas during every 2-year renewal cycle: sedation, nitrous oxide, physical evaluation, medical emergencies, monitoring & use of monitoring equipment, or pharmacology of drugs & agents used in sedation. This 4-hour continuing education requirement may be counted toward your total hours of required continuing education. Your BLS training hours may not be counted toward this 4-hour requirement.
For more information, go to www.oregon.gov/dentistry
Upcoming Events
Conferences:
40th Annual Oregon Rural Health Conference | October 11-13, 2023
Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Oregon - Registration will be live soon!
ODHA room block at Sunriver is open for business! Call 855-420-8206 for Sunriver Reservations and tell them you will be attending the Oregon Rural Health Conference.
We have a limited number of condos in our block, available on the nights of the 11th and 12th, and those have to be reserved by August 11, 2023.
We have more hotel rooms than condos, and those are available for the nights of the 10th, 11th, and 12th. That block expires on September 12, 2023.
We urge you to make your reservations early, because the block will fill up!
Of course, you can always make your own plans for Sunriver or nearby areas. Sunriver can help you book them, and then there are VRBO and Airbnb rentals available.
This conference will be held in person with limited numbers, preregistration for sessions, and socially distant seating arrangements to maximize the safety and comfort of all, and meet all safety requirements.
ODHA is an organizational member of the Oregon Rural Health Association. You do not need to be an individual member of the ORHA to attend or present at this conference. We encourage all dental hygienists to consider attending or presenting at the 2023 Oregon Rural Health Conference.
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79th OPHA Annual Conference & Meeting | October 16-17, 2023
Oregon State University - LaSells Stewart Center & CH2M Hill Alumni Center, Corvallis, OR
REGISTRATION OPEN
No refunds after September 16. Registration closes Thursday, October 12.
Highlights:
· Education: More than 80 presentations on key areas of public health, facilitated discussions to learn from your peers, and an interactive poster session.
· Networking: Connect with public health professionals and stakeholders from around the Northwest
· Association Awards: Join OPHA in recognizing Oregon's public health advocates and leaders.
· Professional Opportunities, Products and Services: Connect with OPHA Sponsors and visit the Exhibit Hall.
ADA Accessibility
ADA accommodation requests should be made by August 18 and directed to Jessica Coughlin, at [email protected]. More information here.
Interested in becoming a sponsor or exhibitor? SPONSOR PACKET - Questions? Contact: Fatima Herrera-Zarate
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2023 Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference | November 10-11, 2023
Salem Convention Center
Attendee registration opens on Monday, September 11
Sponsors and Exhibitors can contact us at [email protected] to get signed up now!
Our annual conference is growing and we are excited to move up to a bigger space in downtown Salem, that is even more centrally located for many of our members. The Salem Convention Center is a beautiful conference venue located in the heart of a thriving downtown with so much to see and do just steps from the front door of our headquarter hotel, the Grand Hotel. The Grand Hotel is just a few indoor steps away from our conference venue so we encourage you to book your room there at discounted conference rates and support the ODHC at the same time. You can find conference and hotel details HERE on the website and the link for attendee registration will be LIVE on the website on Monday, September 11.
Sponsors and Exhibitors can contact us at [email protected] to get signed up now!
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ODHA CE Sessions:
Medical Emergencies and Nitrous Oxide Sedation - with Dr. Beadnell | September 9, 2023
Portland Golf Club: 5900 Scholls Ferry Rd., Portland, OR 9722
In-person in Portland and also offered virtually via Zoom. | 8:00 am - 12:00 pm - we still have room for a few more people to join us on Saturday!
We are excited to have Steven W. Beadnell, DMD, FICD presenting Medical Emergencies for the ODHA. This four-hour course is appropriate for the entire dental team and meets the medical emergency education requirement of the Oregon Board of Dentistry for license renewal and anesthesia permits.
Medical emergencies can and do occur in dental practices every day. Over the next fifteen years the segment of the population at highest risk for medical emergencies, those 65 and older, will become a larger percentage of our patients. This course will discuss the diagnosis, prevention, and management of common medical emergencies that might occur in dental offices. Administration of nitrous oxide sedation is quite safe, but complications do occur and their recognition and management will be reviewed in this course.
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Social Events
PDX Oregon Oral Cancer Fundraiser | September 23, 2023
Help raise money for oral cancer research, public education and patient support. The Oral Cancer Walk is in Cook Park in Tigard. Registration opens at 7:45 am and the walk is at 8:45 am. Come visit ODHA at our table near Registration and say hello! Details can be found HERE.
Swan Island Dahlias | September 30, 2023
Join your RDH friends at the Dahlia Festival in Canby (995 NW 22nd Ave., Canby)! Admission is free and plan to meet at the entrance at 1:00 pm. More details on the event can be found HERE.
Spirit of Halloweentown | October 28, 2023
In October we'll be visiting the fun 'Witches Celebration and Brew Fest' in St. Helens! Admission is $45 + extra fees. Choose general admission when purchasing your ticket and plan to meet us at the entrance at 12:30 pm. More details on the event including purchasing tickets can be found HERE.
Oregon Garden Resort | December 9, 2023
Join us at the Silverton Christmas Market at the Oregon Garden Resort at 5 pm. Location is at 895 W. Main Street in Silverton and admission is $20 (adults), kids 6-12 are $8 and you can add on snowless tubing for $5-$9. Be sure to choose the 5 pm ticket option. More details on the event including purchasing tickets can be found HERE.
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Feedback Corner
Oregon's Health IT Strategic Plan - Your Input is Needed
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and Oregon’s Health IT Oversight Council (HITOC) are seeking input from communities, health care partners, and all partners interested in or impacted by health information technology (IT) as part of developing Oregon’s Strategic Plan for Health IT for 2024-2028. To gather input, we’d love to hear from you, and also ask that you share our announcement (link included below) with your network. More details can be found HERE.
The Strategic Plan provides high-level priorities for health IT over the next five years. It outlines the overall vision and the focus areas for partners across the health IT landscape in Oregon. The Strategic Plan is for everyone using or impacted by health IT in Oregon, and we are asking communities to help us understand what’s going well, what’s not, and what you want to see.
It’s critical we hear from our friends at the ODHA on HITOC’s developing strategies to help us understand what’s going well, what’s not, and what they want to see. We plan to hold two listening sessions and we also will accept your written input and public comment. We have compiled themes from the significant input received over the past few years. Again, we’d love for you to engage in these and we encourage you to please pass on the information below to your networks. Input can be provided by attending a virtual webinar, listening session or by emailing your comments to [email protected] before 10/1/23. Some examples of information to email them are: What health IT issues are important to you? What's working well? What needs to change? What should HITOC prioritize in the Strategic Plan? What do you think about HITOC's draft vision, principles, goals and strategies in development?
Please reach out to Hope Peskin-Shepherd ([email protected]) and Shannon Cengija ([email protected]) if you have any questions.
Click HERE for details on how you can participate in and provide your input via one of the ways listed above!
Accessing your ODHA CE Credits
- Go to the ODHA website: https://www.odha.org/
- At the top right of the page go to member login in the purple box
- Login with your ODHA account information (anyone who has registered for an ODHA event or CE course has made an account in the ODHA database)
- If you have forgotten your password, there is a password reset function you can use
- Once you are logged in you will see ‘Your CE Credits’ on the list of items under Quick Links on the right of the page
- You can print your CE from here!
If you need any help, please email [email protected] and we can help you with your account login information.
Membership Information
ODHA Membership Includes:
- CE Options (from Local Components and ADHA webinars - some at no charge!)
- Networking leading to career growth
- Outstanding education opportunities at the ODHA Annual Fall Conference
- Community volunteering opportunities
- Special ADHA Discounts
- Access Magazine
- Discounted Conferences
- And much more!
ADHA Institute for Oral Health
In collaboration with the American Dental Hygienists’ Association and through the generous support of our donors, the ADHA Institute for Oral Health provides thousands of dollars each year to advance the profession of dental hygiene through scholarships, research and service!
They work to:
- Develop dental hygienists’ access to educational programs through Scholarships
- Support advancements in the dental hygiene profession through Research Grants
- Empower dental hygienists to improve the public’s health through Community Service Grants
The ADHA Institute for Oral Health is an exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; EIN 36-3468143.
Donate to Institute for Oral Health
Thank you to our Annual Sponsor - Willamette Dental!
We've been fortunate to partner with Willamette Dental this year and we appreciate their support of our ODHA programs.
August
President's Message
To my dear dental family,
Let’s take a look into a quick recap of our National ADHA Convention in Chicago. For those that took the CHANCE on going this round, I thank you. We had an AWESOME turn out for Oregon this year and I had a very “momentous” time seeing familiar faces. We were absolutely spoiled with a beautiful venue and fun events sprinkled in and around our CE courses. You may have even found me shaking my hips as some of those young whipper snappers pulled me out on the dance floor. That’s what it’s all about though, making memories with long time colleagues and friends. We also had a fun dress up night for the President’s reception with a roaring 20’s theme. We had a roaring fun time alright, and I loved seeing the enthusiasm and effort that was put into this event! I would like to personally thank our sponsors from right here in Oregon and beyond to make this convention a major hit! Thank you ADHA, for making our 100th Birthday Party MOMENTOUS!!!
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If you have never been to a national convention, I would ask that you take this little seed that I’m dropping you and take the “chance” to go some time. I have felt that my common denominator after returning from a National ADHA experience is a feeling of empowerment. I learn so many things that motivate me to be a better person, and clinician, than I was before I left. Warning: It can be addicting! Here in Oregon our team is working on our Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference this fall in Salem. We are PUMPED to bring to YOU a “momentous’ experience as we TURN TOWARD TOMORROW and the next chapter unfolds for our beloved dental hygiene profession. Please watch for our link to sign up later this month. You won’t want to miss out on this year’s event!
We continue to celebrate our new grads this month across the state of Oregon, and our ODHA Future Leaders will be highlighted in our newsletter starting in September. Please reach out to congratulate them or maybe even consider mentorship. We as a membership provide support to all stages of practice.
Have you considered leadership? We are calling to fill our slate for our upcoming 2024 terms. Take a chance and join us, bring a colleague, it’s so fun when we can lead together. Strength in numbers!
It’s about that time again, and we are about to announce our fall schedules for Component’s CE and social events. Watch for the links to sign up, they will be released soon.
Fun Fact: It’s Tooth Fairy Day on August 22nd. Maybe, that would be a fun idea to do something in your offices? Who has those hygiene wings in your closet? Email your pictures to [email protected] for those of you who might take a “chance” on bringing a smile to many that day so we can share!
Hope you all enjoy this amazing month of August, we all can appreciate the sun and warmth, but stay COOL!
All my love to you,
Tracy Lynne Brunkhorst, RDH, EPDH, FADHA
President
Component News
North West
How can it be possible we have entered our last month of summer? These hot days take planning. Slathering on sunscreen and staying hydrated is a must! I speak from experience because I was one of the crazy people out in the 100 degree heat watching my nephew play soccer (how can kids do this and still have a blast??).
July was truly an exhilarating month for us at the ODHA. With all the collaboration, work, and planning our leadership puts forth for our organization, some time to have fun and bond with each other is vital.
That said, the ADHA 2023 Annual Conference in Chicago was a great opportunity for us to gather, grow, connect, and best of all, CELEBRATE the profession of dental hygiene! The conference was packed with courses carefully planned to enhance and increase our knowledge in dental related topics. The exhibit floor was full of relevant-to-hygiene outstanding products and vendors. We all walked away eager to try samples and bring new technology to our schools and offices. The technology utilized for the conference was top-notch making schedule planning, CE tracking, and downloads easy. The dining and evening entertainment was out of this world! From a scenic rooftop venue on the Navy Pier, to a downtown swanky nightclub, to a glitzy ballroom, our group celebrated and danced the night away. How blessed I am to be part of this bunch! If you are considering attending next year’s conference, I highly encourage it. The 2024 conference will be July 26-28 in New Orleans and I hope to see you there!
ODHA socializing and networking on a calmer scale happened here in Portland last month also. The social event at the Portland Art Museum, Guillermo del Toro: Crafting Pinocchio was delightful! The inventiveness and artistic scope that went into making the film came to life. How awesome it was to be immersed in its world with my dear RDH friends and colleagues. We have another social event coming up this month, a murder mystery dinner - hope you can join us!
Wishing you all a safe and happy remainder of the summer!
Warmly,
DeAnn Dardis, RDH, BSDH, EPP
North West Component Director
Metro East
Here’s hoping everyone is having a fantastic summer and staying cool!! I am so invigorated by attending my first ever ADHA meeting in Chicago last month! We had a fantastic time with hygienists from all over the nation, (and some from other parts of the world)! The camaraderie was palpable! Everyone smiled at everyone and made small talk in any situation as we do with our patients on a daily basis, getting to know each other and engaging! Every single one of us have so many common experiences and spending time with this group was so validating and uplifting. Also, it was so enriching and it felt like a vacation! Some major fun (and bonding) was definitely had! The next meeting is in New Orleans, July 26-28, 2024, plan on it!
Besides the social aspects, so much is being done in different states for our shared profession. Some states have done more than others. Oregon was mentioned in a couple of my classes as the ODHA has done so much for us here. However, the privileges we have, and the capacity of our roles as hygienists in Oregon can still be threatened, and that’s why your membership and involvement is so important for YOU, for us! There are happenings in states around Oregon that threaten our profession, and these are concerning. Our earned rights have to continue to be fought for to keep the profession of dental hygiene elevated and that’s why your continued membership and involvement is CRUCIAL at this time.
For anyone who has not checked out the scope of practice for dental assistants in Washington recently, navigate to the Washington Department of Health and click on 'scope of practice' to learn more about how assistants are able to take radiographs without certification and scale (even with an ultrasonic).
We can’t do this alone, so thank you to all of you RDH’s who step up and contribute every year to help ODHA keep our boots on the ground, representing all of us!
Heidi M. Klobes RDH, BSDH
Metro East Component Director
South West
Applications for Southwest Director are now OPEN. It's easy to do. All you have to be is a current ADHA member that lives in the Southwest corner of Oregon with the desire to plan more social activities and/or local CE. Turn your current Dental Hygienist connections into a lifeline of support through planning social and local CE with the help of ODHA leadership. Be a part of a team for all Oregon Hygienists! Email us at [email protected] to let us know of your interest.
Jamie Christianson, RDH
South West Component Director
Committee News
Professional Development
All members are welcome to join the Professional Development Committee. While we are getting ready for our first RDH retreat on August 19th and well into finalizing the details of the Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference in November, it's a great place to start learning what happens at our state's committee level to see if you would like to stick around for planning some of our 2024 events!
Our next Meeting Dates are via Zoom from 7 PM to 8 PM on August 8, 2023 and August 22, 2023.
Don't forget to email the Committee Chair, Jamie at [email protected] to make sure you get a meeting link.
The ODHA Professional Development Committee is excited to announce our first Oregon RDH Retreat. Join fellow hygienists as we all unwind and relax together on Saturday, August 19th starting at 9 AM at our ODHA President's retreat space in Boring, Oregon. This space is her personal home in the country. Come prepared for some fun! Get 2.5 CEUs when you learn about ways to prolong the life of your career with our keynote speaker Katrina Klein, RDH, CEO of ErgoFit Life, sponsored by LumaDent. There will also be plenty of social time to connect before and after the presentation at lunch with a special activity in the afternoon. Seating is limited and pre-registration is required. You can register at ODHA.org. The registration fee helps cover lunch and activity costs. Plus, don't miss your chance on getting your Ultradent goodie bag. Check out our Facebook page (OregonDHA) for other upcoming continuing education and social events. Can't wait to see you there!
Advocacy
Call for 2023 ODHA Award Nominations!
Do you have a colleague that is outstanding in the field of dental hygiene? Do you work with a dental partner who supports dental hygienists in an exemplary fashion? Please consider nominating him/her/them for an annual award!
The Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association has an annual awards program that recognizes ODHA members & community partners who have demonstrated exemplary service, dedication & contributions to the dental hygiene profession in Oregon.
The Lynn Ironside Access to Care Award recognizes an ODHA member who has made a significant contribution to increasing access to dental care for underserved patients. This award was established by ODHA in 2016 to honor Lynn Ironside for her many years of work to increase access to care for underserved patients & to advance the dental hygiene profession. Lynn’s advocacy work with ODHA led to Oregon becoming one of the first states to create an opportunity for dental hygienists to practice without the supervision of a dentist so that they could increase access to dental care for underserved patients.
The Lois Whitford Outstanding Dental Hygienist Award recognizes an ODHA member who has made exceptional contributions to dental hygiene on the local, state, & national levels for an extended period of time, & who is known widely for their achievements & service. It is a prestigious award, which is presented only as warranted by the accomplishments of an Oregon dental hygienist.
The Outstanding Partner Award recognizes a community partner (agency, association, coalition, corporation, legislator, volunteer, etc.) who has worked in collaboration with the ODHA to advance the dental hygiene profession. Community partners are essential to achieving ODHA’s mission to provide advocacy, professional development & networking opportunities for dental hygienists & the dental hygiene profession.
For more information or to submit a nomination for any of these awards, visit our website HERE!
Awards nominations are due by October 16, 2023 and will be presented at the 2023 Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference (ODHC) to be held November 10 & 11, 2023.
Karen M Hall, RDH, EPDH
Advocacy Director
Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association
[email protected]
Membership Spotlight
Do you know an outstanding ODHA member? Perhaps it’s you? We would love to spotlight an ODHA member each month in the newsletter! Email us contact information and we will do the rest. Please email Tracy Brunkhorst at [email protected] and put "Member Spotlight" in the subject line.
Oregon Board of Dentistry News
OBD will meet on the following Fridays of 2023:
| August 25 |
|
| October 27 | |
| December 15 |
The Oregon Board of Dentistry will meet on Friday, June 16, 2023. This meeting will be both virtual and in-person (Board office located at 1500 SW 1st Avenue, Suite 770, Portland, OR 97201.) Anyone may participate in the Open Session portions of the Board meeting.
The agenda & public packet for Board meetings are posted approximately one week before each meeting on the Board website at www.oregon.gov/dentistry. Scroll down to About Us and click on Meetings. The public packet is usually more than 200 pages in length. We recommend that you review this document online, and only print pages if you need them.
If you would like to participate in the Open Session of any board meeting, please contact ODHA Advocacy Director Karen Hall at [email protected] or more information.
Dental Hygiene License Renewal - Continuing Education Requirement
Dental Hygiene License Renewal Continuing Education Requirement
If you received your Oregon dental hygiene license during an ODD year, you will need to renew your license by September 30, 2023. Fortunately, ODHA offers most of the required courses needed for recertification, as well as other interesting courses. In the June newsletter, I accidentally wrote "even year."
Please refer to the newsletter and ODHA correspondence to learn about and sign up for as much of your CE as you can through your association!
To renew a dental hygiene license in Oregon you need to complete 24 hours of continuing education during every 2-year renewal cycle, or 36 hours of continuing education if you have an Expanded Practice Permit. Continuing education must be related to clinical patient care or the practice of dental public health. Of your total hours of continuing education during each 2-year renewal cycle, 3 hours must be related to medical emergencies, 2 hours must be related to infection control and 2 hours must be related to cultural competency. No more than 2 hours of practice management or patient relations may be counted toward your continuing education requirement during a 2-year renewal cycle. Self-study continuing education such as correspondence courses & online courses may be counted if the course includes an examination & you pass the examination. There is no limit on how many hours self-study continuing education courses you can count toward your requirement.
You must maintain at all times current BLS for Healthcare Providers certificate or its equivalent. The initial CPR course must include a hands-on element. After the initial CPR certification, the Board will accept a BLS for Healthcare Providers or its equivalent online renewal course for recertification.
To renew a Nitrous Oxide Permit you must also complete 4 hours of continuing education in one or more of the following areas during every 2-year renewal cycle: sedation, nitrous oxide, physical evaluation, medical emergencies, monitoring & use of monitoring equipment, or pharmacology of drugs & agents used in sedation. This 4-hour continuing education requirement may be counted toward your total hours of required continuing education. Your BLS train-ing hours may not be counted toward this 4-hour requirement.
For more information, go to www.oregon.gov/dentistry
ADHA’s Professional Fellow:
ADHA Professional Fellow is a lifetime designation. As an FADHA you represent exceptional achievement in our profession and have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in dental hygiene.
Congratulations to our ADHA Inaugural Fellows! Go OREGON! Learn more how you too can apply for Fellowship here.
Tracy Brunkhorst
Laura Vanderwerf
Karan Bershaw
Lori Killen Aus
Tina Clarke
Jessica August
Kelli Swanson Jaecks
Upcoming Events
Conferences:
40th Annual Oregon Rural Health Conference | October 11-13, 2023
Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Oregon - Registration will be live soon!
ODHA room block at Sunriver is open for business! Call 855-420-8206 for Sunriver Reservations and tell them you will be attending the Oregon Rural Health Conference.
We have a limited number of condos in our block, available on the nights of the 11th and 12th, and those have to be reserved by August 11, 2023.
We have more hotel rooms than condos, and those are available for the nights of the 10th, 11th, and 12th. That block expires on September 12, 2023.
We urge you to make your reservations early, because the block will fill up!
Of course, you can always make your own plans for Sunriver or nearby areas. Sunriver can help you book them, and then there are VRBO and Airbnb rentals available.
This conference will be held in person with limited numbers, preregistration for sessions, and socially distant seating arrangements to maximize the safety and comfort of all, and meet all safety requirements.
ODHA is an organizational member of the Oregon Rural Health Association. You do not need to be an individual member of the ORHA to attend or present at this conference. We encourage all dental hygienists to consider attending or presenting at the 2023 Oregon Rural Health Conference.
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79th OPHA Annual Conference & Meeting | October 16-17, 2023
Oregon State University - LaSells Steward Center & CH2M Hill Alumni Center, Corvallis, OR
REGISTRATION OPEN
No refunds after September 16 - Registration closes Thursday, October 12.
Highlights:
· Education: More than 80 presentations on key areas of public health, facilitated discussions to learn from your peers, and an interactive poster session.
· Networking: Connect with public health professionals and stakeholders from around the Northwest
· Association Awards: Join OPHA in recognizing Oregon's public health advocates and leaders.
· Professional Opportunities, Products and Services: Connect with OPHA Sponsors and visit the Exhibit Hall.
ADA Accessibility
ADA accommodation requests should be made by August 18 and directed to Jessica Coughlin, at [email protected]. More information here.
Interested in becoming a sponsor or exhibitor? SPONSOR PACKET - Questions? Contact: Fatima Herrera-Zarate
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2023 Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference | November 10-11, 2023
Salem Convention Center
Attendee registration opens later this month and Sponsors and Exhibitors can contact us at [email protected] to get signed up now!
Our annual conference is growing and we are excited to move up to a bigger space in downtown Salem, that is even more centrally located for many of our members this year. The Salem Convention Center is a beautiful conference venue located in the heart of a thriving downtown with so much to see and do just steps from the front door of our headquarter hotel, the Grand Hotel. The Grand Hotel is just a few indoor steps away from our conference venue so we encourage you to book your room there at discounted conference rates and support the ODHC at the same time. You can find initial details HERE on the website and attendee registration opens later this month!
Sponsors and Exhibitors can contact us at [email protected] to get signed up now!
ODHA CE Sessions:
Medical Emergencies and Nitrous Oxide Sedation - Update 2023 | September 9, 2023
In-person in Portland and also offered virtually via Zoom. | 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
We are excited to have Dr. Beadnell presenting Medical Emergencies for the ODHA. This four-hour course is appropriate for the entire dental team and meets the medical emergency education requirement of the Oregon Board of Dentistry for license renewal and anesthesia permits.
Medical emergencies can and do occur in dental practices every day. Over the next fifteen years the segment of the population at highest risk for medical emergencies, those 65 and older, will become a larger percentage of our patients. This course will discuss the diagnosis, prevention, and management of common medical emergencies that might occur in dental offices. Administration of nitrous oxide sedation is quite safe, but complications do occur and their recognition and management will be reviewed in this course.
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Social Events
Thanks to all who ran with us at the Bubble Run last weekend in Portland!
Dinner Detective Murder Mystery Show | August 12, 2023
Join us at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in Downtown Portland, 319 SW Pine Street for a unique true crime even set in the present day. The actors are not dressed in costume but rather are hidden in the audience! Grown up friends and family are welcome, more details can be found HERE. Note that you are with the party of DeAnn Dardis when you buy your tickets so we can all be seated together!
PDX Oregon Oral Cancer Fundraiser | September 23, 2023
Help raise money for oral cancer research, public education and patient support. The walk is in Cook Park in Tigard. Registration opens at 7:45 am and the walk is at 8:45 am. Come visit ODHA at our table near registration and say hello! Details can be found HERE.
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Student Corner
Hygiene Student Research Request
Katherine Wise, RDH, is pursuing a Master of Science at Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene, MCPHS University and in partial fulfillment of this degree, she is conducting survey research. Her research study is on this topic: Preretirement Preparation Behaviors And Factors Related To Retirement Planning By Dental Hygienists. You will not be asked for any identifying information and all responses will be anonymous.
You are eligible to participate in the survey if you meet the following requirements: are a dental hygienist whose primary professional work role is related to oral health (e.g., academia, research, policy/advocacy, administration/management, clinician, corporate, or entrepreneur), able to read English, age 18 years or older, and able to access and complete a web-based survey.
TAKE THE SURVEY
This research has been approved by the MCPHS Institutional Review Board and assigned protocol #IRB-2022-2023-134.
Accessing your ODHA CE Credits
- Go to the ODHA website: https://www.odha.org/
- At the top right of the page go to member login in the purple box
- Login with your ODHA account information (anyone who has registered for an ODHA event or CE course has made an account in the ODHA database)
- If you have forgotten your password, there is a password reset function you can use
- Once you are logged in you will see ‘Your CE Credits’ on the list of items under Quick Links on the right of the page
- You can print your CE from here!
If you need any help, please email [email protected] and we can help you with your account login information.
Membership Information
ODHA Membership Includes:
- CE Options (from Local Components and ADHA webinars - some at no charge!)
- Networking leading to career growth
- Outstanding education opportunities at the ODHA Annual Fall Conference
- Community volunteering opportunities
- Special ADHA Discounts
- Access Magazine
- Discounted conferences
- And much more!
ADHA Institute for Oral Health
In collaboration with the American Dental Hygienists’ Association and through the generous support of our donors, the ADHA Institute for Oral Health provides thousands of dollars each year to advance the profession of dental hygiene through scholarships, research and service!
They work to:
- Develop dental hygienists’ access to educational programs through Scholarships
- Support advancements in the dental hygiene profession through Research Grants
- Empower dental hygienists to improve the public’s health through Community Service Grants
The ADHA Institute for Oral Health is an exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; EIN 36-3468143.
Donate to Institute for Oral Health
Thank you to our Annual Sponsor - Willamette Dental!
We've been fortunate to partner with Willamette Dental this year and we appreciate their support of our ODHA programs.
JULY
President's Message
Dear valued membership,
Ann Battrell, CEO of the ADHA, was sadly lost to us this past month. She was a force in our industry and will be sorely missed by all. A pillar in our community who set an example of an extraordinary foundational skillset. Please, keep her memory in the forefront as we continue to carry her legacy forward in all forms leadership. We thank you Ann, for your dedication and generosity of passion for our profession. Never forgotten. On behalf of ODHA, we put our arms around your family in this time of loss.
July is a fantastic month in the world of dental hygiene as we celebrate ADHA’s 100 years of leadership of oral health, from 1923 to 2023! Wow, this is an epic accomplishment, and I am so excited to celebrate this at our national conference in Chicago. Hope to see many of you there! I hope you took the CHANCE to expand your borders and see what 2023 leadership has in store for us. I want to give a huge shout out to Oregon for signing up for national conference. Currently we are in 3rd place for the top prize in our state competition. I am proud to say we made it in the top three!
I personally invite you to check out our calendar and join in on all the fun we have going on around the metro area. So far, we have painted at the Twist, tip toed through the tulips at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm, learned the art of wine making at the Ponzi Vineyards and visited the Portland Art Museum and took in the Crafting Pinocchio exhibit. Coming up this month we are all going to be doing our jig at the Bubble Run in Portland, sign up quick so you don’t miss out on the fun. Stay tuned for our fall schedule. We will be launching our first inaugural RDH Retreat in August, be looking for a save the date soon. Don’t miss this opportunity for some CE and pampering! Salem will be hosting our fall conference in November. As you can see, we have lots of options for connecting with each other, reach out, grab a friend and we look forward to seeing you!
Ann’s passing made me reflect. I looked back over her accomplishments, and it humbled me to read about her fire and passion for dental hygiene. She took a CHANCE on being an innovator and influencer. We are calling for carbon copies of the examples that have been set before us. If you are considering leadership, we would love to have you. If you haven’t plugged into your local component, I am calling you back into activity. We have strength in numbers, and we are gaining progressive momentum. I hope our payoff is in smiles!!
I thank those of you who have taken that CHANCE so far this year.
Working on your behalf.
Love you all~
Tracy Lynne Brunkhorst
President
Component News
North West
Happy July ODHA friends!
Summer is upon us! Like most of you I am wanting to squeeze every moment of sunshine into my day. Walking outside, watching tomatoes grow, corn-on-the-cob, strawberries…even running errands is more fun when the sun is out!
So much is happening in the ODHA. What an honor it is to see first-hand our Advocacy Committee work diligently to increase our scope of practice. I am proud to hear members of our Professional Development Committee plan top-notch continuing education courses. I feel truly blessed to be part of the leadership team. I must confess, I did not see myself in this role in the not-so-distant past. Now, I am amazed at how fast this year is going and I look forward to more years of involvement. That said, if you have even the slightest interest in ODHA leadership, reach out and ask questions. If I can do it, so can you!
Metro East Director, Heidi Klobes, opened her lovely home to us for our recent ODHA Strategic Planning Meeting. We had an inspiring morning cooking up new ideas, and enjoying a delicious feast!
Be sure to check the ODHA Facebook page for information on upcoming events and to see photos of previous activities. We are always up to something! Speaking of that, next up is our social event at the Portland Art Museum. Spending time with colleagues at our social events is a great way to see what professional opportunities are out there. Are you curious about venturing into a new avenue of the dental hygiene profession? Would you like to get to know dental hygiene educators and public health program developers? Networking is vital to professional growth. Come make some new friends!
Register for summer social events here.
Coming soon: Fall and Winter Social Event Calendar.
Another fantastic opportunity to network is the ADHA conference coming up in in just a few days! We are hoping to get all the Oregon delegates together so if you haven't told us you are headed to the conference, please email [email protected] and we will share our get together plans with you. We look forward to seeing everyone in Chicago for our 100-year birthday!
Warmly,
DeAnn Dardis, RDH, BSDH, EPP
North West Component Director
Metro East
Hello RDH’s!
We’re hoping everyone is having a fantastic summer!!! Graduation has been such an exciting time for the next generation of dental hygienists! Both seasoned and new professionals are looking forward to some time to go outside of their routine and spend some time with family and friends relaxing or exploring, or both!
Even though most of us are lucky enough to have the coveted 4-day work week (or less!), hygiene is HARD on a body and mind when we are focusing on caring for each patient (after patient, after patient) every day. I hope you can carve out some time to relax this summer, whether it be a trip to Europe or lying in your backyard reading a good book in the sunshine with some lemonade! Gearing up for the busy fall and getting back to routine with the kiddos (if you have them) is going to require a brain-break this summer!
Also, Be sure to check out our social events on ODHA.org for the summer as well as High Desert is organizing a fun retreat!
Something to make note of before too long is marking your calendars for the coveted Medical Emergencies CE which we are offering only in September with Dr. Steve Beadnell at the Portland Golf Club (with continental breakfast and coffee). It will be worth 4 credits and will cover the required CE for those who have their nitrous permits as well. There will be a virtual option though I highly recommend attending in-person. As many of you know, Dr. Beadnell is a fun speaker and having breakfast at the Golf club with friends sounds like a fun way to spend a Saturday!
Until August, be well and soak in that vitamin D while you can!
Warmly,
Heidi M. Klobes RDH, BSDH
Metro East Component Director
South West
It's been very quiet in our part of Oregon in 2023. While activities have been planned such as a few Hike-n-lunch and a group viewing sessions for Cultural Competency, response has been super low this year. So, I am ready to pass the baton to another member to see if they can get the flame lit again with local membership. I am looking for members that might help get our component active again through planning and leading our local component activities. Local leaders have support of the full state leadership and a great group to be a part of for sure. If interested in volunteering in a more leadership type of position, email me at [email protected] with "I can help out" in the subject line. Then tell me how you like to help out and what positions (Chair, Secretary, Director) that you like at the local level. We are in need of a new Southwest Director starting in November as I have completed my term.
Jamie Christianson RDH
South West Component Director
Committee News
Professional Development
The Professional Development Committee is still going strong planning activities for members and students the remainder of the year and moving forward to planning 2024. Any member can participate in these meetings. Just give the chair an email at [email protected] to be added to the email list to get zoom link info.
Our next meeting dates via Zoom will be July 11 & July 25 from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
ODHA professional development committee is excited to announce our First Oregon RDH Retreat. Join fellow hygienists as we all unwind and relax together on Saturday, August 19th starting at 9 AM at our ODHA President's retreat space in Boring, Oregon. This space is her personal home in the country. Come prepared for some fun! Get 2.5 CEUs when you learn about ways to prolong the life of your career with our keynote speaker Katrina Klein, RDH, CEO of ErgoFit Life, sponsored by LumaDent. There will also be plenty of social time to connect before and after the presentation at lunch with a special activity in the afternoon. Seating is limited and early registration is encouraged. You can register at ODHA.org. The registration fee is there to help cover lunch and activity costs. Plus, don't miss your chance on getting your Ultradent goodie bag. All attendees have a chance to win a $100 gift card! Space is limited so please sign up today to join us for what will surely be an amazing day! Also, check out ODHA's Facebook page for updates on this event and other upcoming continuing education and social events. Can't wait to see you there!
Advocacy
Call for 2023 ODHA Award Nominations
Do you have a colleague that is outstanding in the field of dental hygiene? Do you work with a dental partner who supports dental hygienists in an exemplary fashion? Please consider nominating him/her/them for an annual award!
The Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association has an annual awards program that recognizes ODHA members & community partners who have demonstrated exemplary service, dedication & contributions to the dental hygiene profession in Oregon.
The Lynn Ironside Access to Care Award recognizes an ODHA member who has made a significant contribution to increasing access to dental care for underserved patients. This award was established by ODHA in 2016 to honor Lynn Ironside for her many years of work to increase access to care for underserved patients & to advance the dental hygiene profession. Lynn’s advocacy work with ODHA led to Oregon becoming one of the first states to create an opportunity for dental hygienists to practice without the supervision of a dentist so that they could increase access to dental care for underserved patients.
The Lois Whitford Outstanding Dental Hygienist Award recognizes an ODHA member who has made exceptional contributions to dental hygiene on the local, state, & national levels for an extended period of time, & who is known widely for their achievements & service. It is a prestigious award, which is presented only as warranted by the accomplishments of an Oregon dental hygienist.
The Outstanding Partner Award recognizes a community partner (agency, association, coalition, corporation, legislator, volunteer, etc.) who has worked in collaboration with the ODHA to advance the dental hygiene profession. Community partners are essential to achieving ODHA’s mission to provide advocacy, professional development & networking opportunities for dental hygienists & the dental hygiene profession.
For more information or to submit a nomination for any of these awards, click on https://www.odha.org/rdh-and-industry-awards. Awards nominations are due by October 16, 2023 and will be presented at the 2023 Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference (ODHC) to be held November 10 & 11, 2023.
Karen M Hall, RDH, EPDH
Advocacy Director
Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association
[email protected]
Membership Spotlight
Do you know an outstanding ODHA member? Perhaps it’s you? We would love to spotlight an ODHA member each month in the newsletter! Email us contact information and we will do the rest. Please email Tracy Brunkhorst at [email protected] and put "Member Spotlight" in the subject line.
Oregon Board of Dentistry News
OBD will meet on the following Fridays of 2023:
| August 25 |
|
| October 27 | |
| December 15 |
The Oregon Board of Dentistry will meet on Friday, June 16, 2023. This meeting will be both virtual and in-person (Board office located at 1500 SW 1st Avenue, Suite 770, Portland, OR 97201.) Anyone may participate in the Open Session portions of the Board meeting.
The agenda & public packet for Board meetings are posted approximately one week before each meeting on the Board website at www.oregon.gov/dentistry. Scroll down to About Us and click on Meetings. The public packet is usually more than 200 pages in length. We recommend that you review this document online, and only print pages if you need them.
If you would like to participate in the Open Session of any board meeting, please contact ODHA Advocacy Director Karen Hall at [email protected] or more information.
Dental Hygiene License Renewal - Continuing Education Requirement
Dental Hygiene License Renewal Continuing Education Requirement (correction from May newsletter)
If you received your Oregon dental hygiene license during an ODD year, you will need to renew your license by September 30, 2023. Fortunately, ODHA offers most of the required courses needed for recertification, as well as other interesting courses. In the last newsletter, I accidentally wrote "even year."
Please refer to the newsletter and ODHA correspondence to learn about and sign up for as much of your CE as you can through your association!
To renew a dental hygiene license in Oregon you need to complete 24 hours of continuing education during every 2-year renewal cycle, or 36 hours of continuing education if you have an Expanded Practice Permit. Continuing education must be related to clinical patient care or the practice of dental public health. Of your total hours of continuing education during each 2-year renewal cycle, 3 hours must be related to medical emergencies, 2 hours must be related to infection control and 2 hours must be related to cultural competency. No more than 2 hours of practice management or patient relations may be counted toward your continuing education requirement during a 2-year renewal cycle. Self-study continuing education such as correspondence courses & online courses may be counted if the course includes an examination & you pass the examination. There is no limit on how many hours self-study continuing education courses you can count toward your requirement.
You must maintain at all times current BLS for Healthcare Providers certificate or its equivalent. The initial CPR course must include a hands-on element. After the initial CPR certification, the Board will accept a BLS for Healthcare Providers or its equivalent online renewal course for recertification.
To renew a Nitrous Oxide Permit you must also complete 4 hours of continuing education in one or more of the following areas during every 2-year renewal cycle: sedation, nitrous oxide, physical evaluation, medical emergencies, monitoring & use of monitoring equipment, or pharmacology of drugs & agents used in sedation. This 4-hour continuing education requirement may be counted toward your total hours of required continuing education. Your BLS training hours may not be counted toward this 4-hour requirement.
For more information, click on www.oregon.gov/dentistry
Dennis Muir Scholarship Recipients
For only the second time in 34 years, the Dennis Muir Scholarship Committee is awarding TWO scholarships. It is with great pleasure that the Committee announces Karey Mesa from Lane Community College and Estivali Carrillo of Pacific University as the 2023 awardees of the Denis Muir Scholarship.
The Award of Excellence goes to Sophia Pakhnyuk of Mt. Hood Community College, Heather Wilson of OIT, Chemeketa Campus, and Chloe Duncan of Portland Community College.
Congratulations to all winners!
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Submitted by Sue Sanzi-Schaedel
Upcoming Events
Conferences:
40th Annual Oregon Rural Health Conference | October 11-13, 2023
Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Oregon
This conference will be held in person with limited numbers, preregistration for sessions, and socially distant seating arrangements to maximize the safety and comfort of all, and meet all safety requirements.
ODHA is an organizational member of the Oregon Rural Health Association. You do not need to be an individual member of the ORHA to attend or present at this conference. We encourage all dental hygienists to consider attending or presenting at the 2023 Oregon Rural Health Conference.
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79th OPHA Annual Conference & Meeting | October 16-17, 2023
Corvallis, Oregon
The Oregon Public Health Association invites proposals for the 79th OPHA Annual Conference & Meeting. Abstract submissions will be accepted May 1 through June 14, 2023. Abstracts addressing all public health topics are welcome and we encourage presenters to make connections between research, policy, and practice.
OPHA values diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice. We seek a diversity of abstract submissions that will provide learning opportunities from not only our academic and governmental colleagues, but also individuals from an array of racial and ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities, and with lived experience. We invite abstracts that will support improved public health practice.
TYPES OF ABSTRACT SUBMISSION FORMATS
Breakout sessions are 75 minutes in length allowing time for questions, answers, and audience discussion. Space for individual oral presentations and panel discussions is limited.
- Individual Oral Presentation: Oral presentations are 10-12 minutes in length. Three presentations, grouped by themes, will be delivered in each breakout session. Additional time will be allotted by a session moderator for Q&A and discussion. Oral presentations should appeal to a wide public health audience and preference is given to abstracts that include results/outcomes with public health implications.
- Poster: Posters are visual presentations displayed on 8’ x 4’ bulletin boards. The poster session is scheduled for Monday, October 16. Student posters will be entered in the Stu-dent Poster Contest* and the winner will be announced on Tuesday, October 17 as part of the Awards Presentations. Poster presentations create opportunity for dialogue, feed-back, and shared learning between the presenter(s) and attendees. Posters also give attendees time to learn at their own pace.
*The Student Poster Contest is open to current students and students who submitted abstracts prior to graduation and are now new professionals (graduated within 6 months of conference).
- Panel Discussion: A panel discussion (75-minute program session) includes a moderator and/or discussant and up to three panelists/presentations (maximum four presenters). Due to time constraints, only a limited number of panel discussions will be accepted. Submit an overview abstract describing the overall purpose/theme of the panel and a minimum of three separate abstracts, one for each panelist.
NOTE: Panel submissions will only be considered if an overview abstract AND separate abstracts for each presentation are submitted. Panel discussions will be selected if sufficiently dis-tinct content is provided by each presenter to justify a full panel discussion.
REMINDER You do not need to be a member of OPHA to present at the conference. However, presenters selected through the abstract submission process for individual oral presentations, break out panel discussions and posters must register for the conference, which includes payment. No exceptions will be made. Registration opens June 1.
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2023 Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference | November 10-11, 2023
Salem Convention Center
Watch your email for more details and registration coming soon!
Read More
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ODHA CE Sessions:
ODHA RDH Retreat | August 19, 2023
Boring, Oregon
9 am - 2 pm
Join us for this fun first-time Oregon RDH retreat at President Tracy Brunkhorst's house in beautiful Boring, Oregon where Mt. Hood will be our backdrop for the day. We will begin our day with a morning mingle time to connect with other RDH's, then hear an inspiring talk by Katrina Klein about Dental Career Longevity (2.5 hours CE) along with some other wellness activities added in for a special day together. Thank you to our sponsors, Ultradent and LumaDent, who will be there for us to try on their new ErgoPrism loops.
Medical Emergencies and Nitrous Oxide Sedation | September 9, 2023
Portland, Oregon
8 am - 12 pm
Medical emergencies can and do occur in dental practices every day. Over the next fifteen years the segment of hte population at highest risk for medical emergencies, those 65 and older, will become a larger percentage of our patients. This course will discuss the diagnosis, prevention, and management of common medical emergencies that might occur in dental offices. Administration of nitrous oxide sedation is quite safe, but complications do occur and their recognition and management will be reviewed in this course. This four-hour course meets the medical emergency education requirement of the Oregon Board of Dentistry for license renewal and anesthesia permits.
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Social Events
Bubble Run | July 29, 2023
Join ODHA President Tracy Brunkhorst and Immediate Past President Laura Vanderwerf at this summer's Bubble Run at the Portland International Raceway, 1940 N. Victory Blvd., Portland 97217! Cost is $14 +fees. Join ODHA's team and enjoy a fun time socializing with hygiene friends.
Join the Team Here!
PDX Oregon Oral Cancer Fundraiser Walk | September 23, 2023
Help raise money for oral cancer research, public education and patient support. The walk is in Cook Park in Tigard. Registration opens at 7:45 am and the walk is at 8:45 am. Come visit ODHA at our table near registration and say hello! Details can be found here on the ODHA website.
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Student Corner
Hygiene Student Research Request
Katherine Wise, RDH, is pursuing a Master of Science at Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene, MCPHS University and in partial fulfillment of this degree, she is conducting survey research. Her research study is on this topic: Preretirement Preparation Behaviors And Factors Related To Retirement Planning By Dental Hygienists. You will not be asked for any identifying information and all responses will be anonymous.
You are eligible to participate in the survey if you meet the following requirements: are a dental hygienist whose primary professional work role is related to oral health (e.g., academia, research, policy/advocacy, administration/management, clinician, corporate, or entrepreneur), able to read English, age 18 years or older, and able to access and complete a web-based survey.
TAKE THE SURVEY
This research has been approved by the MCPHS Institutional Review Board and assigned protocol #IRB-2022-2023-134.
Accessing your ODHA CE Credits
- Go to the ODHA website: https://www.odha.org/
- At the top right of the page go to member login in the purple box
- Login with your ODHA account information (anyone who has registered for an ODHA event or CE course has made an account in the ODHA database)
- If you have forgotten your password, there is a password reset function you can use
- Once you are logged in you will see ‘Your CE Credits’ on the list of items under Quick Links on the right of the page
- You can print your CE from here!
If you need any help, please email [email protected] and we can help you with your account login information.
Membership Information
ODHA Membership Includes:
- CE Options (from Local Components and ADHA webinars - some at no charge!)
- Networking leading to career growth
- Outstanding education opportunities at the ODHA Annual Fall Conference
- Community volunteering opportunities
- Special ADHA Discounts
- Access Magazine
- Discounted conferences
- And much more!
Oregon Career Center
Visit the ODHA Career Center to find out about recent job openings like these:
Dental Hygienist
Pahls Family Dentistry in Coquille
View job here: ODHA Career Center (mcjobboard.net)
Willamette Dental Group in Salem
View job here: ODHA Career Center (mcjobboard.net)
Sign up for job alerts or Post a job
ADHA Institute for Oral Health
In collaboration with the American Dental Hygienists’ Association and through the generous support of our donors, the ADHA Institute for Oral Health provides thousands of dollars each year to advance the profession of dental hygiene through scholarships, research and service!
They work to:
- Develop dental hygienists’ access to educational programs through Scholarships
- Support advancements in the dental hygiene profession through Research Grants
- Empower dental hygienists to improve the public’s health through Community Service Grants
The ADHA Institute for Oral Health is an exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; EIN 36-3468143.
Donate to Institute for Oral Health
Thank you to our Sponsor!
We've been fortunate to partner with Willamette Dental this year.
June 2023
President's Message
Hello June! Bring on summer vacations and family gatherings! My wish is for all of you to have so much fun this summer!
My sincerest congratulations to our Graduates of 2023!! Let me tell you a little bit about the ODHA Future Leadership Award. The ODHA Future Leader Award recognizes the next generation of leaders in the dental hygiene profession. This award is presented each year to one graduating student from each of the accredited dental hygiene programs in Oregon. Award recipients are nominated by their faculty based on their potential to pursue leadership roles in our professional association. I am honored to be able to travel around and personally present this award to that student who has worked so hard to achieve this honorable award. This year, we are proud to have these valued students join us at our annual conference so we can highlight and celebrate them! Were you a recipient of this award? We would love to have all our alumni recipients present as well. Do you have a graduate this year? This is a shining month for many families who have reached that finish line of education. Encourage our youth to seek out mentorship. ODHA leadership is here to help. Our association is a place to thrive and advance in your career.
ADHA conference is coming up in July, if you have questions or are considering registering, don’t feel shy to reach out and take that CHANCE to join us in CHICAGO! Our 100-year birthday party will be a once in a lifetime event!
Membership, we love and appreciate you, please stay close to us by checking out our social calendars and join us for CE or just plain fun! IF, you have any suggestions for our Association or questions for our ODHA Board of Directors, please, reach out to me anytime we would love to hear from you!
Love you all~
Tracy Lynne Brunkhorst
President
Component News
Metro East
Hello RDH’s!
This year is going by FAST! Can you believe it’s already halfway over??!
I can’t believe I’ve been Metro East Director for half of my term already! It’s been quite the learning experience to organize events and bring people together as well as make new supportive friends within leadership!
Some of you reading may think, “I don’t have time for ANY of that”, but I did say the same thing to myself at first and ended up finding it very manageable! I work part-time in education, part-time in grad-school and full time as a Mama! I truly enjoy having so much purpose in my life and invite anyone to reach out to me if you have any questions or would like to join a meeting or even meet up for a coffee! I thrive on connection and would love to share! I also want to say that being the Metro East Director is truly an honor.
Along with the North West Component, we have organized some great socials (and still have more!) as well as some very helpful CE to help us improve ourselves both professionally and personally as well as attain our required CE for our licensure. Post-pandemic, we really hope that we are bringing forth exciting opportunities for the members we represent.
We are gearing up for the conference in the Fall (November 10-11) and this year the Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference will be held in Salem! Until then, I look forward to seeing you at one of our events!
Enjoy the SUNSHINE!!!
Heidi M. Klobes RDH, BSDH
Metro East Component Director
South West
Congratulations to the class of 2023 at the Dental Hygiene Students at Lane Community College! As the ODHA South West Component Director, I wish you all a happy and successful new career as a dental hygienist. I also invite seasoned hygienists who may want to help mentor either senior students or recent graduates to contact me at our component email for more information.
Wanting something more out of your ADHA membership? Think Leadership! The South West Director is looking for more social and creative individual members that want to give leadership a try on the local level. Open leadership positions include Component Chair and Component Secretary. The South West Director position will be available starting in November right after the annual conference. If interested in being more involved with the South West Component, please email Jamie Christianson, South West Director '21-'23, at [email protected] with any questions you may have.
More details on being an ODHA leader can be found here on the ODHA website.
Jamie Christianson RDH
South West Component Director
High Desert
At last, summer has made it! With sunshine, comes a higher risk of oral and skin cancer. It is important that we be mindful of ourselves and remind our patients how to reduce risk. Exposure to ultraviolet rays (UV) can be very harmful, meaning one of the simplest ways to reduce this risk is by limiting your UV exposure. Sun protection factor (SPF) should be used at all times of exposure. Lip balm containing at least SPF 30 and wearing a wide brimmed hat to shade the face will also reduce risk. Enjoy your fun in the sun, safely!
Thanks!
Sierra Schipper, BS, RDH
High Desert Component Director
Committee News
The Professional Development Committee is excited to be organizing the final details of our first Oregon RDH Retreat set for August 19 at the house of President Tracy Brunkhorst in Boring. This 6-hour event will include a talk from Katrina Klein on Career Longevity tips and meeting with a group of hygienists for great food, wine and yoga. We will also have a chair giveaway and our event sponsor, LumaDent, will also be there for us to try on their new ErgoPrism loops.
The 2023 Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference: Turning Towards Tomorrow is a two day in-person event on November 10 & 11 at the Salem Convention Center. Our speaker lineup is looking great with several local speakers as well as national speakers like Lancette VanGuilder who will be speaking on artificial intelligence in dentistry and the RDH role in vaccinations like HPV. Student and social activities are also being planned throughout the conference.
So far in 2023, ODHA has hosted cultural competency (in April) and infection control (in May) available to our members through in-person and live online access to these required classes. Stay tuned by checking the ODHA calendar for the remaining required classes, Medical Emergencies and Nitrous Update, which are scheduled for you before your September 30 renewal date.
Professional Development Committee Meetings:
June 6, 7:00pm to 8:30pm via Zoom
June 20, 7:00pm to 8:30pm via Zoom
As always, if you are a member and would like to know more about what goes into planning statewide events, you're welcome to join us at our committee meetings. Please just email our chair, Jamie Christianson, at [email protected] if you are interested in attending to get the Zoom link.
Advocacy
ADHA continues to advocate for dental benefits in Medicaid. Iowa became the first state to authorize the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact on April 27, 2023. Washington was the second state to authorize it, and it was signed into law by the Oregon Governor on May 4, 2023. Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Kansas, and Minnesota also introduced the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact, and we are still waiting on the outcomes. Ann Lynch has stayed involved with the Council on State Governments regarding the Compact licensure, and wrote a letter to Senator Bernie Sanders and Senator Bill Cassidy to submit recommendations regarding acknowledging dental therapy in the Public Health Service Act, provide money to dental therapy training programs, allow dental therapy faculty to be eligible for Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program and more.
Contact OPHA Program Committee Chair, Marie Harvey.
Karen M Hall, RDH, EPDH
Advocacy Director
Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association
[email protected]
Membership Spotlight
Do you know an outstanding ODHA member? Perhaps it’s you? We would love to spotlight an ODHA member each month in the newsletter! Email us contact information and we will do the rest. Please email Tracy Brunkhorst at [email protected] and put "Member Spotlight" in the subject line.
Oregon Board of Dentistry News
OBD will meet on the following Fridays of 2023:
| June 16 | October 27 |
| August 25 | December 15 |
The Oregon Board of Dentistry will meet on Friday, June 16, 2023. This meeting will be both virtual and in-person (Board office located at 1500 SW 1st Avenue, Suite 770, Portland, OR 97201.) Anyone may participate in the Open Session portions of the Board meeting.
The agenda & public packet for Board meetings are posted approximately one week before each meeting on the Board website at www.oregon.gov/dentistry. Scroll down to About Us and click on Meetings. The public packet is usually more than 200 pages in length. We recommend that you review this document online, and only print pages if you need them.
If you would like to participate in the Open Session of any board meeting, please contact ODHA Advocacy Director Karen Hall at [email protected] or more information.
Dental Hygiene License Renewal - Continuing Education Requirement
If you received your Oregon dental hygiene license during an even year, you will need to renew your license by September 30, 2023. Fortunately, ODHA offers most of the required courses needed for recertification, as well as other interesting courses.
To renew a dental hygiene license in Oregon you need to complete 24 hours of continuing education during every 2-year renewal cycle, or 36 hours of continuing education if you have an Expanded Practice Permit. Continuing education must be related to clinical patient care or the practice of dental public health. Of your total hours of continuing education during each 2-year renewal cycle, 3 hours must be related to medical emergencies, 2 hours must be related to infection control and 2 hours must be related to cultural competency. No more than 2 hours of practice management or patient relations may be counted toward your continuing education requirement during a 2-year renewal cycle. Self-study continuing education such as correspondence courses & online courses may be counted if the course includes an examination & you pass the examination. There is no limit on how many hours self-study continuing education courses you can count toward your requirement.
You must maintain at all times current BLS for Healthcare Providers certificate or its equivalent. The initial CPR course must include a hands-on element. After the initial CPR certification, the Board will accept a BLS for Healthcare Providers or its equivalent online renewal course for recertification.
To renew a Nitrous Oxide Permit you must also complete 4 hours of continuing education in one or more of the following areas during every 2-year renewal cycle: sedation, nitrous oxide, physical evaluation, medical emergencies, monitoring & use of monitoring equipment, or pharmacology of drugs & agents used in sedation. This 4-hour continuing education requirement may be counted toward your total hours of required continuing education. Your BLS train-ing hours may not be counted toward this 4-hour requirement.
For more information, click on www.oregon.gov/dentistry
Upcoming Events
Conferences:
40th Annual Oregon Rural Health Conference | October 11-13, 2023
Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Oregon
This conference will be held in person with limited numbers, preregistration for sessions, and socially distant seating arrangements to maximize the safety and comfort of all, and meet all safety requirements.
ODHA is an organizational member of the Oregon Rural Health Association. You do not need to be an individual member of the ORHA to attend or present at this conference. We encourage all dental hygienists to consider attending or presenting at the 2023 Oregon Rural Health Conference.
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79th OPHA Annual Conference & Meeting | October 16-17, 2023
Corvallis, Oregon
The Oregon Public Health Association invites proposals for the 79th OPHA Annual Conference & Meeting. Abstract submissions will be accepted May 1 through June 14, 2023. Abstracts addressing all public health topics are welcome and we encourage presenters to make connec-tions between research, policy, and practice.
OPHA values diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice. We seek a diversity of abstract submissions that will provide learning opportunities from not only our academic and governmental colleagues, but also individuals from an array of racial and ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities, and with lived experience. We invite abstracts that will support improved public health practice.
TYPES OF ABSTRACT SUBMISSION FORMATS
Breakout sessions are 75 minutes in length allowing time for questions, answers, and audience discussion. Space for individual oral presentations and panel discussions is limited.
- Individual Oral Presentation: Oral presentations are 10-12 minutes in length. Three presentations, grouped by themes, will be delivered in each breakout session. Additional time will be allotted by a session moderator for Q&A and discussion. Oral presentations should appeal to a wide public health audience and preference is given to abstracts that include results/outcomes with public health implications.
- Poster: Posters are visual presentations displayed on 8’ x 4’ bulletin boards. The poster session is scheduled for Monday, October 16. Student posters will be entered in the Stu-dent Poster Contest* and the winner will be announced on Tuesday, October 17 as part of the Awards Presentations. Poster presentations create opportunity for dialogue, feed-back, and shared learning between the presenter(s) and attendees. Posters also give attendees time to learn at their own pace.
*The Student Poster Contest is open to current students and students who submitted abstracts prior to graduation and are now new professionals (graduated within 6 months of conference).
- Panel Discussion: A panel discussion (75-minute program session) includes a moderator and/or discussant and up to three panelists/presentations (maximum four presenters). Due to time constraints, only a limited number of panel discussions will be accepted. Submit an overview abstract describing the overall purpose/theme of the panel and a minimum of three separate abstracts, one for each panelist.
NOTE: Panel submissions will only be considered if an overview abstract AND separate abstracts for each presentation are submitted. Panel discussions will be selected if sufficiently dis-tinct content is provided by each presenter to justify a full panel discussion.
REMINDER You do not need to be a member of OPHA to present at the conference. However, presenters selected through the abstract submission process for individual oral presentations, break out panel discussions and posters must register for the conference, which includes payment. No exceptions will be made. Registration opens June 1.
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2023 Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference | November 10-11, 2023
Salem Convention Center
Watch your email for more details coming in July!
Read More
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ODHA CE Session:
ODHA RDH Retreat | August 19, 2023
Boring, Oregon
9:00am - 3:00pm
Registration open soon!
This 6 hour event will include hearing from Katrina Klein on Career Longevity tips and meeting with a group of hygienists for great food, wine, and yoga. We will also have a chair giveaway and our event sponsor, LumaDent, will also be there for us to try on their new ErgoPrism loops.
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Social Events
Portland Art Museum | June 17, 2023
1219 SW Park Avenue, Portland 97205
Museum Members: Free | Museum Non-Members: $25
More information and ticket info available HERE
This social event is being planned by the North West Component. Purchase your tickets online (highly recommended) and meet on the steps at the front door of the Portland Art Museum at 1 pm and we will all go in together. Please email DeAnn Dardis to let her know you will be coming: [email protected].
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Bubble Run | July 29, 2023
Join ODHA President Tracy Brunkhorst and Immediate Past President Laura Vanderwerf at this summer's Bubble Run at the Portland International Raceway, 1940 N. Victory Blvd., Portland 97217! Cost is $14 +fees. Join ODHA's team and enjoy a fun time socializing with hygiene friends.
Join the Team Here!
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Accessing your ODHA CE Credits
- Go to the ODHA website: https://www.odha.org/
- At the top right of the page go to member login in the purple box
- Login with your ODHA account information (anyone who has registered for an ODHA event or CE course has made an account in the ODHA database)
- If you have forgotten your password, there is a password reset function you can use
- Once you are logged in you will see ‘Your CE Credits’ on the list of items under Quick Links on the right of the page
- You can print your CE from here!
If you need any help, please email [email protected] and we can help you with your account login information.
Membership Information
ODHA Membership Includes:
- CE Options (from Local Components and ADHA webinars - some at no charge!)
- Networking leading to career growth
- Outstanding education opportunities at the ODHA Annual Fall Conference
- Community volunteering opportunities
- Special ADHA Discounts
- Access Magazine
- Discounted conferences
- And much more!
Oregon Career Center
Visit the ODHA Career Center to find out about recent job openings like these:
Dental Hygienist
Willamette Dental Group in Salem
Chinook Falls Dental in Sandy
Sign up for job alerts or Post a job
ADHA Institute for Oral Health
In collaboration with the American Dental Hygienists’ Association and through the generous support of our donors, the ADHA Institute for Oral Health provides thousands of dollars each year to advance the profession of dental hygiene through scholarships, research and service!
They work to:
- Develop dental hygienists’ access to educational programs through Scholarships
- Support advancements in the dental hygiene profession through Research Grants
- Empower dental hygienists to improve the public’s health through Community Service Grants
The ADHA Institute for Oral Health is an exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; EIN 36-3468143.
Donate to Institute for Oral Health
Thank you to our Sponsor!
We've been fortunate to partner with Willamette Dental this year.
May 2023
President's Message
Hello Membership!
Welcome to our new month of May! For those of you that were at the Oregon Dental Conference a couple weeks ago, it was so fun to see you and connect in person. ODHA had many of you visit our table and we also had an absolutely, most uplifting, inspiring message from Kelli Swanson Jaecks, RDH, MA!! THANK YOU, Kelli, for continuing your support and service to ADHA, we just love you! It really means a lot to be in person, makes me even more excited for our fall convention. Please join us November 10th and 11th in Salem at the Salem Convention Center. Our professional development committee is working on your behalf to have top notch CE, exhibitors, and fun! We can’t wait to see you!
If you are a member, we so appreciate you, please join in and check out our calendar of events, from CE to social time we got it covered. I am working on my health by walking and getting ready for our Bubble Run in July, hope you will be alongside me! So far, we have painted with a twist and tip-toed through the tulips. Next up, the art of making wine at Ponzi. Visit our calendar for more info. If you are a student, we are here for you, reach out for mentorship and support. Wondering about all the “things” you can do with those three coveted letters, RDH? That’s what your association is here for!
We have many committees doing many wonderful things. We love the passion and efforts to expand and build our scope of practice strong and powerful! Please watch for any advocacy alerts you receive through email. If you get this message, it’s because it’s important and a prompt to help support a bill one way or another. You CAN make a difference! Have a wonderful month and as we approach summer I look forward to more sunshine and outdoor fun! Happy dentaling!
With love to you all~
Tracy Lynne Brunkhorst
President
Left: Judy Summers, Association Manager; Tracy Brunkhorst. President
Right: Attending the special ODHA RDH Event on Saturday at ODC; l to r Karan Bershaw, President-elect; Laura Vanderwerf, Past President; Kelli Swanson Jaecks, Guest Speaker, Past President of ODHA & ADHA (and an outstanding Motivational Speaker); Tracy Brunkhorst, President; Jamie Christianson, South West Director & Professional Development Committee Chair.
Component News
North West
Happy Spring ODHA friends, You may be noticing Spring has begun to pop color into our landscape! Who else feels that same burst of excitement happening within? Spring is a time dreams become plans, and plans become projects.
I love this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it.”
I am delighted to say, your ambitious ODHA leadership is springing forward to provide members with opportunities to grow professionally. My partners in hygiene who are attending the awesome ODHA conferences, CE courses, and social activities are winning a professional trifecta!
They are gaining:
A robust resume
A professional network
Better communication skills
These prizes aren’t “sent.” You have to win them!
This month, the plucky weather helped us move our Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm social event to April 22nd. This is a good thing! It gave us more time to register, rearrange our calendars, and grab a friend to join! The professional networking and laughs we gain are worth it. Hope to see you at a future social event. Wishing you all a Spring filled with ambitious planning, energetic work, and the sweet prizes sure to come!
Warmly,
DeAnn Dardis
NW Component Director
Metro East
Hello Metro East Members!
We’re finally getting some glimpses of spring here and there and our Socials (in collaboration with the Northwest Component) and CE’s are off and running! Our Tulip meetup was rescheduled because the tulips were only baby buds but it was a beautiful site to see the tulips later in the month and it was such a great time to connect with fellow RDH’s and their families! Our April CE with Karen Green unfortunately also had to be rescheduled but we should have a date soon (if we haven’t announced one already for her talk on Motivational Interviewing).
Whether you know it or not, as a dental hygienist you do motivational interviews with most of your patients every day, but there is an art to it! According to Wikipedia Motivational interviewing or “MI” is a counseling approach developed in part by clinical psychologists William R. Miller and Stephen Rollnick. It is a directive, client-centered counseling style for eliciting behavior change by helping clients to explore and resolve ambivalence. (ambivalent patients, never!) Unlike clinical interventions and treatment, MI is the technique where the interviewer (clinician) assists the interviewee (patient) in changing a behavior by expressing their acceptance of the interviewee without judgment. By this, MI incorporates the idea that every single patient may be in differing stages of readiness levels and may need to act accordingly to the patient's levels and current needs. Keep your eyes out for our reschedule! This is a fun skill to perfect!
On May 6th we held our always popular Infection Prevention (Infection Control) 2 CE presented by Monica Emmons alongside another hot topic, “TMJD and Sleep: The Connection” which is also 2 CE. We were able to secure 2 top speakers in the state (and nation!) for these CE’s for you. It was offered virtually and in-person at the new PCC Dental Sciences Department’s State-of-the-Art building on the beautiful PSU Campus!
Looking forward to seeing many of you in the months to come!
Heidi M. Klobes RDH, BSDH
Director, Metro East Component, ODHA
Advocacy
Advocacy Alert- standardized tests for dental assistants A big THANK YOU to all who have submitted testimony on bills affecting dental assisting in the past couple of months.
There is still time to encourage senators to vote NO on HB 2996 (prohibit the Oregon Board of Dentistry from requiring written exams for radiology proficiency) and HB 3223 (prohibits the Oregon Board of Dentistry from requiring an applicant for certification as dental assistants to pass standardized written tests).
If HB 2996 and HB 3223 pass they will negatively impact dental assisting in the future. COVID- 19 presented dental care givers with the huge importance of guidelines, standards and rules in order to perform tasks safely on patients and to protect themselves.
Here is a link to FIND YOUR LEGISLATOR Thank you for supporting dental assisting standards. Please reach out with questions,
Karen M Hall, RDH, EPDH
Advocacy Director
Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association
[email protected]
Membership Spotlight
Do you know an outstanding ODHA member? Perhaps it’s you? We would love to spotlight an ODHA member each month in the newsletter! Email us contact information and we will do the rest. Please email Tracy Brunkhorst at [email protected] and put "Member Spotlight" in the subject line.
Oregon Board of Dentistry News
OBD will meet on the following Fridays of 2023:
| June 16 | October 27 |
| August 25 | December 15 |
Meetings are held at the Board office located at 1500 SW 1st Avenue, Suite 770, Portland, OR 97201. Anyone may participate in the Open Session portions of the Board meetings.
The agenda & public packet for Board meetings are posted approximately one week before each meeting on the Board website at www.oregon.gov/dentistry. Scroll down to About Us and click on Meetings. The public packet is usually more than 500 pages in length. We recommend that you review this document online, and only print pages if you need them.
If you would like to participate in the Open Session of any board meeting, please contact ODHA Advocacy Director Karen Hall at [email protected] or more information.
Dental Therapy
In February we did a simple comparison of Dental Therapy and Dental Hygienist, so this month we wanted to look from the role of a Dental Therapist to the general Dentist role. The role of the dental therapist is to expand access to dental care in rural areas. Many people who reside in rural areas go without dental care due to a shortage of providers.
Comparing Dental Therapists to Dentists
A patient's oral health is the main concern of both dental therapists and dentists. Dentists are health care practitioners who treat the teeth and gums after earning a doctorate, whereas dental therapists can provide services after completing an undergraduate or master's degree program in one of the two states where these professionals are allowed to practice. A comparison of these two careers can be found below. Responsibilities of Dental Therapists vs Dentists Dental therapists and dentists have some similar responsibilities when it comes to oral health care. To be more exact, one provides general oral health care to children and people in isolated regions without a lot of regular dentists, while the other channels his or her skills to provide a full range of dental services to patients. Both dental therapists and dentists look after everything from cavities to gum inflammation. However, the work of dental therapists is done under the supervision of licensed dentists who consult with therapists to determine the appropriate course of action and, in some cases, approve their work before a patient leaves the office.
Dental Therapist
Many dental therapists can be found working in clinics. They may travel into rural and isolated areas that are hard pressed to find local dentistry services. Dental therapists can usually perform many of the same procedures as dentists, though some states require therapists to be supervised by dentists when performing such tasks as pulling deciduous teeth and removing stitches. However, some of the tasks dental therapists can perform without a dentist present are listed below.
Job responsibilities of a dental therapist include:
- Promoting health through instruction in preventative and proper oral care
- Removing plaque and tartar using dental tools around the gumline
- Taking X-rays for diagnostic purposes
- Administering local anesthetics to affected areas
Dentist
Dentists, like any physician, know that people's overall health can be influenced by such factors as how well they take care of their teeth. A dentist's job is to check out any problems with patients' gums and teeth. They use a variety of tools and technologies to find cavities, checking their severity and depth. They also do polishing and bleaching, in addition to more advanced tasks, such as prescribing pain meds and monitoring their patients after any procedure that might be considered severe enough.
Job responsibilities of a dentist include:
- Interpreting all examinations and imaging Removing tissue that's diseased
- Performing root canals and surgical procedures
- Building models for dentures
The above information was gather from The Difference Between Dental Therapists and Dentists. This is a very basic review, for more detailed and specific information please review the state statues and scope of practice with the Oregon Board of Dentistry.
Submitted by: Kimberly A Perlot, EPDH, MS, DT
Upcoming Events
40th Annual Oregon Rural Health Conference | October 11-13, 2023
Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Oregon
This conference will be held in person with limited numbers, preregistration for sessions, and socially distant seating arrangements to maximize the safety and comfort of all, and meet all safety requirements.
ODHA is an organizational member of the Oregon Rural Health Association. You do not need to be an individual member of the ORHA to attend or present at this conference. We encourage all dental hygienists to consider attending or presenting at the 2023 Oregon Rural Health Conference.
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Save the Date for these upcoming ODHA CE Sessions:
ODHA RDH Retreat | August 19
Location: Portland area
Yoga and CE!
9 am - 3 pm
More details coming soon!
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Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference | November 10 - 11
Salem Convention Center
More details coming July 2023
Read More
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Social Events
The Art of Wine Making | May 27, 2023
Ponzi
1:00 - 2:30 pm
$65 + gratuity
Register Here
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Portland Art Museum | June 17, 2023
1219 SW Park Avenue, Portland 97205
Museum Members: Free | Museum Non-Members: $25
SAVE THE DATE - Registration not open yet
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Bubble Run | July 29, 2023
Join ODHA President Tracy Brunkhorst and Immediate Past President Laura Vanderwerf at this summer's Bubble Run at the Portland International Raceway, 1940 N. Victory Blvd., Portland 97217! Cost is $14 +fees. Join ODHA's team and enjoy a fun time socializing with hygiene friends.
Join the Team Here!
Accessing your ODHA CE Credits
- Go to the ODHA website: https://www.odha.org/
- At the top right of the page go to member login in the purple box
- Login with your ODHA account information (anyone who has registered for an ODHA event or CE course has made an account in the ODHA database)
- If you have forgotten your password, there is a password reset function you can use
- Once you are logged in you will see ‘Your CE Credits’ on the list of items under Quick Links on the right of the page
- You can print your CE from here!
If you need any help, please email [email protected] and we can help you with your account login information.
Membership Information
ODHA Membership Includes:
- CE Options (from Local Components and ADHA webinars - some at no charge!)
- Networking leading to career growth
- Outstanding education opportunities at the ODHA Annual Fall Conference
- Community volunteering opportunities
- Special ADHA Discounts
- Access Magazine
- Discounted conferences
- And much more!
Oregon Career Center
Visit the ODHA Career Center to find out about recent job openings like these:
Dental Hygienist
Chinook Falls Dental in Sandy
View Job
Willamette Dental Group in Salem
View job
Willamette Dental Group in Bend
View job
Willamette Dental Group in Eugene
View job
Sign up for job alerts or Post a job
ADHA Institute for Oral Health
In collaboration with the American Dental Hygienists’ Association and through the generous support of our donors, the ADHA Institute for Oral Health provides thousands of dollars each year to advance the profession of dental hygiene through scholarships, research and service!
They work to:
- Develop dental hygienists’ access to educational programs through Scholarships
- Support advancements in the dental hygiene profession through Research Grants
- Empower dental hygienists to improve the public’s health through Community Service Grants
The ADHA Institute for Oral Health is an exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; EIN 36-3468143.
Donate to Institute for Oral Health
Thank you to our Sponsor!
We've been fortunate to partner with Willamette Dental this year.
April 2023
President's Message
Hello valued members,
Welcome to a new month! April is one of my favorites as we now will see longer days and flowers coming into bloom.
I would like to direct attention to our social and CE calendars. Please join me in our social events that you will see in this newsletter. They will be posted each month. There is no better way to reconnect than to get out and have some fun together! Rebuilding our circles, creating a place you know you can come and gather and meet your colleagues. I could not be prouder of those who have taken a “chance” to organize these events to support our membership. Register and take the chance on a fun day with us!
ODHA provides so many things. We are in different times and ADHA and ODHA are working for us, protecting us, and pushing us forward. Recently you received an email regarding an urgent legislative update. This is just one of many examples of what our association works so hard on. THANK YOU to our advocacy team for watching over the legislation and the bills that are coming to vote. Membership, you are so important to have a voice. Please, take action when you are called to support. We do not take for granted what we have achieved here in Oregon!
It really hit home for me as my dad recently shared a story about a rancher in ND. A rancher he knew named his ranch the TTT and used it as his cattle brand. The meaning behind it: Things Take Time. The rancher struggled much of his life operating his ranch. For years, he battled the weather and the ups and downs of being in ranching as he ran cattle over the prairie. The man lived near the location of the very first oil well in North Dakota. He had always had an interest in oil, but never pursued it. One year while operating his ranch, he thought he would try something different. He started accumulating small oil interests from individuals who sold to him to obtain cash. His activity grew and today he has oil and money coming out of his ears at a rate he would have never expected!
Things Take Time!
We are ODHA, we are strong, things take time, membership matters! What would be your “cattle brand”? Mine is TTC……Take The Chance! The rancher above would still be walking around chasing cow tales if he had not made the decision to try something different and take action. Just start. Be a proud member, grab a friend. I’m zoomed out with online meetings, let’s zoom in! I look forward to seeing you all soon! Join me, won’t you?
Tracy Lynne Brunkhorst
President
Component News
Metro East
I opened the door the other day and heard birds chirping…glorious!! I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for some consistent sunshine! There is something about a little peak of sunshine that brings me an instant positive outlook and excitement about the future and connecting with others. On that note, we have been working on (and had a fun one in March at Painting with a Twist!) many fun social events that were organized alongside the NW Component, as well as CE’s planned almost monthly for you! Most are in-person (on purpose!), some are virtual.
A big one will be next month (May) on PCC’s beautiful new state-of-the art facility on PSU’s lovely campus. We will have an opportunity to get 2 credits for Infection control and 2 credits for one that was a real hit at the conference last November, “TMJD and Sleep”. We also plan to have a social right afterwards at Pizza Schmizza, which is about 50 feet from the front door of PCC (so no need to re-park!). We are working hard to get sponsorship for the social as well! (They also have a full bar at this location :D) There will only be capacity for 65 attendees so watch for the registration soon!
We feel that we are ramping up momentum again here at ODHA for our members, beyond a yearly conference and want you to know that we’d love to see your faces at these events, hear your input, share stories (and ideas!). We also still have some open leadership positions. Please email us if you’d like to ask some questions or pop-in on one of our meetings - everyone is welcome, always!!!
Take care,
Heidi Klobes RDH, BSDH
North West
Hello ODHA friends,
I am delighted to say our Northwest component had an action packed and fun month of March!
While the spring snow came down outside, things were heating up inside during our Zoom CE course on Staging and Grading Periodontitis. We had over 30 attendees join us for our two hour informative Zoom course. We even had one hygienist participate all the way from Idaho! It was helpful collaborating with colleagues in breakout rooms as we worked on patient cases together. He’s a snapshot of our ODHA Stagers and Graders:
Several of us tried out our artsy side at our first social event of the year, Paint with a Twist.
Who knew we could paint Haystack Rock and have it be recognizable?!
We have several events coming up you will want to check out. Take a look at our ODHA Calendar of Social Events and register to join us for our next social get together! Next up is a family friendly event, the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm on Saturday, April 8th at 1:00pm. We’d love you to have you join!
Also, keep an eye out for our upcoming CE course on Motivational Interviewing scheduled for April 12th at 6:00pm. It will be held at Mt. Hood Community College but it will also be broadcast via Zoom if you can’t make it in-person.
Hope you all have a fantastic April!
Warmly,
DeAnn Dardis
NW Component Director
Advocacy
The House Committee on Behavioral Health & Health Care are continuing the process of passing HB2996 and HB3223 through to the Senate.
Many of you have written letters in opposition to these bills, thank you so much! If you have not yet written or contacted your legislators, please consider writing your senators, who may yet vote no!
For review, HB 2996 & HB 3223 would prohibit the Oregon Board of Dentistry from requiring written examinations for dental assistants who are applying for a radiology certificate & an EFDA certificate. Presumably, these bills are being proposed due to the “critical shortage” of dental assistants in Oregon as a way to “reduce barriers” to becoming a dental assistant.
Written examinations are critical to ensuring that dental assistants understand the dental procedures that they are performing in order to protect the health & safety of themselves, their patients and their co-workers. Dental hygienists and dentists must pass written national board exams and state exams to prove a level of proficiency, and dental assistants, who perform many direct patient care procedures, should also need to pass a standardized test.
If you don't know who your representative is, or do not know how to reach your representative, you can go to:
Find Your Members in the U.S. Congress | Congress.gov | Library of Congress
Thank you for your help & please contact me if you need more information.
Karen M Hall, RDH, EPDH
Advocacy Director
Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association
[email protected]
Membership Spotlight
Do you know an outstanding ODHA member? Perhaps it’s you? We would love to spotlight an ODHA member each month in the newsletter! Email us contact information and we will do the rest. Please email Tracy Brunkhorst at [email protected] and put "Member Spotlight" in the subject line.
Oregon Board of Dentistry News
OBD will meet on the following Fridays of 2023:
| April 28 | October 27 |
| June 16 | December 15 |
| August 25 |
Meetings are held at the Board office located at 1500 SW 1st Avenue, Suite 770, Portland, OR 97201. Anyone may participate in the Open Session portions of the Board meetings.
The agenda & public packet for Board meetings are posted approximately one week before each meeting on the Board website at www.oregon.gov/dentistry. Scroll down to About Us and click on Meetings. The public packet is usually more than 500 pages in length. We recommend that you review this document online, and only print pages if you need them.
If you would like to participate in the Open Session of any board meeting, please contact ODHA Advocacy Director Karen Hall at [email protected] or more information.
Dental Therapy
My current frame of mind needed a reminder of my “Why” which helps me to remember why I make the decisions I do and keep pushing through the white noise. I thought some others may need some positive reinforcement and motivation.
REMEMBER…….Doing big things is not easy, if it was EVERYONE would do it!
HABITS TO HELP YOU PROSPER:
Network.
Dream big.
Plan ahead.
Get up early.
Stay focused.
Watch less TV.
Invest in yourself.
Read more books.
Avoid time wasters.
Take calculated risks.
Write down your goals.
Live on less than you make.
Make your health a priority.
Do work that matters to you.
Learn from people you admire.
Foster meaningful relationships.
Cultivate an attitude of gratitude.
Take action, even when it is scary.
Have a powerful and inspiring “why.”
By Rubin Chavez
Submitted by: Kimberly A Perlot, EPDH, MS, DT
Upcoming Events
Motivational Interviewing | April 12, 2023
In-person at Mt. Hood Community College and Virtual via Zoom
Motivating patients is an art and motivational interviewing is a counseling method that helps people resolve ambivalent feelings and insecurities to find the internal motivation they need to change their behavior. It is a practical, empathetic and short-term process that takes into consideration how difficult it is to make life changes. Join us from 6 - 8 pm for this 2 hour CE presented by Karen Green, MSW, LSSW
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Oregon Dental Conference | April 13 - 15, 2023
Oregon Convention Center, Portland
Register Here
The opportunity to earn up to 18 hours of continuing education with access to all CE courses.
Visit the ODHA table and stop by to hear Kelli Swanson Jaecks, RDH, MA, author of “The Hygienist Success Formula“, Saturday, April 15 | 11:00 – 12:30 in Room G130 of the Oregon Convention Center (you do not need to register for the Oregon Dental Conference to attend this presentation!)
Bring a non-member with you to share ODHA!
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40th Annual Oregon Rural Health Conference | October 11-13, 2023
Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Oregon
This conference will be held in person with limited numbers, preregistration for sessions, and socially distant seating arrangements to maximize the safety and comfort of all, and meet all safety requirements.
ODHA is an organizational member of the Oregon Rural Health Association. You do not need to be an individual member of the ORHA to attend or present at this conference. We encourage all dental hygienists to consider attending or presenting at the 2023 Oregon Rural Health Conference.
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Save the Date for these upcoming ODHA CE Sessions:
Cultural Diversity Training for the Health Professional (2 CE)
Friday, April 28 | 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Infection Prevention (2 CE) and The Connection: Sleep & TMJD (2 CE)
May 6 | 8 am - 12 pm
Registration available soon for these sessions!
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Social Events
Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm | April 8, 2023
33814 S. Meridian Rd., Woodburn 97071
1:00pm
Register Here
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The Art of Wine Making | May 27, 2023
Ponzi
1:00 - 2:30 pm
$65 + gratuity
Register Here
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Portland Art Museum | June 17, 2023
1219 SW Park Avenue, Portland 97205
Museum Members: Free | Museum Non-Members: $25
SAVE THE DATE - Registration not open yet
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Bubble Run | July 29, 2023
Join ODHA President Tracy Brunkhorst and Immediate Past President Laura Vanderwerf at this summer's Bubble Run at the Portland International Raceway, 1940 N. Victory Blvd., Portland 97217! Cost is $14 +fees. Join ODHA's team and enjoy a fun time socializing with hygiene friends.
Join the Team Here!
Accessing your ODHA CE Credits
- Go to the ODHA website: https://www.odha.org/
- At the top right of the page go to member login in the purple box
- Login with your ODHA account information (anyone who has registered for an ODHA event or CE course has made an account in the ODHA database)
- If you have forgotten your password, there is a password reset function you can use
- Once you are logged in you will see ‘Your CE Credits’ on the list of items under Quick Links on the right of the page
- You can print your CE from here!
If you need any help, please email [email protected] and we can help you with your account login information.
Membership Information
ODHA Membership Includes:
- CE Options (from Local Components and ADHA webinars - some at no charge!)
- Networking leading to career growth
- Outstanding education opportunities at the ODHA Annual Fall Conference
- Community volunteering opportunities
- Special ADHA Discounts
- Access Magazine
- Discounted conferences
- And much more!
Oregon Career Center
Visit the ODHA Career Center to find out about recent job openings like these:
Dental Hygienist
Willamette Dental Group in Tualatin
View Job
Willamette Dental Group in Beaverton
View Job
Small Practice in Portland
View Job
Willamette Dental Group in Salem
View Job
Willamette Dental in Eugene
View Job
Willamette Dental Group in Bend
View Job
Sign up for job alerts or Post a job
ADHA Institute for Oral Health
In collaboration with the American Dental Hygienists’ Association and through the generous support of our donors, the ADHA Institute for Oral Health provides thousands of dollars each year to advance the profession of dental hygiene through scholarships, research and service!
They work to:
- Develop dental hygienists’ access to educational programs through Scholarships
- Support advancements in the dental hygiene profession through Research Grants
- Empower dental hygienists to improve the public’s health through Community Service Grants
The ADHA Institute for Oral Health is an exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; EIN 36-3468143.
Donate to Institute for Oral Health
Thank you to our Sponsor!
We've been fortunate to partner with Willamette Dental this year.
March 2023
President's Message
Dear valued members,
I hope this finds you all snuggled in with a warm beverage in hand. I value our Monthly Incisor, I know it is pretty lengthy, but it is packed with valuable information to keep us all informed. I’d like to personally thank all that take the time to put this together for us.
We are gaining speed into our new year. Our Association is buzzing with activity, and we are starting to bloom. Make sure you check out your local Component Section below to see how you can get involved. We have lots of events coming your way for you to participate in.
We are dental hygienists, full of love and caring (for sure), performing exceptional detailed work (as always), but we are also FUN! As Spring approaches, I decided to take a chance on doing something fun together! Setting a goal seemed appropriate as I needed a little spring in my step, soooo……I want to personally invite you to come alongside me and join me for the Bubble Run on July 29th. Wouldn’t it be fun for all of us (cleanly) hygienists to go run (or walk, or skip, or tango) through some bubbles together?!?! We have a fantastic team so when you go to register, join team ODHA. I’m really looking forward to having some good ‘ol “clean” fun!
Components, not all our gatherings will be for CE (although we do have some super CE this year). Some of our events will be for adventure and memory making, OH! and did I mention come on out for some fun?! Our leadership team is knocking it out of the park with fresh new ideas. We are really looking forward to reconnecting. I consider my local Component my home base. Where it all got started for me! The place where I can sync and share with my colleagues. A safe environment where I learn and laugh. My happy place!
Committees, this is a place where you may take a chance on lending someone a hand. We have many small tasks that can be short term or join for long term. Check in and see how you can help make a difference. Advocacy, Leadership, Membership, and Professional Development are always looking to expand.
I also want to plant a seed to register for our very special National ADHA convention this year! Have you been? Would you like to go again? We have a friendly little competition going on between the states. ADHA23 registration is open, this was the start of the nationwide registration competition! Here is what you need to know:
- Each state will compete amongst each other to register the most members for the ADHA23 Annual Conference.
- The state with the highest percentage of members registered for ADHA23 by July 6 will win!
- The winning state will receive FIVE complimentary registrations to ADHA24 in New Orleans, LA!
Sound like fun?!?! I will be there and would love our Oregon posse to be represented in a big way! Check out the new ADHA website! It’s super cool and improved!
We are all better together and so I hope this leaves you looking forward to setting a few goals. Take those chances, Spring is in the air. We’d love to see you soon!
Love to you all,
Tracy Lynne Brunkhorst, RDH, EPDH
President
Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association
Component News
North West
February was an exciting month for our component!
First, several of our component members, along with PCC Dental Hygiene students, volunteered for the Give Kids A Smile event held at Powell Butte Elementary in Portland. It was heartwarming to see students provide dental education for kids who can’t normally afford to see a dentist. THANK YOU to all the dentists, hygienists, assistants and students who used their talents to make a difference!
Second, we heard from fluoridation gurus, Dr. Kurt Ferre and Dr. Chuck Chaynie. We learned so much! As we know, Portland and surrounding areas, lack fluoridation. Learning the facts about the safety of fluoridation helps students and hygienists address questions and concerns our patients may have. Our public health tanks have been filled this month!
Finally, I put together a fun-filled social calendar of events for Spring and Summer 2023! Our members will have the opportunity to join colleagues for fun events like Painting with a Twist, the Oregon Tulip Festival, Portland’s Bubble Run and Guillermo del Toro: Crafting Pinocchio at the Portland Art Museum. You can learn more about these events (and more!), as well as register, by clicking on this link: Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association Northwest Component Calendar of Social Events - Spring & Summer 2023. I recommend registering fast because in all cases spaces are limited. Consider inviting a non-member RDH to show our colleagues the camaraderie happening in ODHA!
North West Component Events Calendar
Also, Please Save the Date for an upcoming CE course:
Staging and Grading Periodontitis | Saturday, March 18 | 10:00am - 12:00pm | 2 CE credits | Interactive Zoom Course
Are you a hygienist wanting to increase your confidence with diagnosing periodontal disease? A lot has changed in recent years. The 2017 World Workshop on the Classification of Periodontal and Peri-Implant Diseases and Conditions resulted in a new classification of periodontitis characterized by a multidimensional staging and grading system. We will watch a video and then jump into breakout rooms to work on cases. I hope you will join us! Read more about this course and Register Here on the ODHA website.
In closing, it is with pleasure I let Kira Melan our Component Chair, introduce herself:
“Hi, hello. My name is Kira Melan and I am a dental hygiene instructor at Portland Community College. I also graduated from there in 2009. I enjoy sharing the knowledge I picked up in clinical practice over the years. I appreciate all opportunities to share the joy of dental hygiene with others and facilitate positive interactions between the public and the dental community. I spend most of my spare time at dog parks with my pooch or sitting and reading a book in my backyard hammock. I’m excited about the opportunity to become more involved with the ODHA and working with you all!”
Wishing you all a lovely month!
Warmly,
DeAnn Dardis RDH, BSDH, EPP
North West Component Director
Southwest
The February Hike was chilly but good conversation and connections were made. My hope is that you got a chance to get out as well, but also understand if the weather was still a little too cold to get out. In search of warmer weather and more chances to connect with local hygienists, there is another Hike n' Lunch planned for March 18 at Spencer's Butte Park in Eugene. No parking fee this time, but parking can be tight so we will plan to start the hike at 10am. Please RSVP to me at [email protected] so that I know to look for you. Remember, if it is too far to drive for this event, then see if you can get a few hygienists together in your area and go for a walk or hike. Don't forget to take pictures and share on ODHA's webpage or instagram #ODHAwalk23
Together we Thrive,
Jamie Christianson RDH
South West Component Director
Metro East
Hello Metro East! How are you feeling today? Not sure? Read on...
This month at Metro East has been a bit busy for me! Planning CE’s and collaborations with some wonderful M.E. Members and leaders and getting our new team synced up! All the while, being a mom, working and going to school. This month we had an eye-opening night at our member Lori Killen Aus’s home about OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). This presentation got me thinking about mental health, especially this time of the year here in the Pacific NW when we live without a healthy amount of light.
I just want to let all of my fellow RDH’s and readers out there know that if you are feeling down, you are not alone. This time of year is when we need to prioritize our own heart, health and spirit so we can keep a positive state of mind. We have to fill our own cup and take care of our own selves before we can help others.
Have you had any of the following symptoms lately? If so, you may want to talk to your doctor about Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D):
- Feeling sad or down
- Losing interest in things you used to enjoy
- Low energy
- Changes in sleep
- Changes in appetite, weight gain
- Trouble concentrating
- Feelings of guilt
- Feelings of hopelessness
This time of year is always hard for me and usually I don’t realize it until I am deep into February or March and ask myself, “Why am I feeling so down? Oh yeah....it’s March and I have been living in the dark for almost half a year!!?”
I find that supplementation with Vitamin D (plus K for better absorption) as well as exercise really helps me. Also, I don’t know about you, but for myself, I feel happier when I connect with people–sometimes very intentionally as I tend to want to hibernate all winter. I don’t force myself, but it’s something I consider to lift my spirits.
There are many helpful articles to help yourself through the winter in regards to S.A.D. There is help and you are not alone. Hang in there everyone! And if you feel like connecting with other RDH’s for some connect-time, please come meet up with us soon at one of our CE’s. Everyone is welcome!
Also, many of us from Oregon are excited about the ADHA Annual Conference in CHICAGO, July 7-9, an which will be an awesome and fun opportunity to get out of town, connect and enrich ourselves professionally. We will organize a meet-up as well and will keep you posted on that!!! Registration is OPEN. Register Here!
Take care of yourself,
Heidi Klobes RDH, BSDH
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to replace medical advice. Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988 for help.
High Desert
"In winter, I plot and plan. In spring, I move." — Henry Rollins
We’ve almost made it! The first day of Spring is just around the corner. Hunkering through winter, I hope you guys all had time to hunker, reflect and make new goals for the coming warmer seasons.
The High Desert component has been busy doing the same, planning social gatherings and possible CE courses. Stay tuned and check your emails for these events!
Chat soon!
Sierra Schipper, BS, RDH
Committee News
Professional Development
Next ZOOM Meetings: March 7 & 21 from 7 to 8 PM
Please contact the committee Chair, Jamie Christianson at [email protected] to sign up for access to the meeting links.
The Professional Development Committee is a great place for hygienists and students to get their feet wet at the state level. A bonus with joining our committee is that you get to meet with some of the State Board members. Mostly importantly, you also get to see what goes into planning our educational and social events at the local and state levels. Our committee thrives on having members from multiple areas of focus within hygienists career and those in various stages of their career, from students to experienced hygienists.
While attending this committee's meetings on a regular basis would be the most beneficial for your experience and the association, attending only a few times is helpful too. Any member is welcome to bring their ideas and solutions to the board that might not of otherwise been thought of in the first place. You can always directly email the Chair of the Committee as well to prompt further discussion.
This year's goal for the PDC is to shake things up with the way CE is presented and the fees associated with them and still help keep the association fiscally responsible and sound. This way, Oregon members will gain even more benefits of their membership dues to ADHA/ODHA.
As Chair of this committee, my hope is that I inspired you to join us in 2023 for our meetings. I look forward to "seeing you" very soon.
-Jamie Christianson, RDH
2023 Oregon Legislative Session
The 2023 Oregon Legislative Assembly will be in session for the purpose of lawmaking January 17, 2023 through June 25, 2023.The Oregon Legislature meets for a maximum of 160 days in odd-numbered years (long session) and for a maximum of 35 days in even-numbered years (short session). The 2023 Oregon Legislative Session will be a long session so it will meet for a maximum of 160 days.
The Oregon Dental Association (ODA) plans to request that the Oregon Legislature allocate $20 million toward projects intended to address the shortage of dental assistants & dental hygienists.
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) plans to introduce a bill that would remove the sunset date for the Oregon Dental Workforce Pilots Projects.
The ODHA will monitor & comment on bills related to dentistry throughout the 2023 Oregon Legislative Session. Please contact ODHA Advocacy Director Karen Hall at [email protected] for questions, more information, or comments about ODHA advocacy issues, and if you would like to become involved in ODHA Advocacy activities!
Please email ODHA Advocacy Director Karen Hall at [email protected] with any questions or more information.
Membership Spotlight
Do you know an outstanding ODHA member? Perhaps it’s you? We would love to spotlight an ODHA member each month in the newsletter! Email us contact information and we will do the rest. Please email Tracy Brunkhorst at [email protected] and put "Member Spotlight" in the subject line.
Oregon Board of Dentistry News
Dental Therapy Update
Pursuant to the Dental Therapist's Collaborative Agreement, the Dental Therapist may perform following procedures under the GENERAL SUPERVISION of the dentist:
- Pulp vitality testing;
- Fabrication of athletic mouth guards;
- Changing of periodontal dressings;
- Simple extractions of erupted primary anterior teeth and coronal remnants of any primary teeth;
- Emergency palliative treatment of dental pain;
- Preparation and placement of direct restoration in primary and permanent teeth;
- Fabrication and placement of single-tooth temporary crowns;
- Preparation and placement of preformed crowns on primary teeth;
- Indirect pulp capping on permanent teeth;
- Indirect pulp capping on primary teeth;
- Minor adjustments and repairs of removable prosthetic devices;
- Oral examination, evaluation and diagnosis of conditions within the scope of practice of the dental therapist and with the supervising dentist's authorization;
- Removal of space maintainers;
- Pursuant to the dental therapist's collaborative agreement, the Dental Therapist may perform the following procedures under the INDIRECT SUPERVISION of the dentist:
- Fabrication of soft occlusal guards;
- Tooth reimplantation and stabilization;
- Recementing of permanent crowns;
- Pulpotomies on primary teeth;
- Simple extractions of: erupted posterior primary teeth; and Permanent teeth that have class 3 mobility;
- Direct pulp capping on permanent teeth
Information provided by :
Kimberly A Perlot, EPDH, MS, DT
ODHA Vice President
The Oregon Board of Dentistry will meet on the following Fridays during 2023:
| April 28 | October 27 |
| June 16 | December 15 |
| August 25 |
Meetings are held at the Board office located at 1500 SW 1st Avenue, Suite 770, Portland, OR 97201. Anyone may participate in the Open Session portions of the Board meetings.
The agenda & public packet for Board meetings are posted approximately one week before each meeting on the Board website at www.oregon.gov/dentistry. Scroll down to About Us and click on Meetings. The public packet is usually more than 500 pages in length. We recommend that you review this document online, and only print pages if you need them.
If you would like to participate in the Open Session of any board meeting, please contact ODHA Advocacy Director Karen Hall at [email protected] or more information.
Volunteer Opportunities
Central Oregon Thank You
Central Oregon Community College Dental Assisting program and its patients want to extend a huge "Thank You!" to all of you who volunteered your time to provide much needed dental services to low-income patients! For the first time ever, all dates have been covered! And that is due to all of you! The experiences you provided to the dental assisting students was amazing as well. They were so excited to see what hygienists do first hand. So from our patients and students - Thank you! Thank you!
Lynn Murray, M.Ed., CDA, EFDA, RFC, CPFDA, MADAA
Central Oregon Community College Dental Assisting Program Director
Professor of Dental Assisting
Dental Hygienist Study on Restorative Care
Crystal Kanderis Lane, RDH, BS, MS, Assistant Professor and Restorative Clinic Coordinator with Idaho State University is looking for hygienists who provide restorative care. They are conducting interviews as part of a research study to increase our understanding of the lived experiences of dental hygienists who provide restorative patient care. As a dental hygienist who provides restorative patient care, you are in an ideal position to give us valuable firsthand information from your own perspective and share with us your lived experiences.
The interview takes around 1 hour and is very informal. We will conduct the interview over an encrypted and locked Zoom meeting. We are simply trying to capture your thoughts, perspectives, and experiences you’ve had as a dental hygienist who provides restorative patient care. Your responses to the questions will be kept confidential. Each participant will use a pseudonym to ensure that personal identifiers are not revealed during the analysis and write-up of findings.
There is no compensation for participating in this study and it is completely voluntary. The only risk is the time it takes to complete the interview. Please know that your participation will be vital to our research and findings could lead to an increased body of knowledge and a greater public understanding of dental hygienists who provide restorative patient care.
If you have questions or want to participate, send Crystal an email at [email protected] to suggest a day and time that suits you for the Zoom meeting.
Upcoming Events
Oregon Dental Conference | April 13 - 15, 2023
Oregon Convention Center, Portland
Register Here
The opportunity to earn up to 18 hours of continuing education with access to all CE courses. Visit the ODHA table and stop by our partner event on Saturday, April 15 from 11 am - 12:30 pm. Bring a non-member with you to have them find out about ODHA!
Staging and Grading Periodontitis | Saturday, March 18
2 CE credits | Interactive Zoom Course
10:00am - 12:00pm
Register Here
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Social Events
Painting with a Twist | March 25, 2023
1406 SW Broadway, Portland 97201
6:30 - 9:00pm
Register Here
North West Component has planned an activity for each month to get to know each other. You are encouraged to invite a non-member RDH friend to register so they can see what shenanigans we are up to in the ODHA! Registration is limited so don't dilly-dally! When you register for an event, be sure to add ODHA to your name so we are grouped together! These are not ODHA specific events, they are open to the public so if you have questions about an event, feel free to check out their website or call them directly. $42
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Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm | April 8, 2023
33814 S. Meridian Rd., Woodburn 97071
1:00pm
Register Here
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The Art of Wine Making | May 27, 2023
Ponzi
1:00 - 2:30 pm
$65 + gratuity
Register Here
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Portland Art Museum | June 17, 2023
1219 SW Park Avenue, Portland 97205
Museum Members: Free | Museum Non-Members: $25
SAVE THE DATE - Registration not open yet
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Bubble Run | July 29, 2023
Join ODHA President Tracy Brunkhorst and Immediate Past President Laura Vanderwerf at this summer's Bubble Run at the Portland International Raceway, 1940 N. Victory Blvd., Portland 97217! Cost is $14 +fees. Join ODHA's team and enjoy a fun time socializing with hygiene friends.
Join the Team Here!
2023 National Dental Conferences in Portland, Oregon
In March 2023 two national dental conferences will be held at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. This is an incredible opportunity for you to participate in these events “in our own backyard.”
The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) will hold their 2023 Annual Session & Exhibition Saturday-Tuesday, March 11-14, 2023. This conference brings dental, allied dental & advanced dental educators & students together for world-class education sessions and a bustling exhibit hall filled with dental education’s leading partners. Click here for more information.
The American Association for Dental, Oral, & Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) will hold their 2023 Annual Meeting & Exhibition Wednesday- Saturday, March 15-18, 2023. This conference will provide scientists and researchers throughout the world with the opportunity to present, discuss and critique their investigations. If you are involved in dental, oral and craniofacial research, you should submit an abstract for consideration for presentation. Click here for more information.
World Oral Health Day - March 20
World Oral Health Day (WOHD) is celebrated globally each year on March 20. WOHD was launched by the FDI World Dental Federation to raise global awareness on the prevention and control of oral diseases. The purpose of WOHD is to empower people with the knowledge, tools and confidence to secure good oral health.
The campaign theme for 2021 through 2023 is “Be Proud of your Mouth.” WOHD hopes to motivate people to value and take care of their mouths and understand that by doing so they can also help protect their general health and well-being.
A variety of resources are available to promote World Oral Health Day including fact sheets, message cards, posters, and social media tools. All content is free to use by everyone as long as it's used in its original form (no modifications allowed) and doesn't promote a product or a business (i.e. dental practice).
World Oral Health Day is a great opportunity to generate wide-spread media coverage and to raise people’s understanding of the link between oral health and oral health.
For more information click on World Oral Health Day.
Membership Information
ODHA Membership Includes:
- CE Options (from Local Components and ADHA webinars - some at no charge!)
- Networking leading to career growth
- Outstanding education opportunities at the ODHA Annual Fall Conference
- Community volunteering opportunities
- Special ADHA Discounts (use link below)
http://www.adha.org/resources-docs/74110_Membership_Affinity_Programs.pdf - Access Magazine
- Discounted conferences
- And much more!
Oregon Career Center
Visit the ODHA Career Center to find out about recent job openings such as these from Willamette Dental Group:
Dental Hygienist
Willamette Dental Group in Hillsboro
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Willamette Dental Group in Beaverton
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Willamette Dental Group in Eugene
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Willamette Dental Group in Bend
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Traveling Dental Hygienist
Willamette Dental Group in Salem
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Sign up for job alerts and receive an email when a new job is posted
Post a job: https://ordha.mcjobboard.net/jobs/post/add
ADHA Institute for Oral Health
In collaboration with the American Dental Hygienists’ Association and through the generous support of our donors, the ADHA Institute for Oral Health provides thousands of dollars each year to advance the profession of dental hygiene through scholarships, research and service!
They work to:
- Develop dental hygienists’ access to educational programs through Scholarships
- Support advancements in the dental hygiene profession through Research Grants
- Empower dental hygienists to improve the public’s health through Community Service Grants
The ADHA Institute for Oral Health is an exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; EIN 36-3468143.
Donate to Institute for Oral Health
Thank you to our Sponsor!
We've been fortunate to partner with Willamette Dental this year. Check out their website and their job openings on the
ODHA Job Board
Partner Organizations
February 2023
President's Message
Dear all,
How do you like your new look? We are excited about the new national branding!
Recently, I traveled to Arizona to deliver my daughter to her university. It was an adventure for both of us, and I found myself overcome with emotions. What inspired me the most as we journeyed together was that I learned of her enthusiasm for change. She was finally at a place where she was ready to embrace the next step in her life. It’s a new chapter for my family and there will be change on many levels. Change can come with opportunities, taking that risk for a “chance” at reward.
Our trip together brought me back to a time when I watched my parents drive away as I stood outside on the sidewalk to my dorm. As I watched them become a distant image I wondered how my life was about to change. With a couple tears running down my cheeks, I turned foot and realized that I had just been given the keys to my future.
Last month I introduced my theme as President, CHANCE. I took a chance that day, as my parents drove away. I took a chance at finding a passion for what I was going to do with my life. I have to confess I didn’t know much about dental hygiene when I was that age and I wasn’t really sure what I was about to get myself into. As I grew into the program, I started to feel the spark and that spark grew into a bonfire in a very short period of time. Dental Hygiene was a perfect fit for me. It’s surreal for me now as I can’t wait to see my daughter find her passion for her career as she has now taken a chance to try her way, walking down a new path.
Does this bring back some memories for you? I would love for any of you to share with me your journey and how you found your passion. Being a member of ADHA has kept me connected and furthering my passion. Being active in ODHA has given me a new chance on leadership, and I’ve learned that your voice matters. I invite all of you to tap into your local components to see how you can become involved. We want to be strong in our membership body and I invite all of you to take a chance and reach out to see how you can further your passion. Be on fire for your organization!
I want to express my gratitude for all of you. Thank you for what you do, every day! We are all connected together as colleagues, and I stand proud to be with all of you in this community!
Many Blessings,
Tracy Lynne Brunkhorst, RDH, EPDH
President
Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association
February is Children’s Dental Health Month
February 2023 is National Children's Dental Health Month (NCDHM) brought to you by the American Dental Association (ADA). This month-long national event brings together thousands of dedicated professionals, health care providers and educators to promote the benefits of good oral health to children, their caregivers, teachers and many others.
The NCDHM Program Planning Guide provides program coordinators, dental societies, teachers and parents with resources to promote the benefits of good oral health to children. The guide includes easy-to-do activities, program planning timetable tips, a sample NCDHM proclamation and more.
To learn more about National Children’s Dental Health Month please visit: ADA.org/NCDHM. You can also order FREE posters, purchase postcards and download materials.
Component News
North West
Hello North West Component,
2023 is off and running with exciting changes for our component!
First, I was elected Director for the NW Component. I am working hard to learn the ropes so I can represent our component well. It’s truly an honor to serve our professional organization and I promise I will do my very best!
Second, my PCC colleague, Kira Milan, accepted the NW Component Chair position. I am pleased Kira will be partnering with me in this effort. Kira is hard-working, task oriented and seems to have endless energy! Plus, she is an absolute delight to work with. I’m looking forward putting our heads together.
This year, keep an eye out for fun activities to connect with members. Last October, our previous Director, Heidi Klobes, organized a mushroom foraging outing. It was an absolute blast! Hiking through nature, hunting and celebrating our discoveries together was just what a bunch of hard-working hygienists needed. Our profession is demanding and it's important to take time to PLAY! Let’s get to know each other outside operatories and conferences.
Also, I’m brainstorming about CE offerings. My goal is to offer quality professional development opportunities in 2023. Our PCC faculty recently had the pleasure of learning the Gow-Gates and Vazirani- Akinosi injections from Tina Clarke RDH, a leading voice in anesthesia dental education. I am hoping to offer a similar in-person local anesthesia CE course this year. More to come soon!
Warmly,
DeAnn Dardis RDH, BSDH, EPP
South West
Greetings Fellow South West Component Hygienists!
I hope you all have had a great start to the new year. I just wanted to take a moment to reach out and connect with fellow members. As you may already know, our component covers the South West corner of Oregon. It's a very large region and I haven't been able to host ODHA events in all the major cities in our area over the past year. So this last year as your Component Director, I have focused my efforts mainly towards our annual conference. I will admit that after a few local attempts in the beginning of last year didn't work out that it was... well...very discouraging. But I am here now to renew my optimism that 2023 will be more successful!
My goal for this year is to connect members and renew their passion for our association to see what we can achieve together, thus moving our component into the future. Also, something to keep in mind for our members, this is my second year of my term as your Component Director. This means that this fall our component will be looking for a new Director. My hope is that there is a member out there who is interested in taking on this role and excited to bring their new ideas to connect our component and ODHA to be the go-to resource for our continuing education and professional community. I admit that I haven't been the greatest at getting everyone together locally, but my hope this year is to see more activity within our component. So, to keep to my renewed promise to members, I would like to invite surrounding members, both professionals and students and potential members on a Hike-n-Lunch Social Gathering at Mt. Pisgah Arboretum on Saturday, February 18th from 11 am to 1 pm. The plan is to meet by the event chalet, near the restrooms, then hike up to the top. At the top we can share lunch together (everyone brings their own lunches from home). This will be a great time to see each other and talk about whatever is on our minds. Perhaps even take a few selfies along the way to share on ODHA Facebook. Yes, it will likely be a little muddy with some light rain this time of year, but as Oregonians we can prepare accordingly. With that said, the event will be canceled if there is a threat of lightning or snow.
Please email me if you are planning on coming so we have an idea how many people will be there.
I wouldn't want to leave anyone behind. With that in mind, I would like to propose an idea for those members who are further South or North of Eugene/Springfield area that like this idea of a social hike but are too far away to attend. Why not advertise a RDH group walk in your area? I love to hear from members who would love to head up a Hike- n-Lunch in your area. The bonus is that you get to choose a place to hike or walk and you get to spend some time with local members. All you would need to do is let me know as soon as possible through email that you want to invite other members to join you on a hike. Then just let me know the location and I can help get the location up on the ODHA website. This would be a free event for all of us! While we all may be in different locations, there is something about us doing a walk/hike within the same time frame that can start to bring in a sense of community.
Stay tuned for more information about local CE classes, RDH receptions, and other fun social events. As always, feel free to email [email protected] for more info or with questions or concerns you may have.
Together we Thrive,
Jamie Christianson RDH
South West Component Director
Metro East
Hello Metro East!
Well, it’s 2023!! I am so grateful to be the new director of your component and look forward to representing you as hard working, practicing hygienists, representing your interests and the field of dental hygiene in Oregon.
This month it’ll be a longer read as we have introductions to do!!
My name is Heidi Klobes. I graduated from Portland Community College in 2002, finished my Bachelors in Dental Hygiene in 2021 and am currently at Oregon State University in a Master’s of Adult and Higher Education. I am an instructor at Portland Community College currently and loving it! I have three sons aged 26 (Evan), 14 (Romeo) and 11 (Enzo). I am married to a supportive and wonderful man named Michael and we live in SW Portland near OHSU. I feel so grateful to be exactly where I want to be in my life!
As I mentioned, I recently went back to school in 2020 to attain my bachelors degree as I wanted more options for my professional career after 20 years in clinical practice. That Spring of 2020 the very reason I finally decided to pay my dues and join ADHA as well as get into leadership was the chart you see below:
Did you look at Oregon? (Upper left around 10 o’clock) Did you see all of the boxes and colors that are filled in!?!? Look at the color key on the right. The reason we as hygienists in Oregon have the privilege to practice on the level and scope we do IS THE ODHA. This is why being a member and advocate for your profession is so important. So if you are a member, thank you! If you are not, please know that your membership doesn’t benefit anyone other than you and your profession as we are all volunteers here representing you!
I don’t know about you but a career in hygiene changed my life as a first generation college student. It’s changed the trajectory of my children’s lives and opportunities as well. I want everyone to have the same opportunity I had.
Our privileges directly correlate with our income in each state. Check out Alabama on the chart (Lower right of the circle around 4 O’clock). Alabama’s average salary is $46, 920/yr per usawage.com which equates to about $22.50/hr!!! In Oregon, according to the same website the average salary is $86, 160 which equates to $41.42/hr (and I would argue that currently that is on the lower end of what we are making in Oregon per hour).
Needless to say, I am making the argument that your association is responsible for your ability to make a pretty fantastic living! The ODHA continues to work hard on your behalf in order to keep our profession growing onward and upward. This is why your membership is so important. This is also why your involvement is so important. Also, because we are healthcare providers, we care about people. As a collective we can volunteer and give back to our community. That is something we can do TOGETHER!!!
We are growing leadership “post-pandemic” as many hygienists who were leading previously have come to the end of their professional careers and are moving into retirement. We feel very excited about what we can do moving forward and most members are looking for ways to connect with each other, opportunities to mentor and volunteer, get continuing education and find ways to give back. We hear you and we are working on many exciting things for this year!
Next, I’d like to introduce your Chair, Beth Kreinheder:
Hello! My name is Beth Kreinheder and I am a recent graduate from Portland Community College’s Dental Hygiene Program. I am very passionate about improving the health and well being of others with the hopes of dissolving the barriers to accessing dental care. Outside of dental hygiene I love spending time with my dog and family, playing soccer, being in the sun, and going to many, many concerts. I turned 30 this month so I celebrated by going to South Beach, FL and getting all the sunshine with my boyfriend. I am very excited to be the Chair of the Metro East Component and working with you all!
Sincerely,
Beth Kreinheder RDH, BS, EPP
Here is a photo of myself and my two youngest boys!
Warmly,
Heidi Klobes RDH, BSDH
Metro East Component Director
Committee News
Professional Development
Next ZOOM Meetings: February 7 & 21 from 7 to 8 PM
Please contact the committee Chair, Jamie Christianson at [email protected] to sign up for access to the meeting links.
The Professional Development Committee is a great place for hygienists and students to get their feet wet at the state level. A bonus with joining our committee is that you get to meet with some of the state board members. Mostly importantly, you also get to see what goes into planning our educational and social events at the local and state levels. Our committee thrives on having members from multiple areas of focus within hygienists career and those in various stages of their career, from students to experienced hygienists.
While attending this committee's meetings on a regular basis would be the most beneficial for your experience and the association, attending only a few times is helpful too. Any member is welcome to bring their ideas and solutions to the board that might not of otherwise been thought of in the first place. You can always directly email the Chair of the committee as well to prompt further discussion.
This year's goal for the PDC is to shake things up with the way CE is presented and the fees associated with them and still help keep the association fiscally responsible and sound. This way, Oregon members will gain even more benefits of their membership dues to ADHA.
As Chair of this committee, my hope is that I inspired you to join us in 2023 for our meetings. I look forward to "seeing you" very soon.
-Jamie Christianson RDH
Educational Article - by Jamie Christianson
The What, The Where, The Why: Bringing up Sleep Disorders with Patients just got easier with a New Dental Sleep Center in Eugene
Health care providers are not only trained to ask good questions, but should be trained to ask the inquisitive ones. You know, the questions that lead to a successful long term outcome and working relationships between the provider and the patient.
As a dental hygienist, patients' expectations of us are that we are there to help them with finding out the status of their oral condition, explaining how we can help or who we can refer them to who can help. We can even help them explore their physical and medical reasons as to why their oral health is in a particular state. But how often do we look at the signs and symptoms that we acquire upon our time with them and connect that data to what may be happening to the rest of their well being? Yes, like helping our patients outside the mouth. Our profession already knows there are several links between the oral cavity and the rest of the body. But our scope of practice remains within the oral cavity.
So, where in the oral cavity can we help a patient to seek intervention to limit or get rid of these more generalized whole body symptoms? Why would we care to do this? Because it shows we care even more and this simple action has the potential to build even more personal rapport. Personalized health care in dental offices is even more important in today's society than it's ever been. This article is a reminder that we shouldn’t be ignoring the signs and symptoms we see through our “loopy” eyes or the ones we pick up on through our conversations with patients. These include things like chronic fatigue, enlarged tonsils, scalloped tongue, dark circles under their eyes, snoring, irritability, drooling, and visible mouth breathing. Now, I don’t have time to cover all those signs or symptoms, but I did want to take time to address at least a couple: chronic fatigue and snoring at home or in the dental chair.
Scenario Time! This has happened to me at least 10 times, that I can remember, in my 16 years of being a dental hygienist. Have you ever had a patient fall asleep in your dental chair? Complete with snoring and all? Then you or another clinician may come back with a comment that it's because the patient is just so relaxed and comfortable under your care that they can fall asleep. Now, hold on. If I were to only judge using this number on how relaxed and comfortable my patients have been under my care, then that comment doesn’t seem as good anymore. So, next time this happens to you, I encourage you, if you don’t already, to dive deeper into questioning as to why a patient of yours can fall asleep so easily in the dental chair.
Additional to the visual cues, you may find more red flags that lead to temporary sleep deprivation or a more serious undiagnosed level of sleep apnea. So, why not have your patient fill out a sleep screening form in the dental office? The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) is a great one to have in office. It's only 8 questions and easy to score.
The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) can be a helpful screening tool for determining whether a patient is dangerously sleepy and needs immediate therapy.
So, if you didn’t know what questions to ask before this, now you do. The new year is a great time to review office protocols. How does your office go about screening patients for sleep disorders? If you and your office already do this on a regular basis, then I congratulate you all because you are saving lives! If not so much, then it's a great year to start.
If you begin screening patients for sleep disorders, then you need to know what to do next for the patient. Do you send them to a sleep physician? Yes, that is an option, especially for high scores on the ESS. But what about those mild to moderate scores? Or when your patients have been told that it will be several months before they get in for a sleep test. Patients may also not want to go through the hassle of going to a medical sleep clinic for a milder case either. What about those patients that are aware they have obstructive sleep apnea and have tried the CPAP without much success. Where do those patients go? How about recommending your local Sleep Dentist to get started with Oral Appliance Therapy. That is if your office doesn’t already provide this kind service. Where can your patients get an at-home sleep test? Why is this next step so important for your patients? Because you want to see your patient improve. They may not know that their lack of quality and quantity of sleep is affecting the rest of their life.
Most dental providers are great at getting the conversation started so why not make sure you have the resources to help the patients follow up with their sleep? I am making a recommendation to all my colleagues to meet with your local sleep dentist, sleep physicians, and perhaps tour their sleep centers. Maybe even get an in-home sleep test done on yourself. Especially if you are finding that you are scoring on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale.
You don’t want to ignore your own health. Perhaps make that a local component activity -- tour your community’s sleep center.
My Interview with a Sleep Dentist
In January, I visited and interviewed Dr. Donald Dexter. He is a general dentist in the Eugene area who has studied and practiced dental sleep medicine extensively since 2012 and is the first Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine (ABDSM) in Lane County. ABDSM is the leading testing organization in the United States for dentists who treat snoring and obstructive sleep apnea with Oral Appliance Therapy. As the most qualified and experienced provider in the Lane County community, he is fully committed to treating this serious medical condition that is often undiagnosed or left untreated.
On Tuesday, January 24, 2023, he opened the Eugene Dental Sleep Center (EDSC). This center is the first BIPOC-owned medical and dental practice in Lane County. This specialized center will be exclusively providing treatment of low to moderate sleep apnea through Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT). OAT is frontline treatment of mild-moderate OSA and acceptable treatment of severe OSA if the patient has failed or is unable to use CPAP.
In contrast to a CPAP machine, Oral Appliance Therapy involves mouth guard-like devices worn only during sleep to maintain an open, unobstructed airway.
A tour of the center brought me through the reception area, evaluation room, O.A.T. delivery room, his office, sterilization, storage, a community room, and meeting gallery. It's a welcoming and calming practice. His services will include CT scan, visual examination, photos, at-home sleep test interpretation, custom Oral Appliance Therapy (several models to choose from), follow up, and sleep coaching with Dr. Dexter. Communication with referring dental offices is very important to the success of the Center. It's a win for patients and a win for airway conscious dental providers.
With this Center, Dr. Dexter hopes to close the gap in the community in getting patients with undiagnosed obstructive sleep disorders under the proper care. He reports that he is aware of another dental sleep clinic in the area and also knows of a few dental sleep clinics in the Portland area. Being able to open a new dental sleep clinic in the mid-valley is a huge benefit for all. Best of all, he stated that dental hygienists are ambassadors when it comes to screening and recommending patients to dental sleep centers.
As a side note, Dr. Dexter offered to host local ODHA CE or Socials at no charge at EDSC’s meeting gallery. He offered this because he wants to build community and show support for hygienists in the area. He is planning on having various health presentations for “Wellness Wednesdays,” which are mini-seminars that are open to the community.
There is also a RDH Open House Reception at the EDSC on Thursday, February 16, 2023 from 5pm to 7 PM. Come for refreshments, mingling, a tour of the center and to meet Dr. Donald Dexter for yourself.
Hope to see some of you at the RDH Open House Reception!
Written and Submitted by: Jamie Christianson, ODHA-SW Director
Advocacy
Taking on the role of Advocacy Director this year is a big challenge for me. I am excited to learn more about advocacy and how we as a profession can take a leading role in all matters associated with dental hygiene, but also provide leadership and perspective for all the dental professions.
We have an amazing committee of OBD representatives as well as representatives to other various committees and organizations. In addition, we would love to have additional members who can fill vacant spots as ODHA representatives, discuss and make recommendations as needed and plan advocacy events.
The advocacy committee will meet quarterly this year.
Please let me know if you are interested in joining the Advocacy Committee.
Karen Hall, BS, EPDH
Advocacy Chair
2023 Oregon Legislative Session
The 2023 Oregon Legislative Assembly will be in session for the purpose of lawmaking January 17, 2023 through June 25, 2023.The Oregon Legislature meets for a maximum of 160 days in odd-numbered years (long session) and for a maximum of 35 days in even-numbered years (short session). The 2023 Oregon Legislative Session will be a long session so it will meet for a maximum of 160 days.
The Oregon Dental Association (ODA) plans to request that the Oregon Legislature allocate $20 million toward projects intended to address the shortage of dental assistants & dental hygienists.
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) plans to introduce a bill that would remove the sunset date for the Oregon Dental Workforce Pilots Projects.
The ODHA will monitor & comment on bills related to dentistry throughout the 2023 Oregon Legislative Session. Please contact ODHA Advocacy Director Karen Hall at [email protected] for questions, more information, or comments about ODHA advocacy issues, and if you would like to become involved in ODHA Advocacy activities!
Oregon State Legislature FAQ’s
What does the Oregon State Legislature do?
The Oregon State Legislature creates new laws and amends existing laws including the laws that regulate dentistry in Oregon.
How long does the Oregon State Legislature meet?
The Oregon Legislature meets for a maximum of 160 days in odd-numbered years (long session) and for a maximum of 35 days in even-numbered years (short session). The 2023 Oregon Legislative Session will meet from January 17, 2023 through June 25, 2023.
What is the composition of the Oregon State Legislature?
The Oregon State Legislature is comprised of two chambers, the Senate with 30 members elected to serve four-year terms and the House of Representatives with 60 members elected to two-year terms. Each Oregonian is represented by one State Representative and one State Senator. Click here to Find My Legislator.
What is a bill?
A bill is a proposal to create a new law or to amend an existing law. In order to become law, a bill must be passed in both chambers, the Senate and the House of Representatives, in identical form.
How are bills numbered?
Each bill is designated by the chamber where it was introduced and a unique number. For example, Senate Bill 111 would have been introduced in the Senate, and House Bill 2222 would have been introduced in the House of Representatives. The bill retains this designation when it is considered in the other chamber.
The ODHA will monitor and comment on bills related to dentistry throughout the 2023 Oregon Legislative Session and keep you informed of their progress.
Please email ODHA Advocacy Director Karen Hall at [email protected] with any questions or more information.
Board Member Spotlight
Virginia Mattfeld, EPDH, BSDH
Virginia received her Associate Degree from Portland Community College in 2005 and a Bachelor's in Dental Hygiene at Eastern Washington University in 2019. She has been an active member of the American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) since 2012.
Virginia has had a small independent practice in a Wellness Center in SE Portland since 2012. She joined the Dental3 team in 2019 and has worked on school-based dental sealant, Head Start dental screens and the fluoride varnish program. She developed and presented oral health education, both on-site and virtual, during Covid for PreK and Head Start programs. She also works for ODS Community Dental and provides community outreach and foster child dental screening. She says that the best part of her job working in public health is getting to help diverse populations improve their oral health and educate them on caries and disease prevention. Virginia is excited about her new role as secretary for the Metro East Component and taking on more ODHA leadership roles in the future.
Virginia has traveled several times to Central America working at schools in the rural villages of Guatemala and Honduras.
Virginia and her husband, Eric, have two children. When she's not working, Virginia enjoys spending time with her family, creating art with mixed media, and loves Disney parks and cruises.
Membership Spotlight
Do you know an outstanding ODHA member? Perhaps it’s you? We would love to spotlight an ODHA member each month in the newsletter! Email us contact information and we will do the rest. Please email Tracy Brunkhorst at [email protected] and put "Member Spotlight" in the subject line.
Oregon Board of Dentistry News
Dental Therapy Update
Oregon Board of Dentistry issued the first license for dental therapy November 1, 2022.
As of January 13, 2023 the Oregon Board of Dentistry has issued eleven (11) Dental Therapy licenses. These dual licensed RDH/DT work for a multitude of different employers and in varying office settings, including Advantage, Capitol, Willamette, Virginia Garcia, Pacific University and one is in a private practice.
We would like to congratulate the first group of licensed dental therapist for your hard work!
Kimberly Perlot RDH, EPDH, BS, MAH, DT
Vice President ODHA
The Oregon Board of Dentistry will meet on the following Fridays during 2023:
| February 24 | August 25 |
| April 28 | October 27 |
| June 16 | December 15 |
Meetings are held at the Board office located at 1500 SW 1st Avenue, Suite 770, Portland, OR 97201. Anyone may participate in the Open Session portions of the Board meetings.
The agenda & public packet for Board meetings are posted approximately one week before each meeting on the Board website at www.oregon.gov/dentistry. Scroll down to About Us and click on Meetings. The public packet is usually more than 500 pages in length. We recommend that you review this document online, and only print pages if you need them.
If you would like to participate in the Open Session of any board meeting, please contact ODHA Advocacy Director Lisa J. Rowley at [email protected] for more information.
Volunteer Opportunity
COCC's Dental Assisting program holds a Dental Clinic for low-income individuals two Friday's a month during the academic year. We provide fillings and extractions and dental cleanings when we have dental hygienists who volunteer. We may have an opening this year on April 28th, otherwise we would need hygienists for next academic year.
How it works: Hygienists will usually have 3-4 patients scheduled from 8:00 am to 12 noon. Volunteers work with dental assisting students and earn 6 CE credits and the heartfelt appreciation from these patients. Plus, we really appreciate you too! We also provide coffee and snacks! It is a wonderful experience for everyone and I hope you will let me know if you are interested for next academic year. I will put you on our list to contact at the end of May and give you a clinic schedule for the 2023-2024 academic year so you can let me know what day would be the best for you!
If interested, please contact Lynn Murray at [email protected].
Upcoming Events
ODHA Continuing Education Events
| Metro East CE: OCD and Me | South West CE: Poor Oral Health and Cognitive Decline | |
| Presented by: Laine Aus Neale |
Presented by: |
|
| February 8 | 6:30 - 8:30 pm (2 CE hours) | February 15 | 6:00 - 8:00 pm (2 CE hours) | |
| In-person (only) in West Linn | Via Zoom | |
| Register Here | Register Here |
Social Events
July 29, 2023
Join ODHA President Tracy Brunkhorst and Immediate Past President Laura Vanderwerf at this summer's Bubble Run! Join ODHA's team and enjoy a fun time socializing with hygiene friends. Join the Team Here!
2023 National Dental Conferences in Portland, Oregon
In March 2023 two national dental conferences will be held at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. This is an incredible opportunity for you to participate in these events “in our own backyard.”
The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) will hold their 2023 Annual Session & Exhibition Saturday-Tuesday, March 11-14, 2023. This conference brings dental, allied dental & advanced dental educators & students together for world-class education sessions and a bustling exhibit hall filled with dental education’s leading partners. Click here for more information.
The American Association for Dental, Oral, & Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) will hold their 2023 Annual Meeting & Exhibition Wednesday- Saturday, March 15-18, 2023. This conference will provide scientists and researchers throughout the world with the opportunity to present, discuss and critique their investigations. If you are involved in dental, oral and craniofacial research, you should submit an abstract for consideration for presentation. Click here for more information.
World Oral Health Day
World Oral Health Day (WOHD) is celebrated globally each year on March 20. WOHD was launched by the FDI World Dental Federation to raise global awareness on the prevention and control of oral diseases. The purpose of WOHD is to empower people with the knowledge, tools and confidence to secure good oral health.
The campaign theme for 2021 through 2023 is “Be Proud of your Mouth.” WOHD hopes to motivate people to value and take care of their mouths and understand that by doing so they can also help protect their general health and well-being.
A variety of resources are available to promote World Oral Health Day including fact sheets, message cards, posters, and social media tools. All content is free to use by everyone as long as it's used in its original form (no modifications allowed) and doesn't promote a product or a business (i.e. dental practice).
World Oral Health Day is a great opportunity to generate wide-spread media coverage and to raise people’s understanding of the link between oral health and oral health.
For more information click on World Oral Health Day.
Membership Information
ODHA Membership Includes:
- Free CE (Local Component CEs and many ADHA webinars)
- Networking leading to career growth
- Community volunteering opportunities
- Special ADHA Discounts (use link below)
http://www.adha.org/resources-docs/74110_Membership_Affinity_Programs.pdf - Access Magazine
- Discounted conferences
- And much more!
Oregon Career Center
Visit the ODHA Career Center to find out about recent job openings such as these from Willamette Dental Group:
Dental Hygiene Instructor
Mt. Hood Community College
View Job
Dental Hygienist
Alsea Bay Dental Clinic in Waldport
View Job
Willamette Dental Group in Hillsboro
View Job
Willamette Dental Group in Bend
View Job
Traveling Dental Hygienist
Willamette Dental Group in Salem
View Job
Sign up for job alerts and receive an email when a new job is posted
Post a job: https://ordha.mcjobboard.net/jobs/post/add
Student Research Study
ODHA received the following research study request from Brenda Catalan, a dental hygiene graduate student from Idaho State University. She is doing a qualitative exploratory thesis research study on the phases of dental hygiene care provided by dental hygienists utilizing teledentistry. Dental hygienists have always put patient care first, and this situation was the same during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have utilized teledentistry in any way, she would appreciate you taking the time to fill out the screening questionnaire.
SURVEY (Deadline is February 15, 2023)
Please make sure to leave your contact information on the survey if you wish to participate in the study. If you do not qualify, but know of someone who would, please share their contact information with her at [email protected] so she can reach out to them.
ADHA Institute for Oral Health
In collaboration with the American Dental Hygienists’ Association and through the generous support of our donors, the ADHA Institute for Oral Health provides thousands of dollars each year to advance the profession of dental hygiene through scholarships, research and service!
They work to:
- Develop dental hygienists’ access to educational programs through Scholarships
- Support advancements in the dental hygiene profession through Research Grants
- Empower dental hygienists to improve the public’s health through Community Service Grants
The ADHA Institute for Oral Health is an exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; EIN 36-3468143.
Donate to Institute for Oral Health
Thank you to our Sponsor!
We've been fortunate to partner with Willamette Dental this year. Check out their website and job board!
Partner Organizations
January 2023
President's Message
Dear ODHA Members and Friends,
Last fall our distinguished Board members’ terms came to an end, and a new Board of Directors and future leaders joined our Board. I am honored to be your incoming President and I want to acknowledge the leadership provided by Laura Vanderwerf and last year's Board. I am excited to welcome the new class of Directors to the Board, new and returning members who I am certain will successfully fill their forerunners’ shoes!
Please join me in welcoming our 2022-2023 ODHA Board Members:
President-Elect: Karan Bershaw, VP: Kimberly Perlot, Treasurer: Lesley Harbison, Secretary: Reatha White, North West Director: DeAnn Dardis, High Desert Director: Sierra Schipper, Metro East Director: Heidi Klobes, South West Director: Jamie Christianson, Advocacy Director: Karen Hall, Membership Director: OPEN, At-Large Director: Rachel Patrick, and Student Liaison Director: Anna (AJ) Lewis.
I look forward to serving the ODHA as President, but I’m humbled too, especially considering the many outstanding, inspiring and tireless leaders who have kept this well-oiled machine running from year to year. I want to thank my predecessors who came before for their leadership and mentoring. Because of their achievements and continued support and dedication to excellence we stand on a firm ODHA foundation.
I have built relationships with many of you through ODHA, but for those I have not met, let me share with you my path towards becoming involved with this great organization. I started my career in North Dakota. When I joined ADHA in 1996 I soon found out that I had a huge opportunity for a chance on growth and how to pursue greatness alongside of my colleagues.
I took a chance on dental hygiene, I took a chance on connecting with peers, and I took a chance on volunteering and being in expanded practice. I also took a chance on being a member of leadership. In the beginning I didn’t think I could do any of these things. ODHA supports me in all these areas!
This year, I challenge us as members to take a chance on something, too. Maybe it’s personal, have YOU thought about leadership, expanded practice, volunteering, education or inviting a friend to a component meeting? Maybe it’s being the chance for someone else. Mentorship is a huge part of our organization. We give the chance to our patients for Oral Health every day. As providers we offer that opportunity and access to care. I can’t think of any greater gift!
The Board’s and my priorities will be to engage with members to become more involved with ODHA and to inspire more to join our membership. This next year at the component levels we will be having more in person meetings and CE. As always, we will continue our revolving CE track for online opportunities along with our annual ODHA conference in the fall.
I’m looking forward to a fantastic 2023 and I am grateful for your partnership and dedication to our Association to make it all possible!
Very Respectfully,
Tracy Lynne Brunkhorst, RDH, EPDH
#CHANCE
President
Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association
Component News
Northwest
I am delighted to introduce myself to my ODHA colleagues. I am DeAnn Dardis, hopeful future Director of ODHA NW Component. How exciting!
I am a native Oregonian, but I've lived in many places including Washington, California, South Dakota and Montana. My husband and I reside in Portland with our two spoiled dogs. When I am not teaching dental hygiene students at PCC you will find me on Mt. Hood. I love to ski! I am naturally curious, especially when it comes to learning about cultures different from my own. I believe in advocacy. I strive to use my gifts and passions professionally by teaching these important concepts to students. Currently, I enjoy teaching Community Oral Health, Pharmacology, Research and Local Anesthesia. It is with enthusiasm I step into ODHA leadership!
I am a graduate of PCC's Dental Hygiene Program. I received my BSDH at OIT. In addition to working in education, I've worked in private practice and public health. A highlight of my career was the month I spent in Thailand teaching dental hygiene skills to high school students. This is where I found my love for teaching!
My goal as a leader for the ODHA is to provide support to members and facilitate a fun and energetic presence in our community. I am committed to providing leadership in advocacy and to reach the underserved. I am thankful for the privileges our association has afforded our profession and now I am eager to give back through leadership. I look forward to collaborating and having fun with all of you and ODHA's outstanding leaders.
If you are interested in joining me, I am looking for partners in leadership. The NW Component has two positions open, Chair and Secretary. Let's work together to grow professionally and personally. We can do great things!
Warmly,
DeAnn Dardis, RDH, BSDH, EPP
High Desert
My name is Sierra Schipper and I’m the new director for the High Desert component! I’m an RDH at Denture Artistry Implants-Crowns-Veneers in Bend. Having only been licensed since June of 2021, I’m eager to learn and grow in my dental hygiene career as well as contribute to our association. Being in such a wide-spread component territory, it is our goal to increase membership by gaining better access to continuing education courses and study groups throughout our component.
“Talk soon!”
Sierra Schipper BS, RDH
Committee News
Advocacy
2023 Oregon Legislative Session
The 2023 Oregon Legislative Assembly will be in session for the purpose of lawmaking January 17, 2023 through June 25, 2023.The Oregon Legislature meets for a maximum of 160 days in odd-numbered years (long session) and for a maximum of 35 days in even-numbered years (short session). The 2023 Oregon Legislative Session will be a long session so it will meet for a maximum of 160 days.
The Oregon Dental Association (ODA) plans to request that the Oregon Legislature allocate $20 million toward projects intended to address the shortage of dental assistants & dental hygienists.
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) plans to introduce a bill that would remove the sunset date for the Oregon Dental Workforce Pilots Projects.
The ODHA will monitor & comment on bills related to dentistry throughout the 2023 Oregon Legislative Session. Please contact ODHA Advocacy Director Karen Hall at [email protected] for more information, questions or comments about ODHA advocacy issues and if you would like to become involved in ODHA Advocacy activities!
Board Member Spotlight
I am Kim Perlot and I work for Capitol Dental as a community outreach hygienist. I completed my undergrad and graduate degrees at Oregon Tech. As a community outreach EPDH I have worked in different medical/dental locations. I was the first hygienist to start and operate the Madras Integrated EPDH office for Gentle Dental. I recently completed the Dental Therapy pilot #300 at Pacific University.
I live in Bend with my significant other, Robin. He is a civil engineer who focuses on wastewater. I have two grown boys who work on tugboats on the Columbia River. My oldest son is married, and my youngest son just got engaged to his high school sweetheart.
My hobbies include lifting weights, running, paddle boarding, hiking, hunting, and overland camping. I enjoy reading and listening to podcasts. I love renovating and remodeling houses and bringing old furniture back to life.
Student Corner
The second-year dental hygiene students at Portland Community College (PCC) were ecstatic to learn they were selected as the 1st place winners of the 2023 ADHA Student Chapter Video Competition. It was a wonderful way to wrap the end of the fall term. ADHA and Heartland Dental partnered to provide dental hygiene students from across the country a platform to show the incredible work they are doing each day. PCC students shared their real-life perspective to dispel myths about being a dental hygienist. Watch the video HERE.
The 2nd year dental hygiene students were inspired by themes such as diversity, public health, and recognizing the dental hygienist as more than just a “teeth cleaner.” Todd Schreiber, one of the lead creators of the video, commented “the secret to their success was emphasizing the strong communal and familial bonds that dental hygiene students create while in school.” Once in the dental hygiene program, students from all over the world create life-long bonds based on friendship, respect and the experience of growing both personally and professionally to become competent and compassionate oral health care providers.
Brooke Hart, the second lead creator of the video, explained “I think the video shined through because of our incredible diversity and how that helps us reach a broader community.” She also shared “our class includes students that are either first generation college students or students who have immigrated from 11 different countries with at least 5 different religions. Despite these and other unique differences, we have bonded together with love and the common goal of helping people.”
The dental hygiene students are extremely grateful for the $2,000 prize to strengthen and support their student chapter. The faculty and staff at Portland Community College are proud of the students for collaborating to create such an amazing video. It is rewarding for the students to be recognized for their accomplishments and the remarkable skills and talents they bring to the dental hygiene profession.
Submitted By:Jessica August, CDA, RDH, BSDH, MSDH
Director of Dental Sciences
Portland Community College
Student Research Study
ODHA received the following research study request from Brenda Catalan, a dental hygiene graduate student from Idaho State University. She is doing a qualitative exploratory thesis research study on the phases of dental hygiene care provided by dental hygienists utilizing teledentistry. Dental hygienists have always put patient care first, and this situation was the same during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have utilized teledentistry in any way, she would appreciate you taking the time to fill out the screening questionnaire.
SURVEY (Deadline is February 15, 2023)
Please make sure to leave your contact information on the survey if you wish to participate in the study. If you do not qualify, but know of someone who would, please share their contact information with her at [email protected] so she can reach out to them.
Oregon Board of Dentistry News
ODHA Reps to Standing Committees of the Board
At the beginning of each year, the Oregon Board of Dentistry asks the ODHA to submit the names of dental hygienists who will represent the ODHA on standing committees of the Board. The ODHA has a representative on each of the following standing committees of the Oregon Board of Dentistry: Communications, Dental Hygiene, Dental Therapy Rules Oversight, Enforcement & Discipline, Licensing, Standards & Competency and Rules Oversight.
Standing committees of the Oregon Board of Dentistry meet to discuss issues that are referred to them and then make recommendations back to the Board. Standing committees may or may not meet throughout the year. Representatives to these standing committees serve for one year, from April to March, and may be reappointed. The ODHA representatives to these standing committees are appointed by the ODHA President with approval of the ODHA Board of Directors. This is a volunteer position with no remuneration and no reimbursement for expenses.
If you are interested in representing the ODHA on a standing committee of the Oregon Board of Dentistry this year contact ODHA Advocacy Director Karen Hall at [email protected] by January 20, 2023.
Upcoming Events
Oregon Board of Dentistry - February Board Meeting
The Oregon Board of Dentistry will meet on Friday, February 24, 2023 at the Board office located at 1500 SW 1st Avenue, Suite 770, Portland 97201. The agenda for this meeting will include a Zoom link for participants who would like to attend virtually. Anyone may participate in the Open Sessions of the Board meeting.
The agenda and public packet for this Board meeting will be posted approximately one week before the meeting on the Board website at www.oregon.gov/dentistry. Scroll down to About Us and click on Meetings. The public packet is usually more than 200 pages in length. We recommend that you review this document online, and only print pages if you need them.
If you would like to participate in the Open Sessions of this or any future board meeting, contact ODHA Advocacy Director Karen Hall at [email protected] for more information. Upcoming Oregon Board of Dentistry meetings will be held on the following Fridays: April 28, June 16, August 25, October 27 and December 15.
In March 2023 two national dental conferences will be held at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. This is an incredible opportunity for you to participate in these events “in our own backyard.”
The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) will hold their 2023 Annual Session & Exhibition Saturday-Tuesday, March 11-14, 2023. This conference brings dental, allied dental & advanced dental educators & students together for world-class education sessions and a bustling exhibit hall filled with dental education’s leading partners. Click here for more information.
The American Association for Dental, Oral, & Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) will hold their 2023 Annual Meeting & Exhibition Wednesday- Saturday, March 15-18, 2023. This conference will provide scientists and researchers throughout the world with the opportunity to present, discuss and critique their investigations. If you are involved in dental, oral and craniofacial research, you should submit an abstract for consideration for presentation. Click here for more information.
World Oral Health Day
World Oral Health Day (WOHD) is celebrated globally each year on March 20. WOHD was launched by the FDI World Dental Federation to raise global awareness on the prevention and control of oral diseases. The purpose of WOHD is to empower people with the knowledge, tools and confidence to secure good oral health.
The campaign theme for 2021 through 2023 is “Be Proud of your Mouth.” WOHD hopes to motivate people to value and take care of their mouths and understand that by doing so they can also help protect their general health and well-being.
A variety of resources are available to promote World Oral Health Day including fact sheets, message cards, posters, and social media tools. All content is free to use by everyone as long as it's used in its original form (no modifications allowed) and doesn't promote a product or a business (i.e. dental practice).
World Oral Health Day is a great opportunity to generate wide-spread media coverage and to raise people’s understanding of the link between oral health and oral health.
For more information click on World Oral Health Day.
February is Children’s Dental Health Month
February 2023 is National Children's Dental Health Month (NCDHM) brought to you by the American Dental Association (ADA). This month-long national event brings together thousands of dedicated professionals, health care providers and educators to promote the benefits of good oral health to children, their caregivers, teachers and many others.
The NCDHM Program Planning Guide provides program coordinators, dental societies, teachers and parents with resources to promote the benefits of good oral health to children. The guide includes easy-to-do activities, program planning timetable tips, a sample NCDHM proclamation and more.
To learn more about National Children’s Dental Health Month please visit: ADA.org/NCDHM. You can also order FREE Posters or purchase Postcards, and download materials.
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Membership Information
ODHA Membership Includes
- Free CE (Local Component CEs and many ADHA webinars)
- Networking leading to career growth
- Community volunteering opportunities
- Special ADHA Discounts (use link below)
http://www.adha.org/resources-docs/74110_Membership_Affinity_Programs.pdf - Access Magazine
- Discounted conferences
- And much more!
Oregon Career Center
Visit the ODHA Career Center to find out about recent job openings such as these from Willamette Dental Group:
Dental HygienistSign up for job alerts and receive an email when a new job is posted: https://ordha.mcjobboard.net/jobs
Post a job: https://ordha.mcjobboard.net/jobs/post/add
ADHA Institute for Oral Health
In collaboration with the American Dental Hygienists’ Association and through the generous support of our donors, the ADHA Institute for Oral Health provides thousands of dollars each year to advance the profession of dental hygiene through scholarships, research and service!
They work to:
- Develop dental hygienists’ access to educational programs through Scholarships
- Support advancements in the dental hygiene profession through Research Grants
- Empower dental hygienists to improve the public’s health through Community Service Grants
The ADHA Institute for Oral Health is an exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; EIN 36-3468143.
Donate to Institute for Oral Health
Thank you to our Sponsor!
We've been fortunate to partner with Willamette Dental this year. Check out their website and job board!
Partner Organizations
Sponsor Ads
