In this issue:

President's Message
Upcoming Events
Looking Through the Lens
Dennis Muir Scholarship Winners
Dental Hygienist Members of the Oregon Board of Dentistry
OPHA 2020 Annual Conference
ODHA Board Profile
OBD News
Facebook Page
Component Events
Membership Information

ODHA Appreciates our Sponsors!

June 2020

President's Message

Greetings ODHA Members!

If it hasn’t happened already, many of you will be returning to your place of work in the near future. With that in mind this month’s theme is leadership.

First let’s talk about what leadership is and isn’t. We are not suggesting that you try to take charge of decisions or give directions to people if that’s not already your role. What we are suggesting is that you become a valued resource that can help guide the dental office particularly when it comes to infection control protocols and returning to a fully functional practice.

We understand that some of you are struggling with how to best approach your employer to discuss the details of when reopening takes place and best practices to be followed. We would like to help guide you with talking points and resources so that you can help influence and direct your dental teams with useful information and possibly shape your future as well as that of others.

Clearly every situation will differ, and you will need to navigate through your particular circumstances to determine what is right. You, of course, need to also be an advocate for your own safety. One especially good resource is provided by the ADHA which includes things to consider prior to opening (link is provided here). Additionally, we are very pleased to provide a resource page on our ODHA website that I think you will find especially useful (link is provided here).

While it may be difficult to have the conversations, it is important for you to understand the magnitude of the exchange. As dental hygienists, we know too well how our work impacts our patient’s overall health and our role as a valuable prevention specialist. Our patients have neglected dental hygiene services during the last several months and many are happy to make an appointment and get their needed services. Many of the same people are looking to your office for guidance and assurance to know that they are being treated with the most appropriate protocols and that there is a reasonable concern for their well-being. While you have routinely met this need throughout your career, it is now especially important to consider the possibility of being a valued resource. As a resource you can guide the conduct and influence the decisions that help put the best protocols into place for the well-being of the patient as well as the practice. I think that many of you will find that your employer wants to do the right thing and will welcome a resourceful and enthusiastic team member who can be a part of the solution and guide others to participate in the methods that will work best for everyone.

I am confident that Oregon dental hygienists are resilient and will become stronger because of the challenges you are facing. This is a perfect time to be leaders in your dental teams, leaders in your community, and leaders in your association. We are stronger, together.

Tiffany Foy, EPDH
ODHA President
#Inspire

May 17, 2020 Board of Directors Meeting

Upcoming Events

ODHA Board Member Lori Killen Aus will be presenting in a free CE course through OHSU!

Lori Killen Aus, EPDH, M.A. has been a practicing dental hygienist for almost 40 years. She has worked in private practice dental offices as well as served in public health settings, offering free preventive oral health care to the uninsured. In 2011 Lori began her own mobile preventive oral health practice serving those who lack access to care. Her business, Oral Health for Life, LLC, takes preventive oral care into care facilities and homes. Lori has a heart for working with those who have challenges and disabilities. Lori contracts with Exceptional Needs Dental Services and Prime Mobile Dental. As an adjunct professor for dental hygiene programs, Lori enjoys taking students on rotations, whether in care facilities or free oral health clinics. As a past President for Oregon Dental Hygienists' Association, Lori remains active on the board as well as holding a position on an advisory board for Mt Hood Dental Hygiene program. Lori received an Outstanding Achievement Award in 2017 from ODHA and the Lynn Ironside Access to Care award in 2019.

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2020 Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference

New Month, New Location!

The 2020 Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference (ODHC) will be held on Friday & Saturday, October 23 & 24, 2020 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Portland Washington Square in Tigard, OR. Mark your calendars & watch for information coming soon!

Do know a great speaker you wish you could attend at a CE event? ODHA is looking for recommendations for speakers to invite to the 2020 Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference. Email [email protected] with your recommendations!

Looking Through the Lens

Oral Health Literacy

No doubt many of you have been homeschooling children in the last couple of months. Or perhaps you have been asked by friends to help with a health unit for someone else’s child, drawing on your vast oral health knowledge and resources. I have written and sent out five age-appropriate lessons for kids of various ages using oral health literacy materials and books I have found. There are great resources available to use so the wheel need not be reinvented unless one has the energy and desire to do so.

But one thing I struggle with finding is oral health books for kids which demonstrate oral health literacy. To be oral health literate, the books must use simple language and preferably be in multiple languages. In addition, they should have accurate content and lack biases. For instance, the message should be accurate even if in simple language. Does sugar cause cavities? Not necessarily. But germs in our mouth certainly can cause disease. Good brushing and cleaning between our teeth can prevent cavities and gum disease. Eating and drinking too much sugar or other sweet or sticky foods is also not good for your teeth. Note the short sentences, simple language, and accurate statements.

Another thing I look for, besides accuracy, is a positive message. As much as I love the famous brother and sister bears, it is not helpful that brother terrorizes sister with an image of the dental office as a scary place. Sure, the story ends well, but dental providers must fight that image constantly so I would never have that book in my library. The loveable Dr. has a tooth book which sends the message that people without teeth did something bad. We want to foster compassion and send the message that we can restore health because teeth are important to healthy living.

Sometimes we find a book that has simple language, an accurate message, positive story and we think we have finally found the perfect book, like I did when I found First Time Dentist by Jess Stockham.

Unfortunately, the example of the child who goes in for a check up and has a cleaning and no cavities is Caucasian and the child who needs to have fillings is likely not Caucasian. Now you may be thinking this is not a big deal. May I refer you to what happened when the American Red Cross used this poster for years before someone pointed out how racially inequitable and biased it was?

I am quite sure the American Red Cross did not intentionally call out Caucasian kids as good kids and others as misbehaving rule-breakers. But we do need to have sensitivity to this as we purchase books for our oral health libraries.

This leaves me with a few books that have strong oral health literacy and pass the Cultural Competency test for me-

Daniel Goes to the Dentist- Positive message for first dentist trip, staff wears PPE (except eye protection)
I Lost My Tooth! - Positive and fun, extra animal and human teeth facts, and who doesn’t love Mo Willems?
Tooth Trouble- Young walrus gets tusk fixed, encourages without shaming Grandpa to get tusk fixed
Open Wide- Great for older kids, uses fun cartoons. BUT says baby teeth keep the mouth healthy and clean while guiding the permanent teeth in, which I have never heard to be true.
Happy Teeth! Dientes Felices! - Great for expectant moms and moms of babies/toddlers, in English and Spanish

With Cultural Competency and oral health literacy in mind, what are your favorite oral health books?

Please send me your list (with reasons why you like the books) and I will post them next month! [email protected]

Doing our best,
Karen Hall, RDH EPDH

Dennis Muir Scholarship Winners

WINNERS FOR THE 2020 DENNIS MUIR SCHOLARSHIP ARE ANNOUNCED

The Dennis Muir Scholarship Committee met virtually on May 15, 2020 to select the Dennis Muir Scholarship winner and Awards of Excellence. The Committee is happy to announce that for the first time ever two $3,000 Scholarships will be presented and one Award of Excellence. In addition, the awardees will have their registration paid for the Saturday session of the Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference. We are pleased to announce the Scholarship winners; Bree Oreskovic from Lane Community College and Silvia Santellano from Pacific University. Our Award of Excellence winner is Courtney Bielawski from Mount Hood Community College.

Congratulations to all!

Dental Hygienist Members of the Oregon Board of Dentistry

The Oregon Board of Dentistry (OBD) consists of 10 members appointed by the Governor and subject to confirmation by the Senate. All members of the Board must be residents of Oregon. Of the 10 Board members, 6 must be active licensed dentists, 2 must be active licensed dental hygienists and 2 must be members of the public.

Dental hygienist members of the Board are selected by the Governor from a list of three to five nominees submitted by the Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association (ODHA). Board members serve for a 4-year term and may be re-appointed for a 2^nd term.

The current dental hygienist members of the Oregon Board of Dentistry are Yadira Martinez and Alicia Riedman.

Yadira Martinez, RDH, EPDH will serve as the 2020-2021 President for the Oregon Board of Dentistry. She is beginning her 7^th year on the Board and her current term expires April 1, 2022. Yadira lives in Hillsboro and works as an expanded practice dental hygienist with the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center, a federally qualified health center that provides integrated medical, dental and behavioral health services for underserved patients in Washington and Yamhill Counties. Yadira provides dental hygiene services for children and young adults up to age 21, as well as for pregnant women and patients with diabetes, at Virginia Garcia’s dental clinics and school-based health centers. Yadira has a passion for public health and has been working with Virginia Garcia since 2000.

Alicia Riedman, RDH, EPDH will serve as the 2020-2021 Vice President for the Oregon Board of Dentistry. She is beginning her 6^th year on the Board and her current term expires April 1, 2021. Alicia lives in Eugene and works as an expanded practice dental hygienist for the Community Health Centers of Lane County, a federally qualified health center. For over twelve years she has been a member of a team of expanded practice hygienists that provide on-site dental prevention services to Head Start, Early Head Start, WIC, Relief Nursery, Summer Migrant Program, as well as elementary, middle, and high school students. Alicia uses portable dental equipment to provide oral health assessments, teeth cleaning, fluoride varnish, sealants, and oral health instruction. As a third generation dental professional, it is her passion to provide dental care to these underserved children.

2020 Annual Conference – Call for Presentations

Do you have a public health topic that you would like to present as a course, panel discussion or poster at a state conference? The Oregon Public Health Association (OPHA) is accepting abstracts for their 2020 OPHA Annual Conference & Meeting to be held virtually on Monday & Tuesday, October 12 & 13, 2020. It would be great to see some dental public health presentations at this conference.

Abstracts will be accepted until June 19^th. You do not need to be a member of OPHA to present at this conference. However, all presenters must register for the conference. No exceptions will be made.

ODHA is an organizational member of the Oregon Public Health Association. We encourage all dental hygienists to consider presenting at the 2020 OPHA Annual Conference & Meeting. For more information about OPHA & this conference click on www.oregonpublichealth.org.

ODHA Board of Directors Profile

Hi! My name is Lesley Harbison and I've been a dental hygienist for 20 years. I've worked private practice for about 18 years but about 3 years ago I began to teach full time and I love it. I also have a passion for our older adult population and have worked in direct access. I discovered in the last 5 years that I also love to write, who knew!

I have two daughters, thirteen years and 20 months, they keep me on my toes. When I am not working, I love to spend time with my girls, go for walks, acrylic paint and garden.

I love being a member of our association and all of the wonderful things it offers us as professionals. It provides a voice so we can guide our own profession, it offers camaraderie and a community of like-minded people. And even if we are not like-minded, that is alright because there is a seat at the table for all of us to discuss our personal views! I hope to see you at a component meeting!

Oregon Board of Dentistry News

OREGON BOARD OF DENTISTRY - BOARD MEETING

The next meeting of the Oregon Board of Dentistry will be held Friday, June 19, 2020. This meeting will likely be held as a teleconference to comply with physical distancing. Anyone may participate in the open session 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. 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 this or any future Board meeting, please contact ODHA Advocacy Director Lisa J. Rowley for more information. Upcoming Oregon Board of Dentistry meetings will be held on August 21, October 23, and December 18.

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NON-PATIENT CLINICAL BOARD EXAMS
ACCEPTED FOR DENTAL & DENTAL HYGIENE LICENSURE IN OREGON

Applicants will no longer need to take a live patient clinical board examination in order to obtain a dental or dental hygiene license in Oregon. At their April 24 meeting, the Oregon Board of Dentistry clarified that the dental practice act allows them to accept results of examinations administered by regional or national testing agencies who administer Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) clinical board examinations to fulfill the clinical board examination requirement for dental and dental hygiene licensure in Oregon. An OSCE is a non-patient multiple-choice written examination that is used to determine if a candidate has the clinical knowledge and skills required for entry-level practice.

This is not just a temporary change due to the COVD-19 global pandemic. The ODHA, the Oregon Dental Association, the dean of the OHSU School of Dentistry and the Oregon dental hygiene program directors have been working toward the elimination of live patient clinical board examinations for several years. This is a great example of what can happen when professionals work together to advocate for change.

ODHA Facebook page

Have you liked or followed our Oregon Dental Hygienists' Association Facebook page? We are deleting our Facebook component pages June 1, 2020 - so we can house all events and information on our association page.

Give us a "like" today - so that you can continue to follow the important news and activities from your association!

Component News and Events

Want to know what CE courses or events are coming up in your area? Visit: http://www.odha.org/events for information or to register for component and state events!

South West Component

Greetings fellow Hygienists!
I wanted to update you all on what SW component has been up to in 2020 so far.

As of January, we have hosted 4 credit hours in the topics of Sleep Apnea by Dr. John Sullivan (on-site) and Preventative Ergonomics by Brian Wilkinson (via Zoom). Our members also brought together hundreds of toothbrushes, floss, and various other hygiene supplies at the end of 2019 that were donated to Eugene’s Women’s Space in 2020. We also hosted our first virtual coffee hour entitled “Cup of RDH Talk” with the topic going back to work safely with COVID-19 in mind.

At this last virtual meeting, the open format intrigued members from all over the state and we stayed online for an hour. Many shared how their offices are preparing for patients and themselves to go back to work. There are various approaches and products that are out there to help dental teams go back to work safely such as getting the correct N95 masks to fit and gowns to implementing chair side and whole office filtration systems. Several of the members commented that they haven’t gone back to work, as their office isn’t ready or there has been a delay in getting proper PPE. There was also a wealth of information in sharing highlights from current CE that members took recently in addressing concerns around working with COVID-19 and vendor sharing of where supplies are being found. We even had one of our members model their homemade surgical cap. We also found out that there was only a very small percentage that had already been back at work since Governor Kate Brown lifted the ban on non-emergency medical procedures on May 1st. Those that have returned reported helping out with their friend’s dental office to seeing patients with a revised schedule.

SW members also stayed online for another hour to discuss what they feel is a value in their ADHA membership and looked at ways to help encourage non-members to sign up for membership. The biggest value reported was a sense of community followed by CE opportunities.

As your Chair, I don’t want to see our sense of community and opportunities to network suffer during this pandemic. That's why our leadership team is looking at more possible virtual social hours, mornings and evenings, with focus topics for discussion, until we can meet again in person along with planning for future community service projects. Hmmm….I wonder if we can create a virtual community service project? Thoughts?

SW Members are also welcome to our SW leadership planning meeting on Thursday, June 4th from 6:30 PM to 8:30PM via Zoom. We will be reviewing component goals, networking opportunities, brainstorming CE topics/speakers, and looking into community service projects. In the meantime, I also want to encourage you to check your emails for updates on virtual meetings hosted by ODHA’s 3 other components as well. It's a great way to support our fellow components' efforts in bringing together these CE opportunities for all! Don’t forget to share with your dental team about the great classes that are offered through ODHA & ADHA too.

Thank you everyone who participates in these events and I look forward to seeing more of you soon. Please feel free to contact me via email with any questions, concerns, topic ideas, or if interested in learning more about leadership opportunities.

Sincerely,
Jamie Christianson, ODHA- SW Component Chair

Membership

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!

Affiliated Organizations

May 2020

President's Message

Greetings ODHA Members!

We are all living in a unique time and a unique set of circumstances that provides us with both challenges and opportunities that we might not otherwise have. I do not wish to use this newsletter to provide you with the common warnings and precautions that I am sure by now you’ve heard many times. Rather, I would prefer to provide you with some ideas about making the best so that you can return to work as well prepared as possible.

With many of us having either no work or reduced work hours, we have possibly some time in our lives to take care of tasks that we have been putting off. Some tasks might be related to our profession like getting more continuing education hours. Other tasks may be more personal like learning a new hobby, taking care of yardwork or cleaning out some portion of our home that we have been neglecting.

Additional time in our lives may also give us the opportunity for self-care. Exercise, rest or other means of providing kindness to ourselves can be a great way to recharge our souls and prepare us for returning to work.

Lastly, there are those connections which may need attention in our lives. Contacts with friends and family members and other loved ones can be enhanced at this time if we make deliberate effort. I plan to hold a fun Virtual Happy Hour via Zoom for members as one means of connecting with others. Last month, we held our first Zoom CE and plan to have more in the future! Be sure to check the ODHA website and your email often for upcoming events.

Ultimately, we are privileged to be in a great profession in the state that we live in and we owe it to ourselves, as well as our patients to return to work with our minds clear and our attitudes refreshed.

Tiffany Foy, EPDH
ODHA President
#Inspire

Upcoming Events!

Virtual Happy Hours

ODHA Members - We want to SEE you! Join us for a virtual Happy Hour to socialize, share, and just "check-in". No agenda, just spending time with each other the safest way we can right now. We miss you and hope you'll join us via Zoom on April 30.
Date: Thursday, April 30, 2020
Time: 5:00 - 6:30 pm
Register Here!

ODHA Student Members - We want to SEE you! Join us for a virtual Happy Hour to socialize, share, and just "check-in". No agenda, just spending time with each other the safest way we can right now. We miss you and hope you'll join us via Zoom on May 7.
Date: Thursday, May 7, 2020
Time: 5:00 - 6:30 pm
Register Here!

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2020 Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference

New Month, New Location!

Get Involved!

Have you ever wondered how to get involved with your dental hygiene professional organization? Do you know someone that would be a great mentor or leader? It is time to start thinking about ODHA’s board elections in October. We have several leadership positions open. Only want to be involved for a project or want something that doesn’t involve a lot of time or commitment? Consider volunteering for a committee or component role. Want to have a bigger impact on the future of our state organization, consider a board position. If your interest is on a grander scale and you want to see how our National organization decides on policy, check out a Delegate position. Info can be found on our website.

Looking Through the Lens

People First Language

There is so much to learn about how to treat others with kindness and respect. It seems like everyday I catch myself saying something, or almost saying something, that I shouldn’t without even thinking about how it might be taken by the person to whom it is referred or to whom I am addressing.

I learned the phrase People/Person First Language recently and was embarrassed to admit (to myself) that I inadvertently used incorrect language on a regular basis not even considering its effect on a person or a group of people.

Here is an example of a few that were presented to me during a Cultural Competency course I recently attended in Eugene.

X She’s confined to a wheelchair + She uses a wheelchair

+ He has diabetes X The diabetic man

X They’re crazy + They have mental illness

X The disabled + People with disabilities

People/Person First Language puts the person before the disability, emphasizing the person’s humanity and not defining them by their disability. Using a diagnosis as a defining characteristic reflects prejudice, and also robs the person of the opportunity to defend himself (Kathie Snow, “A Few Words About People First Language”, 2009, www.disabilityisnatural.com) Don’t we all want to be defined by our humanity first?

Improving how we communicate to show respect and kindness takes effort. Sometimes I get mid-sentence and forget the best way to phrase something in the kindest way. I am a work in progress and an old dog who doesn’t learn new tricks very easily. But I really am trying, and I know other fellow travelers on this road of life would not intentionally hurt someone else’s feelings. This is yet another opportunity to offer grace to those who are at different levels of the People/Person First Language fluency and an opportunity to start practicing this language so that it becomes as fluent as our primary language.

Doing our best,
Karen Hall, RDH EPDH

Oregon Board of Dentistry News

At their April 24, 2020 meeting, the Oregon Board of Dentistry elected Yadira Martinez, RDH, EPDH to serve as their President and Alicia Riedman, RDH, EPDH to serve as their Vice President for 2020-2021.

We believe that this is the first time that any state board of dentistry has elected dental hygienists to serve in both of these officer positions at the same time! Congratulations!

OREGON BOARD OF DENTISTRY - BOARD MEETING

The next meeting of the Oregon Board of Dentistry will be held on Friday, June 24, 2020. This meeting will likely be held as a teleconference to comply with physical distancing. The open session of this Board meeting is scheduled for 7:30-9:30 AM. Anyone may attend the open session 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. 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 this or any future Board meeting, please contact ODHA Advocacy Director Lisa J. Rowley for more information. Upcoming Oregon Board of Dentistry meetings will be held on August 21, October 23, and December 18.

OREGON BOARD OF DENTISTRY - STANDING COMMITTEES

ODHA representatives to the Standing Committees of the Oregon Board of Dentistry for May 2020 to April 2021 are: Lesley Harbison – Communications; Kris Johnson – Dental Hygiene; Jill Mason – Enforcement & Discipline; Susan Kramer – Licensing, Standards & Competency; Lisa Rowley – Rules Oversight. Standing Committees of the Oregon Board of Dentistry meet to discuss issues that are referred to them and then make recommendations to the Board. Standing Committees may or may not meet throughout the year.

ODHA representatives to these Standing Committees are appointed by the ODHA President with approval of the ODHA Board of Directors. These are volunteer positions with no remuneration and no reimbursement for expenses. If you are interested in representing ODHA on a Standing Committee of the Oregon Board of Dentistry, please submit the Volunteer Interest Form on the ODHA website.

BLS FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENT & RENEWAL

The Administrative Rules of the Oregon Board of Dentistry require licensees to maintain at all times a current BLS for Healthcare Providers certificate or its equivalent. Licensees who hold an anesthesia permit for moderate sedation, deep sedation, or general anesthesia must maintain at all times a current BLS for Healthcare Providers certificate and a current ACLS or PALS, whichever is appropriate for the patient being sedated.

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak and Oregon’s current state of emergency, all licensees and applicants who are required to maintain a BLS for Healthcare Providers certificate or its equivalent, ACLS and/or PALS certificates that expired starting March 1, 2020 are allowed an extension of up to 120 days, until June 30, 2020 to come into compliance. Failure to come into compliance after June 30, 2020, may result in Board investigation and/or discipline.

Student Section

A highlight of Portland Community College's final year of dental hygiene school encompasses a community outreach project intended to identify underserved populations, address barriers to care, and advance oral health education within our communities. This year PCC Senior Dental Hygiene students Jacklyn Ferraris and Alyssa Lynch established collaboration between the PCC dental clinic and Veteran Resource Centers located on each of the four PCC campuses (Cascade, Rock Creek, Southeast, and Sylvania).

The primary goal of this collaboration was to increase awareness of and access to no-cost dental care for PCC student veterans. There is a common misconception that when veterans return home they have access to dental coverage, but for the majority of veterans this isn't the case. Currently, The Department of Veteran's Affairs provides dental benefits to 8% of the veterans enrolled in the VA health care system. The remaining 92% of veterans must pay out of pocket, use private dental insurance or go without critical dental services (Department of Veterans Affairs, 2019).

The PCC dental clinic will be relocating to Downtown Portland in 2021, which places it in a more central location to all PCC campuses. The move will hopefully increase accessibility to dental services for many. The relationship between the dental clinic and the PCC Veterans Resource Centers will be strengthened through PCC’s Student American Dental Hygiene Association (SADHA) Chapter. Each year a new dental hygiene student will be elected to function as Veteran Resources Liaison and will act as a point person for staff of the PCC Veteran Resource Centers. This position is tasked with ensuring the collaboration will sustain into the future; expanding critical services for student veterans, while providing dental hygiene students with an opportunity to serve and learn!

2020 Oregon Legislative Session Wrap-Up

ODHA supported the following dental-related bills during the 2020 Oregon Legislative Session:

Senate Bill 1549 did not move out of the Senate Health Committee. This bill would have created a licensed dental therapist for Oregon. The committee members expressed support for the concept of a dental therapist, but they had many questions about the bill related to educational requirements and scope of practice. Committee Chair Laurie Monnes Anderson is putting together a work group that will clarify these issues and recommend changes to the bill for the 2021 Oregon Legislative Session.

Senate Bill 1550 did not pass. This bill would have allowed expanded practice dental hygienists to perform interim therapeutic restorations (ITR) per an agreement with a licensed dentist. This bill is based on Dental Pilot Project #200 where EPPs are providing IRT for children in schools who do not otherwise have access to dental care. The Senate passed this bill unanimously, but it was still waiting for a floor vote in the House of Representatives when the legislative session ended. This bill will likely be introduced again for the 2021 Oregon Legislative Session.

Remember to Vote!

The Oregon Statewide Primary Election Day is Tuesday, May 19, 2020. Political parties use primary elections (also called primaries) to determine which of their candidates will go on the ballot for the general election in November. If you want to vote in the Democratic Party primary you must be registered as a Democrat. If you want to vote in the Republican Party primary you must be registered as a Republican.

All elections in Oregon are conducted by mail. Ballots for this primary election were mailed to registered voters beginning April 29^th. You should have already received your Voters’ Pamphlet in the mail. You can return your ballot by mail, take it to your local elections office, or drop it in one of the many drop boxes throughout the state. Your ballot must be physically received by 8:00 PM on May 19^th. Postmarks do not count. If you have questions about voting in Oregon you can call 1-866-673-8683 or call your county election office.

ODHA Facebook page

Have you liked or followed our Oregon Dental Hygienists' Association Facebook page? We are working toward moving all our component pages to our state association page - so we can house all events and information in one place.

Give us a "like" today - so that you can continue to follow the important news and activities from your association!

Oregon 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, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you might not have access to your regular sources of continuing education so start planning now.

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 effective January 1, 2021 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 HERE.

Component News and Events

Want to know what CE courses or events are coming up in your area? Visit: http://www.odha.org/events for information or to register for component and state events!

High Desert Component

High Desert has postponed our May 16th CE event. We are hoping to reschedule it for fall!

Metro East Component

Metro East has canceled the May CE as well as the June student event. These will be re-scheduled this fall.
The annual Lois Whitford Memorial Scholarship fundraising dinner has been canceled.
The Lois Whitford Memorial Scholarship has selected the 2020 winner. Out of all of the submitted essays, one stood out - a unanimous decision - as the one who most clearly captured the essence of Lois Whitford's character, determination and spirit. Please join us in congratulating Valentina Martushev. Valentina is a graduating senior at Portland Community College and will be introduced at the Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference this fall. As not all of the Dental Hygiene programs utilize the WREB, the recipient will receive a scholarship in the amount of the cost of the current WREB exam. This amount can be used for any of the other examining agencies. Congrats, Valentina, and welcome to an incredible profession!

Membership

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!

Affiliated Organizations

April 2020

President's Message

Greetings ODHA Members!

I hope everyone is enjoying the new season of spring. If you have been more stressed then usual lately, I encourage you to take time for self-care this month. For me, self-care is getting outside for a walk during my lunch break or drinking some herbal tea in the evening. What does self-care look like for you during a busy week?

As you have heard, the Oregon Dental Conference has been cancelled. This means that our “All RDH” event is cancelled too. I would like to thank everyone who volunteered to organize the event and the amazing sponsors. We appreciate you!

Last month, I got the chance to speak with the students at OIT in Klamath Falls. While preparing for my presentation, I was able to reflect on the benefits of membership and what students need to know about ADHA. These are my top 5 reasons why I think new graduates benefit from membership.

Local networking to help you find a job and meet dental hygienists in your area.
Local continuing education and volunteering opportunities.
Access to the latest information about our profession.
Advocacy to move our professional forward and protect what we have fought for.
Mentorship and leadership opportunities to help you reach your career and leadership goals.

The members of ODHA and ADHA that I have met over the years have been some of the most inspiring people in my life. They have inspired me to grow both professionally and personally. If I had never been a member, I would not be where I am today. I am proud to be a member and I believe that the benefits are truly priceless.

If you are interested in becoming more involved on a state or local level, please email [email protected] The open leadership positions include Vice President, Secretary, Advocacy Director, High Desert Director, Metro East Director, and At-Large Director. There are chair and secretary positions open for the local components as well. If you want to learn more about each position, click here.

Tiffany Foy, EPDH
ODHA President
#Inspire

Upcoming Events!

2020 Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference

New Month, New Location!

The 2020 Oregon Dental Hygiene Conference (ODHC) will be held on Friday & Saturday, October 23 & 24, 2020 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Portland Washington Square in Tigard, OR. Mark your calendars & watch for information coming soon!

COVID-19 Updates

ADHA has developed a webpage dedicated to COVID-19 information specifically for the dental hygiene community that includes ADHA's interim COVID-19 policy, FAQs, and actions that dental hygienists can take today. If you have COVID-19 specific questions, please share them directly with ADHA. Here is a video message from ADHA President Matt Crespin: Watch now:

Looking Through the Lens - Cultural Sensitivity

This month’s ODHA newsletter is a good time to start a monthly column on health equity, diversity and inclusion. While our focus has rightly been on the impact COVID- 19 in our daily lives and in our dental offices, I would like to share an idea how we can look through the lens of cultural sensitivity to make our world and local spaces just a little better and more positive.

Culture can be defined in many ways, but I would like to present this picture to think in terms of defining culture.

If we look at culture in this global view, we can and should increase our cultural sensitivity and awareness in terms of how a person interacts or thinks and not just their language or practices. It is much easier for us to see visible signs of culture if we narrowly define it in terms of language, practices or outward appearances. But when we broaden that definition to encompass how a person interacts with another person or how one thinks, or what one’s value system is, there is no way for us to anticipate reactions to stressors or changes happening. Developing cultural sensitivity can help us to adapt to persons who have different experiences, thoughts, values and practices than we have.

Here are some things I have been practicing to develop deeper cultural sensitivity-

A non-medical/dental person “hoarding” gloves or masks may have reason for their behavior- can I show non-judgmental sensitivity and not mention that medical and dental personnel actually NEED these items?
A person who seems to be over or under reacting to the pandemic may have a reason for their reaction- can I try to not respond either way to them, but just be kind?
A coworker who is panicking over hours being cut may have real concern over lost wages that he or she cannot disclose- can I offer to limit my hours so that person can have more hours?
An over-wrought parent who is trying to find ways to occupy their child’s time is using video games and television for many hours, way more than I would think is “good for their child”- can I print off dental worksheets that are age-appropriate from dental resources such as Mouthhealthy? Or offer to take the kids for hikes or outings to a park? And do it without mentioning the hours of screen time?

As dental hygienists we have a great opportunity in the next few months in our professional and personal lives to show compassion and the willingness to do any job needed for the dental team and community in which we live. How we present ourselves with kindness and grace will speak volumes to our coworkers, friends and families. Let’s practice cultural sensitivity to those around us and hope others will extend grace and kindness in return when we fall short and need grace extended.

Doing our best,
Karen Hall, RDH EPDH

Board Member Spotlight

Kris Johnson, RDHAP, MS graduated with an associate degree in dental hygiene from Shoreline Community College in Washington State, a Bachelor of Business Management from St Mary’s College of California, and her master’s in dental hygiene at Idaho State University.

Kris is an active member of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association, the Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association/North West Component.

Her experience in the field of dental hygiene includes writing, speaking, consulting, corporate, teaching, and research; her passion lives in education.

In April of 2019, Kris relocated from the San Francisco Bay Area back home to Portland to help take care of her ailing mom. Currently, she is a full-time clinician in both Tigard and Lake Oswego, OR.

Oregon Board of Dentistry News

OREGON BOARD OF DENTISTRY MEETING

The Oregon Board of Dentistry will meet on Friday, April 24 as a conference call instead of in person. The open session of this board meeting is scheduled for 7:30-9:30 AM. Anyone may participate in the open session of the board meeting. The agenda and public packet for this board meeting will be posted on the board website approximately one week before the meeting. 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 attend the open session of this or any future board meeting, please contact ODHA Advocacy Director Lisa J. Rowley for more information. Upcoming Oregon Board of Dentistry meetings will be held on June 19, August 21, October 23, and December 18.

The Licensing, Standards & Competency Committee meeting that was also scheduled for April 24th has been cancelled.

Student Section

OREGON TECH DENTAL HYGIENE- CHEMEKETA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

INTERNATIONAL EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM - 2019

PROGRAM GOALS: Impact the lives of communities in Grenada by providing free dental care and promote oral health.

PROGRAM LOCATION AND DATES OF TRIP: Grenada in the Caribbean Islands. August 7th - August 17th, 2019

This was the first time for the OIT Dental Hygiene Program to travel to Grenada. Although the previous IEP group provided great insight into what to potentially expect, we did not know what was to come and, for a few of us, we had never been out of the country. This experience challenged us in multiple aspects. For example, we began with no supplies and had to work extremely hard to gather donations. We barely made it to the deadline, but we succeeded with more supplies than what was required for the trip.

Another way this experience challenged us was in our ability to be adaptable to unexpected situations. We worked nonstop for four days in the community clinics. We saw multiple children, patients with medical complications, and patients who have never had a cleaning. We never knew who would be in our chair next, but we treated everyone with the care they deserved. The work was hard, but we saw the positive change we were making in the people of Grenada, which motivated us to work harder. We were able to build comradery with the locals by celebrating with them during their Carnival and gain a better understanding of their culture. The kind and grateful nature of the locals and patients we became friends with impacted us in many ways. Never have we regularly seen patients so excited to receive dental care. Overall, we are thankful to have been a part of the IEP and make such an impact in the lives of others. This experience helped improve our ability to be better, more versatile clinicians.

The following quote represents how much appreciation we felt from the people of Grenada: “To the world, you may be one person, but to one person, you may mean the world.”

TEAM MEMBERS: Samantha Phillips, Katherine Li, Kyndall Marelich, Brittany Eggers, Danielle Wiles, Mackenzie Hosley, Melissa Goyins, Olivia Burger, Maira Martinez, Michelle Robinson, Carissa Welding, Sharon Crawford (INSTRUCTOR)

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Oregon Primary Election

Are You Registered to Vote?

The next Oregon Statewide Primary Election Day is Tuesday, May 19, 2020. Political parties use primary elections (also called primaries) to determine which of their candidates will go on the ballot for the general election in November. If you want to vote in the Democratic Party primary you must be registered as a Democrat. If you want to vote in the Republican Party primary you must be registered as a Republican.

The last day to register to vote in this primary election or to change your party affiliation for this primary election is April 28th. You should update your voter registration if you have moved, changed your name or mailing address or if you want to change your party affiliation You can register to vote online.

All elections in Oregon are conducted by mail. Ballots for this primary election will be mailed to registered voters beginning April 29th. You can return your ballot by mail, take it to your local elections office, or drop it in one of the many drop boxes throughout the state. Your ballot must be physically received by 8:00 PM on May 19th. Postmarks do not count. If you have questions about voting in Oregon you can call 1-866-673-8683 or call your county election office.

ODHA Facebook page

Give us a "like" today - so that you can continue to follow the important news and activities from your association!

Component News and Events

Want to know what CE courses or events are coming up in your area? Visit: http://www.odha.org/events for information or to register for component and state events!

High Desert Component

Welcome Brittaniy, High Desert Chair

Brittaniy Buckingham, BS EPDH
Membership and ODHA Leadership

I decided to become a member of ADHA/ODHA because of the benefits not only to myself, but also the profession of dental hygiene. I feel encouraged that as a member I can learn about special events and continuing education, as well as professional networking. As a member I am confident that if I have any questions or concerns with the practice of dental hygiene or dentistry overall, I can reach out to ODHA for support. With an ADHA membership I have access to valuable resources to promote myself as a hygienist as well as a leader in the community and at the dental office.

Not only am I a member of ODHA and ADHA, I am a component chair for the High Desert district of Oregon. I wanted to be more involved with ODHA because I love being able to offer support to those who are trying to improve the practice of Dental hygiene. I enjoy planning events and offering support to local leadership for encouraging involvement of ODHA.

Metro East Component

Our March meeting was cancelled due to instructor illness. We will reschedule.

We did have a wonderful community outreach at the Compassion clinic March 7th. We set up 4 mobile chairs and had 7 students from Mt Hood serve un-insured community members. One community member had cancer and had begun chemotherapy. His physician wanted him to have oral preventive therapies. He could not afford it, so waited for this clinic to have care. He and his wife spoke no English but communicated very effectively their gratitude.

There was no April meeting to encourage everyone to go to the ODC - which is cancelled.

Next meeting:
May 13, 2020 | 6:00- 8:30 | 2574 Troy Ct., West Linn
This course will be taught by Karan Bershaw and will be on Integrating Preventive Strategies into our practices as we implement Caries Control.

North West Component

Hello from your NW directors, Leslie & Kris,

Before COVID-19 pandemic struck, we had a CE course on February 20^th at St Vincent’s Hospital in Souther Auditorium from 6-8pm. Kris Johnson spoke on “A Look at the National Landscape of Dental Hygiene Practice and Licensure” She discussed the results of her graduate research regarding what it takes as a new graduate of a dental hygiene program to become licensed in our states across the Nation. She also addressed future work models, what that might look like for hygienists, and how it relates to our level of education.

Given the current self-quarantine, stay tuned for updates on our next CE course (May). We’re hoping all will be well and back to normal by then, if not we may be presenting via Zoom!

March 31, 2020 | 6:00 pm | Location: Zoom Meeting
Pacific University Seniors present their Capstone projects.