ODHA is committed to providing advocacy, professional development and networking opportunities for dental hygienists and the dental hygiene profession.

April 2021

President's Message

Happy Spring!

It's rainy, windy and sometimes chilly….and the daffodils are blooming, so it must be the start of spring. Spring makes me think of renewal, a new start, and graduation! Congratulations to the new dental hygienists from Oregon Institute of Technology’s Klamath Falls and Chemeketa campuses. I look forward to seeing pictures of all the graduates this year as each of you complete your programs!

ODHA has been hard at work on a couple of upcoming programs. Hopefully these will be of interest and get lots of participation from you, our members.

First and most importantly, we are working on getting CE’s available to everyone (virtually), with a track for those required CE’s we need for license renewal, a track for other interesting and informative topics geared around specific themes, and a track for getting out and helping our communities. Your Professional Development team has been hard at work making this a reality for all of us.

The Leadership Development and Student Relations Committees are working on a Mentorship program to support the dental hygiene students and recent graduates as they are work toward becoming dental hygienists. Please consider being a mentee and support our future colleagues. Watch the website for details!

Finally, an organization is only as strong as its membership involvement; please consider volunteering with ODHA. This can be on one of the many committees, or leadership within your local component or at the state level. There will be several openings on the ODHA board when this term is up in November. I’m “Daring” everyone to consider adding your talents to our organization’s team! The Leadership Development Committee is developing a Leadership Workshop to help those interested in leadership opportunities. If interested, please email us for more information. It’s never too early to start considering how you can best help your dental hygiene organization and profession!

Laura Vanderwerf, RDH BSDH
President
Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association
#Dare

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ODHA Joins National Partnership for Dental Therapy

The ODHA has added our name to a list of over 130 groups from across the country who support the National Partnership for Dental Therapy. You can see all of the organizations that have endorsed dental therapy here. 

Dental therapists are midlevel dental care providers who work with a dentist in the way that a physician assistant works with a physician. Dental therapists can expand access to dental care by helping dentists to provide more dental care to more people at a lower cost.

Dental therapists can provide routine dental care such as drilling & filling teeth, placing temporary crowns & extracting loose teeth, thereby freeing up the dentist to provide more complex dental care to other patients at the same time. Dentists have found that adding a dental therapist to their practice is an efficient and cost-effective way to expand access to dental care while maintaining the safety and quality of dental care that all patients deserve.

Today, dental therapists are delivering oral health care to thousands of people in the United States who otherwise would not be able to receive it. Dental therapists are improving access to preventive and early dental care, as well as oral health education, resulting in fewer people needing more costly, invasive treatment.

For more information about the National Partnership for Dental Therapy click here. 

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Being on the Right C.E. Track

Continuing education is all around us! It’s a good thing too because as a dental professional we all need it in order to renew our license every 2 years. Over the years, I noticed that dental hygienists and dentists alike tend to either just take the bare minimal number of courses or become known as a C.E. junkie taking every class or course offered. I fall between the two depending on what's going in my life. Although I tend to go for the latter because opportunities are endless. I don’t want to be caught off guard from knowing the latest in dentistry.

It's been a year already since the pandemic changed the way we get together and it’s time for me (and perhaps other component leaders) to get back on track for planning the year ahead and beyond. As the Southwest Component Chair, the leadership team and I weren't very successful with planning any additional educational or social events past April of 2020. However, the creation of the R.D.H. Virtual Symposium and various Zoom socials put on by O.D.H.A. kept membership connected via Zoom! What a difference the distance learning option made for our members throughout our 9 counties to be able to participate at these O.D.H.A. events without leaving their homes.

In the Fall, I decided to participate on the Professional Development Committee (P.D.C.) for the first time to see how we could keep this togetherness alive even after the pandemic. Then after listening to the other members in the committee, I felt that our Association’s method for organizing continuing education could even be better at the component level. Even when a member falls into just taking the bare minimal classes. I also feel strongly that “professional development” should include building up individuals to their full potential as a dental hygienist and becoming their best self. I have felt this type of professional development recently as a member and wanted to share with you all.

On March 6, 2021 at the O.D.H.A. Board meeting, I presented a full on slide presentation with the idea of C.E. tracks to show how they could create not only opportunities for our members in getting consistent C.E., but open the doors for our members to become leaders within their local component. My ideas and thoughts were welcomed and appreciated by the Board members as they saw how this arrangement could affect all areas of the Association in a positive light. I felt heard and appreciated the time I took to present my solution to my professional Association. The Board approved my ideas for the Professional Development Committee to move forward in developing a “Required C.E. track for the 2021-2022 continuing education season. Because organizing an ongoing “Required C.E. track” that comes directly from the state level seems like the right thing to do at this time.

For several years, the required course would be sporadically offered throughout the individual twelve, now four, components. This worked very well for those members in components with active leadership. Unfortunately, with having to drive an hour or several more to the meeting itself, many other members would have to look elsewhere for these required courses. The committee felt that this way of generating these important classes wasn’t effective enough for all members.

While these required courses did bring in funds from members, potential members, dentists, and dental assistants within the local components; the funds usually stayed at the local level and weren’t shared with other components. So through reassigning required course planning to the ODHA’s Professional Development Committee, a “Required C.E.” track of classes can be accessed by ALL members no matter where you reside. Leaving the component leaders more time to focus on gathering local speakers in topics for patient care. This also opens the opportunity for our four components to develop their own community service program(s) and social events.

One way the P.D.C. plans to give access to ALL our members is through the continued use of Zoom access. Even when classes can resume in person, hopefully starting this September, there will be a system in place so that distant members can log-in to live presentations with a dedicated host to help make sure your questions or comments are being heard at the time of the class being presented. My hope is that while working on the committee, we will be able to reveal more types of CE tracks in addition to the “Required C.E.” track at the Annual Dental Hygiene Conference this Fall. Can you imagine all of ODHA leadership working together to create “Themed C.E” track or an “EPDH C.E.” track or an “Educator’s C.E.” track throughout the year?

I can’t wait to see you there! As always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like to know how you can be a part of this developing line of education as a member on the Professional Development Committee.

ODHA’s next upcoming course, hosted by SW component, will be “Infection Control with Layered Protection” by Tiffany Neufeldt sponsored by Denstply Sinora on Thursday, April 22, 2021 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM through Zoom. Registration will be on the ODHA website soon.

Another class hosted by SW component this Spring, “Making Sense of Pharmacology” on Thursday, May 13, 2021 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM through Zoom. Registration will be on the ODHA website soon.

To a Happy & Healthy Spring!

Jamie Christianson, RDH, EP, ODHA -SW Chair, P.D.C. member

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Metro East Component to Receive ADHA Award

In early December, I saw an email come through from ADHA that was a last call for submissions for the awards that are given at the annual conference. I decided to take the time to read through and see if there was one that was a good fit for an individual or group I knew. I stumbled upon the “ADHA Community Outreach Award” sponsored by Colgate, which aims to recognize a group or individual who has demonstrated expertise in implementing a community outreach program focused on preventive health and oral health care.” Immediately I thought about Compassion Clinics, which our dental hygiene program at MHCC has been actively involved with, along with faithful partners (Lori Killen Aus and Carol Lincer) from our local component -Metro East. So I sent the email along to Lori K. Aus, and Jennifer Aubry and Tracy Brunkhorst, faculty at MHCC who join in serving at Compassion Clinics, together with our students. We had a very tight deadline for submission…but we got to work and pulled it off in a couple days. My hope was that this award would highlight the important mission of Compassion Connect’s free medical/dental clinics and hopefully inspire more practicing RDHs and dental hygiene programs to get involved with serving to help our neighbors in need. It made my day when Tracy called me to let me know our hygiene component won this national award!!! It really does take a village to pull off events like Compassion Clinics. It has been a privilege to serve alongside some of the best hearts and hands in hygiene at these events. Tracy, Lori and I plan to travel to Phoenix for ADHA’s Awards Reception, held on Saturday, June 19th in the evening. We’d love to have any other representatives from our component or wonderful State of Oregon join in celebrating this honor at ADHA Annual Session!

To learn more about the work of Compassion Connect or to get involved, please visit: www.compassionconnect.com, or email [email protected] to get plugged-in.

Here’s our program information, used in our award application:

Compassion Clinics are regular free dental, medical, and social services outreach events run by Compassion Connect, a local non-profit. The first clinic event was hosted at Mt. Hood Community College Dental Hygiene program in 2006. Since then, the ongoing clinics held each year have multiplied...and spread across the metro area. Our local component together with MHCC Hygiene program, offers free hygiene services for the underserved in order to help close the gap in access to care. The event ensures patient and volunteer safety by adhering to applicable national and local infection control guidelines; with a COVID re-opening plan in place.

This is a program where a community of professionals come together to create an amazing arena to serve the less fortunate. The need is great in our Portland Metro area and the lack of care available for these individuals is low. Thus, we as a strong and loyal group have formed a collaboration between licensed professionals, instructors, and students to serve this community through Compassion Connect.
Here, there is a platform to provide service through facilitating events at local churches and event centers to accommodate the setup of general dentistry and dental hygiene. The equipment is top-notch and we are able to treat and care for people. Through a very organized process the guest enters the facility and fills out simple paperwork: medical history, consent and then proceeds with care. These mini clinics serve hundreds of underserved in one weekend. Since the beginning of these clinics over 37,000 people have been served, according to the Compassion Connect website.
We see our objective of providing services to those in need being met at each one of our clinics. Patients are receiving dental cleanings, fluoride varnish and SDF, as well as OHI and oral hygiene supplies at these events. Long term effects on our community include a safety net of basic dental services that are provided on a regular basis. The clinics occur multiple times throughout the year, and even sometimes consecutive weekends quarterly. This allows for patients to be aware of the services available to them and those they know who also need this care. Some patients are able to receive one service, such as a dental filling at one event, and then return for a cleaning at the next; or have additional teeth worked on at future clinics.

The beauty of this model is that there is plenty of room for additional Components and hygiene programs to participate and serve the community/Compassion Clinics nearest them. Schools can develop contracts with Compassion Connect (as MHCC has) which allows for their students to volunteer at these events, as enrichment sites, providing clinical services under the supervision of faculty supervisors. The experiential learning for students is priceless, and the satisfaction for both faculty and students from making a tangible difference in the lives of their community members is indescribable.

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Oregon Tech Dental Hygiene Program

March is an exciting time for the Oregon Tech Dental Hygiene Program. Students from both educational sites (Salem/Chemeketa and Klamath Falls) finally crossed the finish line of their educational journey. They have completed their national board examinations as well the various clinical examinations required for licensure. And to top it all off they are officially done with school. In the middle of March both program sites held their pinning ceremonies. The Salem campus has twenty graduates, and the Klamath Falls campus has nineteen. ODHA President Laura Vanderwerf was able to attend the Salem Campus ceremony to deliver congratulations to their graduates and present the students at that site with the ODHA Future Leader Award. Let’s all welcome these hard-working individuals to the ranks of full-fledged colleagues. Several of them already have jobs awaiting them too. This is wonderful news. Please see the list below for the individuals who received special recognition and awards. 

Check out some of the highlights from OIT Chemeketa's Pinning Ceremony! Mouse over each picture for a description.

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 2021 Oregon Legislative Session

Oregon Board of Dentistry News

APRIL BOARD MEETING

The Oregon Board of Dentistry will meet on Friday, April 16, 2021. This meeting will likely be held as a Zoom conference to comply with social distancing. Anyone may participate in the Open Session portion 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 June 18, August 20, October 22 and December 17.

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Thank you to our Sponsor!

We've been fortunate to partner with Willamette Dental this year. Check out their website and job board!

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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!

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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!

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Affiliated Organizations

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March 2021

President's Message

Celebrate Dental Assistants March 7-13, 2021!

Before becoming a dental hygienist, I was a dental assistant for 10 years.  Anyone that has been a dental assistant, knows that the dental assistant is the glue that holds an office together.  Their job not only revolves around helping the dentist, but also ordering supplies, maintaining equipment and helping the hygienist. A good dental assistant ensures that the flow of the office is smooth, and knows where everyone is in their schedules, always looking ahead to possible roadblocks and bottlenecks. 

So, during Dental Assistants week, I “DARE” you to thank your dental assistants. Give them a social media shoutout, let them know that you see the work they are doing and that you appreciate them.

For me…thank you to all the dental assistants I have worked with in the past, and especially to our current dental assistants, Katy Broyles and Denise Kaufmann for all your hard work!

Laura Vanderwerf, RDH BSDH
President
Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association
#Dare

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Dental Assistants Recognition Week - March 7-13, 2021

Dental Assistants Recognition Week (DARW) will be observed March 7-13, 2021. “Dental Assistants – Our Heart Goes into Every Smile” is the theme for this year and acknowledges the growing importance of dentistry's role in health care and the responsibilities of dental assistants. Today's dental assistants strengthen the entire dental team and enhance patient satisfaction. Dental assistants are committed to professional development and quality dental care.

Please take time to celebrate the dental assistants who work with you during Dental Assistants Recognition Week.

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Providing Clinical Care to ADHA

Have you ever felt silly for missing an obvious difference in your patient’s mouth? I have.  Then the realization of absent mindedness sticks around until I, yet again, updated my mental checklist when going about patient care.

The point of all this... Well, I have been feeling similar as a member of ADHA.  Could I be missing my obvious role as a ADHA member? If you are catching yourself saying, what?  Then hang in there with me for a few more moments. It’s kind of like ADHA is my patient that I check in with on occasion and ODHA is their mouth. What do I see? Will it always be the same mouth, or will there be changes that have gone unnoticed? When I do see changes, how will I go about understanding them? Should I just assume I know that answer and so does the patient? No. It’s never good to assume. One of the services that I provide for my patients is sharing my knowledge and experience through engaging with the patient to find out what they know. Then and only then can I be better prepared to assist.

Ok, you may be thinking just too abstract.... but just think about it. Without the patient we don’t have the mouth, and without the mouth, we don’t have anything to examine or to improve as a dental health care professional.  As members we need to know when to jump in and engage with our Association. Why not start where we feel most comfortable? The mouth, ODHA in this case.

But I was always led to believe that the Association is there to take care of us, the members.  What do I get out of being a member? What do I get out of taking care of a patient’s mouth? A paycheck? Yeah! But there is and can be so much more when it applies to your professional association.

While COVID-19 has taken a toll and created a need for change on how communications and social activities were handled this past year, the ODHA, like several of our patient’s mouths, is in need of attention. So, I am asking members for just a moment or two to look at your membership as a care provider role for ADHA.  I have a few examples below, but I bet you can think of more. If you do, I would love to hear from you.

1. Provide care to the Association through your annual dues every year. Thank goodness for quarterly payments!
2. Provide positive feedback by sharing what it means to you to be a member with the Association and with other non-member hygienists to perhaps gain their membership. Remember we are stronger together!
3. Calling all members, clinicians at heart, to engage in your professional Association. Not just by looking at the mirror but engaging with your experience for a healthier tomorrow. We just can’t ignore the obvious. Let’s come together, work together, for a better future. Help stabilize our Association’s mouth through inquiring about taking on roles to lead or be on a committee within your component or at the state level.  Currently, there are several positions open within local components and state level.

In return, the Association’s body (aka. Patient and the patient’s mouth) will feel well and give back to the provider in more ways than you can count. Leaders who volunteer in the Association will work even harder for members to protect them and bring in opportunities to achieve professional and personal growth!  Then the relationship of members with their Association, like the clinician and their patient, becomes a symbiotic one. Then out of this healthy relationship comes referrals. We all love referrals!  In this case, it’s the referrals to our hygienist colleagues that may have missed the obvious difference in one’s mouth to help them learn and grow. 

The collaborative efforts between branches of our Association have been critical throughout this time and will continue to be as members and potential members move through 2021 & 2022. Members are needed as clinicians are needed. Is it your time to provide care for the ADHA?

In the meantime, I look forward to meeting up with fellow hygienist again soon and I encourage you to keep checking in on your “patient’s mouth” for updates in growth opportunities for leadership, social activities, and more.

Jamie Christianson, RDH, EP, ODHA -SW Chair

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Mars Wrigley Foundation’s Healthier Smiles Community Service Grant Program

The ADHA Institute for Oral Health will be opening a second round of applications for the Mars Wrigley Foundation’s Healthier Smiles Community Service Grant in order to maximize the generous funds offered by the foundation. This community service grant opportunity is designed to support licensed dental hygienists and current ADHA members who are implementing a community health program or project within the communities where they live and work.

The application will open on March 5th and will close on March 31st. Please direct potential applicants here or have them contact [email protected] for more information.

An applicant should be prepared to:

• Provide basic contact information
• Identify the problem by clearly describing and documenting the need for the project. Identify why the project is creative and contemporary. Identify the interprofessional collaborative partnerships employed in this project.
• Clearly and logically describe the planning, implementation, and evaluation process.
• Present a clear and sound budget identifying how the grant funds will be utilized in the Project Budget task. In this section, discuss the sustainability of the project after the grant period ends.

Please Note:

• Current ADHA Institute Board of Directors, ADHA Board of Trustees, and members of the Community Service Grant Review Committee may not apply for this grant.
• Grant recipients are not eligible to apply for this funding cycle two years in a row; this promotes self-sustainability.
• A full list of 2021 round one recipients are listed on the website under the Mars Wrigley Foundation’s Healthier Smiles Community Service Grant section; please use the community service link below.

I am asking you to share this limited-time opportunity with your states. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on community service programs and access to oral care. IOH has a tremendous opportunity to support projects and programs in need. Please direct interested members to the link below or have them reach out to [email protected].

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2021 Oregon Legislative Session

Oregon Board of Dentistry News

APRIL BOARD MEETING

The Oregon Board of Dentistry will meet on Friday, April 16, 2021. This meeting will likely be held as a Zoom conference to comply with social distancing. Anyone may participate in the Open Session portion 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 June 18, August 20, October 22 and December 17.

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Thank you to our Sponsor!

We've been fortunate to partner with Willamette Dental this year. Check out their website and job board!

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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

In the ODHA Southwest Component, call it the Lower Left quadrant, we are fortunate to have a wonderful local team of leaders for the last two year with Paige Holt as our Director, Sarah Melten as our Secretary, and me, Jamie Christianson, your component Chair. This Fall we will be searching for a new Chair as I move on to Director. So, if you are a part of the Southwest region, please contact me if you are interested and I can assist you in learning more about the position.

Jamie Christianson, RDH, EP, ODHA-SW Chair 

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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!

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Affiliated Organizations

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February 2021

President's Message

As dental hygienists our job is to educate about the dangers of our food and drinking choices to our patients, and when those patients are children, to their parents or caregivers. According to the CDC, about 1 of 5 (20%) children between the ages of 5 and 11 years and 1 of 7 (13%) adolescents aged 12 and 19 have at least one untreated decayed tooth. And those children aged 5 to 19 from low-income families are twice as likely (25%) to have cavities compared to children from higher-income households (11%).

It is important that we are teaching our patients and/or their parents how important children’s oral health care is. I often hear from parents that they are “only baby teeth,” as if because they will eventually lose them, they hold no value. These parents are surprised when I let them know that children can suffer toothaches due to cavities, and that these teeth hold an important role as space maintainers for their future adult teeth.

This month I DARE each of you to reach out and use ADA’s tools to educate your patients about the importance of children’s oral health care. Sponsor a coloring contest using the coloring sheet, a poster contest using the slogan (Water: Nature’s Drink), or a dental health essay contest for older kids. In your offices, you can create an oral health bulletin board with tips and messages or hang posters promoting oral health. You can find the resources here.

Laura Vanderwerf, RDH BSDH
President
Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association
#Dare

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National Children's Dental Health Month - Water: Nature’s Drink

Sipping, Snacking and Tooth Decay

Many parents across the country will issue a common refrain at dinnertime tonight: ―You’d better eat that--it’s good for you! There’s another old favorite in the parental arsenal of dietary admonitions: ―Don’t eat that—it’ll rot your teeth! Now more than ever, kids are faced with a bewildering array of food choices -- from fresh produce to sugar-laden processed convenience meals and snack foods. What children eat and when they eat it may affect not only their general health but also their oral health.

Americans are consuming foods and drinks high in sugar and starches more often and in larger portions than ever before. It’s clear that junk foods and drinks gradually have replaced nutritious beverages and foods for many people. For example, in the U.S., on average, individuals consume approximately 50 gallons of sugary beverages per year! Alarmingly, a steady diet of sugary foods and drinks can ruin teeth, especially among those who snack throughout the day. Common activities may contribute to the tendency toward tooth decay. These include ― grazing habitually on foods with minimal nutritional value, and frequently sipping on sugary drinks. Consuming too much sugar can also affect your overall health, such as becoming overweight/obese, or getting heart disease or type 2 diabetes.

When sugar is consumed over and over again in large, often hidden amounts, the harmful effect on teeth can be dramatic. Sugar on teeth provides food for bacteria, which produce acid. The acid in turn can eat away the enamel on teeth.

Almost all foods have some type of sugar that cannot and should not be eliminated from our diets. Many of these foods contain important nutrients and add enjoyment to eating. But there is a risk for tooth decay from a diet high in sugars and starches. Starches can be found in everything from bread to pretzels to salad dressing, so read labels and plan carefully for a balanced, nutritious diet for you and your kids.

Reduce your children’s risk of tooth decay:

• Sugary foods and drinks should be consumed with meals. Saliva production increases during meals and helps neutralize acid production and rinse food particles from the mouth.
• Limit between-meal snacks. If kids crave a snack, offer them nutritious foods.
• If your kids chew gum, make it sugarless – Chewing sugarless gum after eating can increase saliva flow and help wash out food and decay-producing acid.
• Monitor beverage consumption – Children should make healthy beverage choices such water and low-fat milk.
• Help your children develop good brushing and flossing habits.
• Schedule regular dental visits.

Visit the CDC overview here

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On Friday January 22^nd over 160 dental hygiene students who attend the various dental hygiene programs in the state of Oregon attended the first annual ODHA Student Dental Hygiene Conference. This virtual event was jam packed full of fun and information just for the student dental hygienist.

There are so many highlights which I will review, but the most important is that this program was planned by students for students. Along with the assistance of Amy Coplan, the students helped create practically every aspect of this event. We all met virtually four or five times to get the creative juices flowing. Even after long school days, students and faculty advisors showed up to collaborate (see list below).

The three-hour conference had six different sessions to choose from. There was something for every level of student. Lisa Rowley provided a great review of the different licensing exam requirements for Oregon and surrounding states. Cindy Rogers and I lead a discussion on interview and resume writing tips. Bernadette Schlaefer from Crest/Oral-B presented a Dental Hygiene Science Review, while senior students Addie (Pacific) Courtney (MHCC) and Andra (MHCC) provided advice to underclassman about how to best prepare for your final year of dental hygiene school. The final hour student selected between attending a career panel discussion with some of the industries big hitters. Tommie Kells represented hygienists in independent practice, Schirley Branum for corporate, Nicole Pikini for public health, Brian Partido for research and Brenda Armstrong for education. If students weren’t in that session, they attended a panel discussion with recent graduates, Kyndall Marelich (OIT) Melissa Goyins (OIT), Shannon Hahn (LCC) and Lindsay Jauchuis (Pacific). These young leaders reviewed their process of transitioning from student professional to a licensed professional.

Even though it was a virtual event the energy was on fire. Of course, it helped that in between these sessions’ students had an opportunity to win prizes too! There were over 30 Hu-Friedy Instruments awarded to student attendees.

This event wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the Oregon dental hygiene school program directors and faculty. Thank you for creating time in your academic calendar for this event.  I can’t wait to talk with you all about planning the date for the 2022 conference!

Thank you to all who helped plan this amazing Conference!

Planning for ODHA Student Conference:

Mount Hood Community College

• Ilya Babiy
• Vanessa Michelle Webster
• Riley Powers
• Cassandra Vazquez

OIT – Chemeketa

• Tanja Willey
• Charisse Botsch
• Jessica Reynolds

OIT – Klamath Falls

• Elizabeth Wells
• Brianna Smith

Pacific University

• Amy Coplen
• Kat Soudan
• Misha Lagman

Portland Community College

• Sandi Miles
• Jennifer Osawa
• Lindsey Majors
• McKenzie Oviatt

Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association

• Tina Clarke
• Lisa Rowley

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Dental Provider Access to the COVID-19 Vaccine

The ODHA is aware that there are dental hygienists in Oregon who are having difficulty obtaining their own COVID-19 vaccine. It appears that healthcare workers who are affiliated with a hospital are obtaining their vaccines sooner than “unaffiliated” healthcare providers like dental providers. This makes sense because it is much easier to vaccinate healthcare providers in a hospital setting than it is to vaccinate healthcare providers who are scattered at multiple locations throughout the state.

The ODHA has partnered with the Oregon Dental Association (ODA) & other stakeholders to send a letter to Governor Kate Brown urging her to increase access to the COVID-19 vaccine for dental providers. And we understand that the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) now has a staff member whose time is dedicated to increasing access to the COVID-19 vaccine for “unaffiliated” healthcare providers. Visit the OHA COVID-19 website at OHA COVID-19 for the latest updates, testing sites and vaccine information, or find information for healthcare partners.

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Dental Hygienists Administering Vaccines

The ODHA has received questions about allowing dental hygienists in Oregon to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. We are aware that this has been authorized in other states to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2019 House Bill 2220 amended the Oregon Dental Practice Act (law) to authorize trained and certified dentists to prescribe and administer vaccines. Several dental hygienists have contacted the Oregon Board of Dentistry to request that the Board allow dental hygienists to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. At their December 18, 2020 meeting, the Board was advised by legal counsel that they do not have the legal authority to allow dental hygienists to administer this vaccine because the Oregon Dental Practice Act (law) specifically allows dentists to administer vaccines but it does not indicate that dental hygienists may administer vaccines.

The Oregon Governor could issue an emergency executive order to allow dental hygienists (and other healthcare workers) to administer this vaccine if she determines this to be necessary, but this would likely be for the COVID-19 vaccine only and probably for a limited time. The ADHA has launched an Advocacy Alert asking dental hygienists to contact their state governors and urge them to grant dental hygienists the authority to administer the COVID-10 vaccines. You can use this link to Take Action Now.

The ODHA plans to pursue legislative change in 2022 to allow dental hygienists to administer all vaccines on a permanent basis. We have support from several organizations that would like to have their dental hygienists administer the HPV vaccine in dental & medical settings.

Please contact ODHA Advocacy Director Lisa J. Rowley for questions, more information or comments about ODHA Advocacy issues, and if you would like to become involved in ODHA Advocacy activities.

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2021 Oregon Legislative Session

Oregon Board of Dentistry News

FEBRUARY BOARD MEETING

The Oregon Board of Dentistry will meet on Friday, February 19, 2021. This meeting will likely be held as a Zoom conference to comply with social distancing. Anyone may participate in the Open Session portion 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. Upcoming Oregon Board of Dentistry meetings will be held on April 16, June 18, August 20, October 22 and December 17.

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Mobile & Teledentistry Conference

The second annual National Mobile & Teledentistry Conference (NMTC) is the place to explore what mobile dentistry and teledentistry can do for you, your practice, and your patients. With the COVID-19 pandemic, more dental care providers are thinking beyond the traditional brick-and-mortar dental office. This conference will help you embrace innovative technology, discover new opportunities, and create an exciting future. Over three days you'll connect with industry experts and learn about the latest in dental technology and services.

This year the National Mobile & Teledentistry Conference has partnered with The Denobi Awards, a brand new industry-wide awards program celebrating outstanding individuals who make up dentistry! Nominations are open now through January 20 and a shortlist of winners will be announced in February. Finalists will be announced at the red-carpet awards gala taking place on March 6, 2021 at the conference venue. To nominate someone or learn more click here.

This conference will be held March 4-6, 2021 in Orlando, Florida. Both in-person & virtual tickets will be available for the conference. The number of in-person tickets will be very limited to comply with social distancing requirements. Virtual tickets will include the option to watch live and/or view onDemand at a later date. For more information click here.

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Thank you to our Sponsor!

We've been fortunate to partner with Willamette Dental this year. Check out their website and job board!

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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

This month I want to highlight our SW Component President, Jamie Christianson. She has really been working hard this past year. She has expressed interest in running for office as SW Director when my term is up in November 2021. I believe she will be a great asset to ODHA going forward and has had great ideas and shown great leadership and passion for our profession. 

Let me share with you how this unfolded this past year.  Jamie didn’t let the pandemic derail us which allowed us to “get together” for a great course on, “Ergonomics for Every Dental Professional” By Brain Wilkins via ZOOM. Initially it had to be canceled, and was back on in just twelve days, on March 31, 2020 via Zoom and very well attended. I am not sure we would’ve gotten so many of you to join us that evening if it was held in person. If you have a chance to meet or attend this course by Brian Wilkins, he is a great resource for helping hygienists maintain their careers. This course was also well attended at the ODHC, held November 2019. His exercises before your workday and after are valuable.  Brian J Wilkinson, PT, DPT, CHT at Pacific University has been conducting a study on corrective exercise in DHS students at Pacific University. He has also published articles in Dimensions, January 2019, and Decisions in Dentistry April 2019. I encourage you to check them out and find out about, “The Core Four.”

Prior to the Pandemic a meeting was held in Eugene, “The Dental Hygienists’ Role in Sleep Apnea Care,” in Eugene, OR with Dr. John Sullivan. Held 1/23/2020. Jamie and I had been discussing how to bring our SW component together noting the distance, busy lives and hope the topics and attendance would bring us together.  We considered holding meetings in Eugene to capture those who reside near there, (coast) and then southern Oregon and the coast and Roseburg to consider, Eugene or Medford. Our component is large and encompasses a vast terrain and miles. Which has limited us meeting together in person with responsibilities and distance to consider.

I applaud Jamie for forging ahead and pushing the door open! She took the initiative and ran with the idea to make it happen with our Zoom meetings. Her passion is on fire! It was also her idea to bring us together to talk about going back to work, held on May 5th, 2020. “Cup of RDH talk: Discussion of going back to work with new Covid19 guidelines.”  It was well attended on ZOOM. It was so nice to chat with fellow hygienists’ all over the state and hear what was going on and talk about concerns and new products. 

Currently, Jamie has two more speakers lined up to feature as soon as it can be scheduled. 

I hope you continue to follow and join us from all over this beautiful state of Oregon we all love so much.

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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!

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Affiliated Organizations

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January 2021

President's Message

Happy New Year!

With the beginning of each year, I think of New Year’s resolutions. Do I try and take off a few pounds (I did gain some during the holidays) by exercising more, or do I give up the soda I vow to quit drinking each year? I always have a resolution as I begin each year, so in keeping with the theme for my presidency, I am going to dare myself and make a resolution to reach out to you the membership each month, this may be by email, text or phone. When I do, I will be asking you what you would like ODHA to do for you. Would you like more CE, more community events or maybe you would be interested in virtual zoom meetings where we just chat?

When you are making your New Year’s resolution, I would like to dare you to challenge yourself and find a way to help make ODHA your own. This could mean that you answer the email, text, phone call or share ideas you have that we can improve. Or you could want to be more involved, even in a small way, by offering your time and talent to your local component or to a committee. Or you could even go big, and decide you want to be on the ODHA board as President-Elect, North West Component Director or Alternate Delegate (all of which are currently open positions).

In this newsletter, you will find information on some of ODHA’s committees. Please check them out and if you are interested in joining one, do not hesitate to reach out! Now that 2020 is behind us, let’s look forward to making 2021 a remarkable year.

Laura Vanderwerf, RDH BSDH
President
Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association
#Dare

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Thank You to all the ODHA members who have already renewed their ADHA membership for 2021.  We appreciate your support of the ODHA and ADHA!

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up the Bylaws

Hello ODHA members, the Bylaws committee is looking for members to join us in working on a part of our bylaws. We need help making sure that everything is consistent and seeing if anything needs updating. If you would like to be a part of a committee that gives you an opportunity to have a voice for the future of ODHA, please contact me by January 31, so we can set up an initial zoom meeting by the end of February.

Thank-You,
Kimberly Dayton
ODHA Vice President

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Committee Spotlights

Membership Committee

The membership committee’s purpose is to promote membership with the Oregon Dental Hygienists' Association through innovation and creativity. Our monthly meetings encourage all members to let their voice be heard while striving towards our common goal- increasing awareness surrounding the benefits of ODHA membership. Currently, our membership committee is working on survey tools to capture information on what Oregon Dental Hygienists value most about ODHA membership. We are excited with the growth we have seen within ODHA, and welcome ODHA members to join this committee. Together, we can build a stronger, more unified association!

Leadership Development Committee

The Leadership Development Committee will mentor and develop individuals interested in future leadership roles, build strategies to foster leadership and service opportunities, and review and recommend necessary leader skillsets to the Board of Directors. Any member of the ODHA can be a member of the Leadership Development Committee.

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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 scholarship, 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. 

Click Here to Donate to Institute for Oral Health

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2021 Oregon Legislative Session

Tina Clarke RDH M.Ed

Tina is a born and raised Oregonian. She has been in the dental hygiene field for nearly 20 years. During this time, she has served the profession in several different ways. Tina is deeply committed to the dental hygiene profession. She has been involved with the leadership of the Oregon Dental Hygienists' Association early in her career. Beginning as membership committee chair, serving as part of the delegation to ADHA and as president. Outside of association work, Tina is an educator. She has been teaching dental hygiene students for the last fourteen years and provides continuing education courses to licensed professionals on various topics. In 2019 she launched Teacher Tina RDH which is an online resource of education and development for oral healthcare professionals.

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Oregon Board of Dentistry News

FEBRUARY BOARD MEETING

The Oregon Board of Dentistry will meet on Friday, February 19, 2021. This meeting will be held as a teleconference to comply with social distancing. Anyone may participate in the Open Session portion 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 April 16, June 18, August 20, October 22 and December 17.

ODHA REPRESENTATIVES TO STANDING COMMITTEES OF THE OREGON BOARD OF DENTISTRY

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. ODHA has a representative on each of the following standing committees of the Oregon Board of Dentistry: Communications; Dental Hygiene; Enforcement & Discipline; Licensing, Standards & Competency; 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. 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, please download and complete this form and email it to ODHA Advocacy Director Lisa J. Rowley by January 15th.

OPENING FOR DENTAL HYGIENIST BOARD MEMBER

The Oregon Board of Dentistry will have an opening for a dental hygienist member of the OBD in April 2021 when Alicia Riedman, RDH completes her second term on the OBD. Alicia was appointed to the OBD in 2015 to complete the remaining two years of a four-year term that became vacant because the dental hygienist in this position resigned before their term ended. Alicia completed these two years, and then in April 2017 she was appointed to her first four-year term on the OBD. When her current term ends in April 2021, Alicia will have served six years on the OBD. Alicia currently serves as Vice President of the OBD.

The Oregon Board of Dentistry consists of ten members. Six members must be Oregon licensed dentists, one of which must be a dental specialist, two members must be licensed dental hygienists, and two members must be from the public. Board members are appointed to serve a four-year term and may be reappointed to serve a second four-year term. There will also be another opening for a dental hygienist member of the OBD in April 2022 when Yadira Martinez completes her second term.

The ODHA may nominate 3-5 dental hygienists to the Governor to fill this opening. Any Oregon licensed dental hygienist who resides in Oregon may apply for this position. The new Board member will be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The Governor’s office will review and consider the applicant’s geographic location, ethnic background, diversity, disciplinary history (if any) and other factors important to the Governor.

Please visit the OBD website for more information. At the bottom of the OBD home page under Board/Staff Openings, there are links that provide an overview of desired qualifications of an OBD member and other important information on how to apply. Please contact Executive Director Stephen Prisby or ODHA Advocacy Director Lisa J. Rowley if you have any questions about serving on the Oregon Board of Dentistry.

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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

Juanita Simpson, EPDH, BS is the new Director for the High Desert Component. The High Desert Temp List is now updated and available.

The following are tentative upcoming CE Events:

• Pediatrics for Dental Hygienists
• Cultural Competency
• Anesthesia Review,
• and possibly - Myofunctional Therapy.

Last but not least, the High Desert Component is searching for a Chairman and Secretary.

Welcome our new members!

North West Component

• Rae Bovee
• Natalie Carpenter
• Amanda Green
• Lindsay Wilkerson

South West Component

• Katie Burge

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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!

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Affiliated Organizations

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Read 2020 Newsletters

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Read 2018 Newsletters