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Hygiene Tribune U.S. Edition

NEWS Hygiene Tribune U.S. Edition | June 2012D2 Publisher & Chairman Torsten Oemus t.oemus@dental-tribune.com ViCe President glObal sales Peter Witteczek p.witterczek@dental-tribune.com Chief OPerating OffiCer Eric Seid e.seid@dental-tribune.com grOuP editOr & designer Robin Goodman r.goodman@dental-tribune.com editOr in Chief dental tribune Dr. David L. Hoexter feedback@dental-tribune.com editOr in Chief hygiene tribune Patricia Walsh, RDH feedback@dental-tribune.com managing editOr Robert Selleck r.selleck@dental-tribune.com managing editOr shOw dailies Kristine Colker k.colker@dental-tribune.com managing editOr Fred Michmershuizen f.michmershuizen@dental-tribune.com managing editOr Sierra Rendon s.rendon@dental-tribune.com PrOduCt & aCCOunt manager Mara Zimmerman m.zimmerman@dental-tribune.com marketing manager Anna Kataoka-Wlodarczyk a.wlodarczyk@dental-tribune.com sales & marketing assistant Lorrie Young l.young@dental-tribune.com C.e. direCtOr Christiane Ferret c.ferret@dtstudyclub.com Dental Tribune America, LLC 116 West 23rd Street, Suite 500 New York, NY 10011 Phone (212) 244-7181 Published by Dental Tribune America © 2012 Dental Tribune America, LLC All rights reserved. Dental Tribune strives to maintain the utmost ac- curacy in its news and clinical reports. If you find a factual error or content that requires clarification, please contact Managing Editor Robert Selleck at r.selleck@dental-tribune.com. Dental Tribune cannot assume responsibility for the validity of product claims or for typographical er- rors. The publisher also does not assume responsibil- ity for product names or statements made by adver- tisers. Opinions expressed by authors are their own and may not reflect those of Dental Tribune. editOrial bOard Dr. Joel Berg Dr. L. Stephen Buchanan Dr. Arnaldo Castellucci Dr. Gorden Christensen Dr. Rella Christensen Dr. William Dickerson Hugh Doherty Dr. James Doundoulakis Dr. David Garber Dr. Fay Goldstep Dr. Howard Glazer Dr. Harold Heymann Dr. Karl Leinfelder Dr. Roger Levin Dr. Carl E. Misch Dr. Dan Nathanson Dr. Chester Redhead Dr. Irwin Smigel Dr. Jon Suzuki Dr. Dennis Tartakow Dr. Dan Ward Tell us what you think! Do you have general comments or criticism you would like to share? Is there a particular topic you would like to see articles about in Hygiene Tribune? Let us know by e-mailing feedback@dental-tribune.com. We look forward to hearing from you! If you would like to make any change to your subscription (name, address or to opt out) please send us an e-mail at database@dental- tribune.com and be sure to include which publication you are referring to. Also, please note that subscription changes can take up to six weeks to process. HYGIENE TRIBUNE The American Dental Hygienists’ As- sociation (ADHA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ann Lynch as its di- rector of governmental affairs, effective June 5. As leader of the division, Lynch’s responsibilities include overseeing the strategy and execution of ADHA’s advo- cacy efforts on the federal level in Wash- ington, D.C., and directing the govern- mental affairs staff in their support and counsel to ADHA’s state organizations in all their advocacy initiatives. Lynch brings to the position extensive experience in legislation and public pol- icy, having served from 2007-2011 as the senator representing Rochester and sur- rounding communities. During her time in the Senate, she served on several com- mittees, including the Health, Housing and Family Security Committee and as vice-chair of the Health and Human Ser- vice Budget Division. In addition, Lynch brings a depth of knowledge of oral health issues, as well as solid relationships with many of the safety-net and foundation partners that have committed time and resources to trying to solve the access to oral health care crisis in the U.S. “Ann is a welcome addition to ADHA’s senior staff team,” said Ann Battrell, MSDH, executive director of ADHA. “Ann’s experience and background in government as well as oral health issues will serve ADHA well.” ”I look forward to continuing to work on public policy oral health initiatives,” said Lynch. “I am pleased to join the ADHA team.” Prior to her service in the Minnesota State Senate, Lynch was a director on the Rochester Minnesota School Board, where her duties gave her extensive expe- rience in governance, strategic planning, resource alignment and accountability. She also has operations experience in the private sector. Lynch received her Bache- lor of Arts degree in economics and man- agement from Hamline University in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. About ADHA ADHA is the largest national organization representing the professional interests of more than 150,000 dental hygienists across the country. Dental hygienists are preventive oral health professionals, li- censed in dental hygiene, who provide educational, clinical and therapeutic ser- vices that support total health through the promotion of optimal oral health. For more information about ADHA, dental hygiene or the link between oral health and general health, visit ADHA on- line at www.adha.org. (Source: ADHA) American Dental Hygienists’ Association names director of governmental affairs The American Dental Hygienists’ Asso- ciation (ADHA) has issued a news release commending Sen. Bernard Sanders, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging, and Rep. Elijah Cummings, ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for their leader- ship on oral health issues. The two law- makers introduced the Comprehensive Dental Reform Act of 2012, which seeks to overcome barriers that more than 140 million Americans face in accessing oral health care services — and ensure that the public has dental coverage and ac- cess to safe and high-quality oral health care. The ADHA news release reported that the United States is in the midst of an oral health care crisis, with nearly 48 million people living in federally des- ignated "shortage areas" that lack an adequate number of dentists to serve the population. Less than 20 percent of Medicaid-eligible children received dental treatment services in 2010. In addition, nationwide, the number of dental-related visits to the ER jumped by 16 percent during a three-year period between 2006 and 2009 to more than 830,000 visits for preventable dental conditions. With access to comprehensive dental coverage, the ADHA news release re- ported, vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, children in low-income families and members of racial and eth- nic minority groups, are able to receive treatment for oral disease while it is still manageable. This diminishes the need for more costly restorative services and emergency care. In addition to expanding dental cover- age, the Comprehensive Dental Reform Act seeks to raise the public’s awareness of the importance of oral health and ex- pand the dental workforce to accommo- date the millions more Americans who may become eligible for dental coverage in 2014. More than 50 countries have used midlevel dental providers for de- cades to help deliver much-needed oral health care to patients. Minnesota recognized the need for midlevel dental providers — and their ability to increase access to care — by passing legislation establishing two new members of the dental team: the dental therapist (DT) and the advanced dental therapist (ADT). The DT functions much like the physician’s assistant, requiring the onsite supervision of a dentist for most services provided. The ADT, how- ever, is modeled after the nurse practi- tioner, and collaborates with a dentist in the treatment of patients but does not require onsite supervision. This collab- orative relationship allows the ADT to provide services in communities where no dentist is regularly available, creating a pipeline to care for those disenfran- chised from the current delivery system. At a Feb. 29 hearing on access to dental care, Christy Fogarty, RDH, MSOHP, told members of the Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging about her experience practicing as a dental hygien- ist and ADT in the Minneapolis area, and the impact she has had on increasing ac- cess to care for vulnerable populations. Her patients include children (under the age of 21) and pregnant women who cur- rently have limited or no access to oral health care. “Christy’s testimony spoke to the ad- vantage of [how] being educated first as a dental hygienist and then as an ADT allowed her to provide important pre- ventive care combined with restorative services within the ADT scope of prac- tice. This combination greatly benefits patients as they receive comprehensive care,” said ADHA President Pam Qui- nones, RDH, BS. “Our goal is to improve access to dental care throughout the country and to ensure that the public is receiving the best care possible.” About the ADHA ADHA is the largest national organiza- tion representing the professional inter- ests of more than 150,000 dental hygien- ists across the country. Dental hygienists are preventive oral health professionals, licensed in dental hygiene, who provide educational, clinical and therapeutic ser- vices that support total health through the promotion of optimal oral health. For more information about ADHA, dental hygiene, or the link between oral health and general health, visit ADHA online at www.adha.org. (Source: ADHA) Hygienists group supports Dental Reform Act of 2012 American Dental Hygienists' Association sees benefit of establishing new tiers of licensing to create force of midlevel dental providers