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21Dental Tribune Middle East & Africa Edition | May - June 2014 Hygiene tribune Ms. Victoria Wilson, Dental Hygiene Therapist, UK wilson@dental-tribune.me www.dental-tribune.me Contact Information > Page 25 Keeping Hygienists in par with Continuing Education initiatives ByVictoriaWilson, DentalHygieneTherapist,UK I t is our aim of the Dental Hy- giene Tribune MEA to keep you, our valuable members and readers, on par with con- tinuing education initiatives across the region. We will target and focus on the most up-to-date treatment methods available, the emerging scien- tific research and the current best practice techniques used in dental hygiene. Hygienists or Dental Care Pro- fessionals (DCPs) are ideally positioned to provide compre- hensive support to dentists and patients - starting from pre- and post- restorative work through to periodontal treat- ment, maintenance and long- term continuing care. In order to do this effectively, DCPs need to be continually updating and developing their knowledge and clinical skills, as well as be- ing aware of the new technolo- gies on the market. I welcome the opportunity to bring my enthusiasm for Den- tal Hygiene Tribune to Dental Hygienists in the Middle East and offer an earnest commit- ment to meeting the need for high quality training and ongo- ing support in our commend- able profession. I am dedicated to liaising and representing the Continuing Medical Education (CME) team for Dental Hygiene Tribune members to ensure that your interests are being met. With your support, I look forward to developing new programmes for this publication to further encourage collaboration and clinical excellence in the Hy- giene field. I would appreciate hearing your preferences for CME top- ics and any other suggestions that you would like to offer. Victoria Wilson, Dental Hygiene Therapist Why CME (Continuing Medical Education) or CPD (Continuing Professional Development) is Important to Dental Professionals ByVictoriaWilson B y defining Continuing Professional Develop- ment (CPD) and outlin- ing the need for it for dental professionals through a series of publications from Govern- ing bodies, it can be seen that with proper planning, goal as- sessment and verifiable CPD activities one can not only meet government regulations for CPD but gain insight and skill-set for further profession- al and personal development. Method Review an analysis of CPD for dental professionals from online publications related to bodies in the UK, US, Canada, and the Middle East. Results CPD can be obtained through a wide range of activities. A structured approach when undertaking the CPD projects of choice, in line with key tar- geted learning objectives, is key to achieving a noteworthy and credible progression in job performance. Conclusion Not only is a minimal amount of CPD required in most coun- tries by law, it can be deter- mined that CPD will not only enhance one’s performance and the overall operations of the facility/clinic, but will re- sult in valuable public aware- ness for the safety and regulat- ed practices of dental facilities in general. Introduction What is CME - CPD? Continuing Medical Education (CME), otherwise referred as Continuing Professional De- velopment (CPD), is the way in which professionals can enhance their knowledge and skills related through a struc- tured approach. CPD for dental professionals is an obligation in many coun- tries. A mandatory amount of course-related points must be fulfilled in the form of: lec- tures, seminars, courses, in- dividual study, peer review, clinical audit or E-learning activities. These hours can be recorded on a personal CPD record providing the courses are designed to advance pro- fessional development as a dental professional and is rel- evant to one’s practice. (1) Why is CPD in Dentistry so Important? Education and qualifications are only the first step towards obtaining a professional ca- reer. CPD is an obligation to one’s profession - not only for the personal benefits for in- dividuals and clinics, but also for the overall perception and confidence that the public has in the dental industry. Dentistry is constantly evolv- ing through new methods and technologies to better meet the needs of patients. CPD will en- sure that dental professionals continue to be at the forefront of this knowledge. It is impor- tant for patient comfort, well- being and safety. It is also required by law for all registrants working under the local medical authority to undertake a minimum amount of CPD points in order to main- tain the license of the practice. If this minimum is not met by all of the professionals, the li- cense cannot be renewed. Verifying CPD points In some countries, such as the UAE, the Governing body acts to verify the CPD provid- er. Submission of papers for a CPD event must be approved by Dubai Health Authority (DHA), Dubai Health Care City (DHCC) or Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD) prior to an event. In other countries, such as the UK, parts of US and Canada, verifying the CPD provider is determined by the judgment of the registrant. It is a com- mon requirement to have to keep documentary evidence in these countries for up to 5 years post CPD cycle. (4,5) There will generally be docu- mentary evidence that the CPD has been undertaken with concise educational aims and objectives and clear an- Table 1 – Dubai Health Authority (DHA) CPD Requirements (2) Maintenance of dental implants for the hygienist ByBiberach/Riss I mplant dentistry has be- come more and more prom- inent in our everyday prac- tice as patients are keen to have implant-borne prostheses than a conventional bridge work or removable dentures. One of the most important factors for long term success of dental implants is the maintenance of healthy peri-implant tissues. Hygienist are now seeing more of their patients with dental implant and this is only going to increase in the future as im- plant therapy become cheaper. The role of the hygienist has increased in many ways with regards to dental implants. It is important for a hygienist to be able to diagnose peri-implantitis and to have the knowledge to treat simple to moderate peri- implantitis and to monitor the health of dental implants in the long term as part of the patients regular maintenance. How do you know when an im- plant has problems? It is essential to be methodical when monitoring the peri-im- plant tissues at review appoint- ments to spot the early signs of peri-implantitis. The clinical markers that are used to assess the presence and severity of in- flammation around the implant are: • plaque and calculus accu- mulation; • inflammation of the peri- implant tissues; • increase in peri-implant probing depths; • bleeding on probing; • suppuration from the peri- implant pocket; • implant mobility; • radiographic changes. When probing peri-implant tis- Figure 1: Cumulative Interceptive Supportive Therapy (CIST) Protocol. > Page 26