Please activate JavaScript!
Please install Adobe Flash Player, click here for download
ePaper created 2015-10-28, 09:28:35 | version 1.38.0
HYGIENE TRIBUNE The World’s Dental Hygiene Newspaper ·U.S. Edition www.dental-tribune.com Research by the American Dental Hy- gienists’ Association showcases the evo- lution of the dental hygiene profession, the need to enhance and refocus the den- tal hygiene curriculum to help address the public’s changing health care needs — and the critical role dental hygienists have in providing care within an increas- ingly integrated health care system. The American Dental Hygienists’ As- sociation is sharing what it calls a land- mark white paper, “Transforming Dental Hygiene Education and the Profession for the 21st Century,” with the oral health and health care communities, allied stakeholders and others committed to improving the public’s oral and overall health. The white paper, which is being distributed with the support of Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc., makers of LISTERINE®, details how the outcomes from the September 2013 “Transforming Dental Hygiene Education, Proud Past, Unlimited Future” symposium helped shape the vision for the future of the dental hygiene profession — and how that vision is being brought to fruition through changes taking place both in the educational system, and in the larger framework of the overall health care sys- tem. “This white paper highlights the vast transformation taking place in oral health and provides evidence that changes are needed to improve health outcomes for the public,” said ADHA President Jill Rethman, RDH, BA. “To- day’s dental hygiene graduates must be prepared to collaborate in an increas- ingly interprofessional health care envi- ronment. This document illustrates the need for not only a transformed dental hygiene curriculum, but a transformed oral health care system that puts the pa- tient first and optimizes the preventive and therapeutic services dental hygien- ists can provide.” Issues related to the changes needed in dental hygiene education are ex- plored throughout the white paper, and those issues highlight the importance of changing dental hygiene education White paper analyzes changes in dental hygiene education Baboons at Paignton Zoo in Devon, United Kingdom, have learned to floss. A female hamadryas baboon was seen us- ing a bristle from an old broom to clean her teeth. Paignton Zoo volunteer Liz Chisholm, who took the photos, said: “As I passed Ba- boon Rock I noticed that the baboons had been given broom heads to play with.” Some young baboons were seen sweeping with them, possibly mimicking the ac- tions of their keepers. “One of the older baboons was inspect- ing her broom head. Then I saw her pull out a bristle, examine it, pull it taut be- tween both hands and very deliberately start to floss her teeth. She did it several times, both top and bottom set. I only saw the one baboon behaving like this, but she had several pupils, as she was being watched by other baboons.” Curator of Mammals Neil Bemment explained: “The baboon is called Geor- gia and yes it is flossing of sorts as she is passing it between her teeth either to flick food out or because she likes the sensa- tion. A number of the Sulawesi crested macaques do it, too.” So, while zoo keepers clean their en- closure and provide free meals and the in-house vet team keeps an eye on their health, personal grooming is obviously important to these primates. Director of Conservation and Educa- tion Dr. Amy Plowman said, “Animals like dogs and even chimps can be taught to do things, which is very clever but it’s much more interesting scientifically if animals spontaneously do something with a tool without being taught, which would be the Zoo primate takes dental care seriously Georgia, a baboon at a zoo in the United Kingdom, taught herself to floss. She’s not alone: macaques in Thailand also have been seen flossing — using strands of human hair. Photo/Liz Chisholm, Paignton Zoo ” See EDUCATION, page B2 case with the baboons.” It’s not the first time that Paignton Zoo baboons have been seen using tools. In 2000 another female hamadryas baboon was observed using a splinter of wood to clean out her offspring’s eye. The inci- dent was reported in Primate Eye issue 72, which was published in 2000 by the Pri- mate Society of Great Britain. Macaques in Thailand are known to use strands of human hair to floss. Perhaps soon Paignton Zoo’s health-conscious baboons will be using their own tooth- brushes and rinsing with mouthwash. (Source: Paignton Zoo) and transforming the way graduates are prepared for the future. This paper dis- cusses how by improving the curricula and supplying dental hygiene students with a broad-based, well-rounded educa- tion that challenges them to think criti- cally, future dental hygienists will be bet- ter equipped to serve the public’s overall health and wellness needs. The public’s oral health care needs are becoming more diverse and more com- plex. The scientific evidence support- ing the role of oral health care services in achieving and maintaining oral and overall health continues to evolve. These facts put dental hygiene educators on the front line, preparing the next generation of dental hygienists to enter a health care environment that is radically different from just a few years ago. According to ADHA Chief Executive Officer Ann Bat- trell, MSDH, “By developing and insti- tuting a new educational curriculum, grounded in science and with an inter- professional focus on contemporary de- livery strategies, we can go a long way to improving access to care for the public and advancing the dental hygiene pro- fession.” The document is intended to facilitate dialogue among a variety of interested stakeholder groups and continue to look for ways to advance dental hygiene cur- riculum for the benefit of the public. “The American Dental Hygienists’ As- sociation’s innovative research agenda, commitment to transforming the den- tal hygienist profession and positively impacting public health care aligns with the LISTERINE brand’s dedication to oral care,” said Larry Page, director of U,S, marketing for the LISTERINE brand, “We’re proud to support the evolution of dental hygiene education. This work reflects the important need to prepare students for the increasing demands of a dental hygienist.” The white paper is being distributed in conjunction with the ADHA’s Access magazine, distributed to its member- Female hamadryas baboon seen using bristle from old broom to clean her teeth November 2015 — Vol. 8, No. 6 Research distributed through support from Johnson & Johnson Consumer