LDA - Louisiana Dental Association

LDAlouisiana dental hygenists’associationSuzanne K. Farrar, R.D.H., M.S.H.C.M.Immediate Past President, Louisiana Dental Hygienists’ AssociationWhat’s Happening in the World of theDental Hygienist?Many new and exciting things are happening in theworld of hygiene. The American Dental Hygienists’Association (ADHA) is in the midst of a great brandingcampaign. If you are not aware of “branding” it is thenew word for marketing. It is called “One Voice OneVision.” The campaign’s goal is to bring all hygieniststogether for education and information and to changeperceptions of the ADHA. The ADHA wants to be moreinclusive of all dental hygienists, no matter what paththeir career has taken them.Students are to be included to make them feel thatthey are an integral part of ADHA. For some reason,some hygienists think that the ADHA is anti-dentist,which is absolutely not true. We embrace the dentalcommunity and love being able to be a part of theirevolving profession. The president of the ADHA,Marge Green stated, “ADHA and its members will workin partnership with dentists to advance the oral healthof our patients.”This February, during the Chicago Midwinter DentalMeeting, another meeting was held with the ADA president,president-elect and executive director at the ADHAheadquarters. The purpose was to open dialogue andto share the results of the branding research. This wasthe first time in 20 years that the ADA officers had beeninvited to the ADHA headquarters for dialogue. There isa true commitment to keeping communications openon both ends.In Maryland in February of 2007, 12-year-old DeamonteDriver died as a result of an abscessed tooth. It couldhave been solved with an extraction but turned intomajor brain surgery. The infection spread from the toothto the brain and after the brain surgery was completed,physicians still could not save the child. This is just oneexample of how the lack of access to oral health servicescan have deadly consequences.Dental caries (not asthma) remains the most commonchronic disease of childhood. There is a silent epidemicof oral disease. The dental hygienist, as the preventionspecialist, understands the connection between oral healthand total health. The hygienist can prevent disease and treatproblems while still manageable. As I have written in pastarticles, the ADHA is working to establish the AdvancedDental Hygiene Practitioner (ADHP). This hygienist coulddeliver diagnostic, preventive, therapeutic and minimallyinvasive services to underserved Americans.Green has spoken to many groups and stated, “It wasmy pleasure to speak before the U.S. House ofRepresentative Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor,Health and Human Services, Education and RelatedAgencies in the necessity of improving access to oralhealth care in the United States.” It has been illustratedthat the current oral health care delivery system is simplynot meeting America’s oral health care needs. Whilemeeting with all these agencies, ADHA’s response to theSurgeon General’s challenge that a solution be found toenhance the workforce capacity and flexibility, was tourge the Subcommittee to provide funding to HRSA fora demonstration project which would test the feasibilityof using an ADHP.The ADHA is also working on a state-based initiativeto encourage its members to visit their member of Congressin their home districts.It has been my pleasure to serve as president of LDHAfor the past two years. I have been able to work withdedicated and knowledgeable people, and I would liketo thank the LDA for inviting me to their board meetings,which have been very informative. You can feel the energyfrom the LDA Board of Directors. I feel that the LDA andLDHA have a very good relationship and I am confidentit shall remain that way for many years to come. I leaveour organization in the capable hands of our newly electedpresident, Ashley Stockwell-Nix.And, one last reminder for the ADHA Annual Session,which will be held at the Sheraton New Orleans, June20-27, 2007. tSummer 2007 35