The Future of Dental Hygiene Where do you fit in?

Who are you as a dental hygienist? This presentation is about defining your professional goals and your personal growth ◦ Adha.org (keeps you connected) Adha.org ◦ Stateline (your news source) Stateline

Your connection

Defining your value What role do you see yourself fitting in? ◦ Clinician ◦ Educator ◦ Researcher ◦ Administrator ◦ Advocate ◦ Public Health  Weaves through them all

Clinician What does it mean to be a clinician? Private Practice forever?

Roles of the clinician Specialty offices: ◦ Pedo ◦ Perio General Useful links: ◦

Future Roles of the Clinician ADHP ◦ Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioner DHAT ◦ Dental Health Aid Therapist CDHC ◦ Community Dental Health Coordinator wnloads/direct_access.pdf wnloads/direct_access.pdf =134 =134

Educator Faculty are aging ◦ Most dental hygiene faculty are 50+ Pay is an issue Entry level in to the profession versus teaching

Advanced Degrees Master’s in Public Affairs Master’s in Liberal Studies Master’s in Business Administration Master’s in Dental Hygiene?

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Enter a state

Researcher How do they come up with toothpaste formulas? What about Crest Pro-Health? A new perio probe? What population needs the most care?

Administrator or Manager This role could be part of a program YOU start! Seal Indiana Karen Yoder

Advocate Who said politics can’t be interesting? /index.html /index.html

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Start thinking outside the box Dream big Possibilities are endless!

Vision for our future ADHA is your voice for change within our profession ADHA holds the following beliefs:

Access to oral health care is a right of all people Oral and general health needs of the US population are growing and DH practice and education must evolve to meet them Dental hygienists should be able to provide care they have been educated to deliver

Dental hygiene is part of an overall health care delivery system, not simply an arm of dentistry Dental hygiene must create an integrated model of oral health care delivery with other health care providers

Dental hygiene needs to identify and remove the barriers that restrict the public’s access to oral health care Dental hygiene must move from a mechanical based treatment of disease model to a wellness model

Dental hygienists advocate for high standards of professional practice It is the responsibility of dental hygienists to determine the profession’s future regarding education, licensure, and practice; and they should continue to build the professions knowledge through the expansion of its research base.

Focus areas Research Education Practice and Technology Licensure and Regulation Public Health Government

Research Create a research infrastructure an support the dental hygiene body of knowledge 1.Critical mass of researchers and scientists 2.Identify research priorities 3.Communication systems to promote linkages 4.Funding 5.Value

Research Increase the number and quality of dental hygiene researchers Integrate research in all facets of the profession

Education Redesign dental hygiene curricula based on the increasingly complex oral health needs of the public Advance the educational preparation necessary for entering the dental hygiene profession

Education Create an independent dental hygiene accrediting agency Create a doctoral degree program in dental hygiene

Practice and Technology Create multiple levels of clinic dental hygiene practitioners with representative titles and appropriate levels of education and degrees ◦ ADHP ◦ Collaborative practice models ◦ Alternative delivery models

Practice and Technology Promote direct reimbursement to dental hygienists for services they provide Develop a DH workforce that is abale to meet the changing demographic and cultural challenges that will occur as a result of the aging population

Practice and Technology Develop a dental hygiene labor force that keeps pace with the genetic revolution and other technological advances

Licensure and Regulation Implement a DH regulatory environment governed by a majority of dental hygienists with consumer representation that ensures the health and safety of the public, and enhances access to care

Licensure and Regulation Implement a practice environment for DH that expands scope of practice, practice settings, and licensure mobility, and eliminates supervision requirements Develop and promote innovative assessment methodologies to assure that applicants for DH licensure have fulfilled standards of competency for entry into the profession of DH

Licensure and Regulation Develop and administer a system to certify DH with advanced and/or specialized skills and document that they have fulfilled standards of competency to provide those services Develop policy recommendations and methodologies for a system of continued competence that is relevant and appropriate for DH

Public Health Increase the number of DH with training in PH and those with Grad degrees in PH Increase the number of DH working in leadership positions and policy settings Increase access to oral health care services by expanding the dental hygiene public health workforce

Government Increase the number of DH employed at all levels of government who are able to influence policies and programs, and provide leadership to improve the oral health and general health of the public

How does this compare? A call to actionADHA Change perceptions of oral health Overcome barriers by replicating effective programs Build the science base and accelerate science transfer Increase Oral Health Workforce Diversity, Capacity, and Flexibility Increase Collaborations Research Education Practice and Technology Licensure and Regulation Public Health Government

Where will you fit in? LDH for hire