UTSD Faculty Highlights · Co-Chairs: Melissa Scott: [email protected] and Lynda Bean:...

The Official Publication of the Greater Houston Dental Hygienists’ Society Summer 2014

Valued Members,Your society needs to

hear from you. Please letus know what youexpect and want fromthis society. Our websitehas gone through manychanges and we continue to improveit, but the society wants to knowwhat will be useful to you the oneswe serve. The ideas the board andcommittee members have come upwith are as follows. We plan to havean online blog to replace thenewsletter (except for one in the fallto send out by mail). Another fea-ture would be a “For Sale” page with accessfor members to post items to sell to any

dental professional who visits the site. Therewill also be a communityevents page to includepictures from recentevents. Lastly, we hopeto include a page for pastmeetings/CEs. We are

only able to do a few changes eachyear. Let your voice be heard aboutwhat you would rather or if you haveany other ideas. Please send yourresponses [email protected]. Thesociety is eager to hear from you!

Have a great summer!Malorie Okuhara, R.D.H.

GHDHS President v

PRESIDENT ’SMESSAGE

Malorie Okuhara, RDH, BSDH

Greetings Fellow Dental Hygienists,On April 14th the Texas Dental Association

(TDA) wrote a letter to the Texas State Boardof Dental Examiners (SBDE) asking them torescind their ruling from 2010 regarding theuse of lasers by dental hygienists. Attached youwill find the letter submitted to the SBDE byTDA.They claim that laser-assisted dentalhygiene is outside of the dental hygiene scopeof practice because it “involves cutting of softtissue, hard tissue and teeth.”Additionally,TDA’s letter suggests that performing ZoomWhitening could also be out of the scope ofpractice for dental hygienists. There are manyinaccuracies in the letter. For example, hygien-ists in Texas are not allowed to use lasers withan initiated tip, thus soft and hard tissues can-not be removed. On May 9th, Dr. JacquelinePlemons testified on behalf of TDA at theSBDE's meeting summarizing the letter fromTDA and asking the board once again torescind their ruling. Lynda Bean, GovernmentalAffairs Council Co-Chair for the Texas DentalHygienists’ Association (TDHA), testified onbehalf of TDHA asking the board to maintaintheir ruling. As of now, there have been noreported incidences reported to the SBDEregarding dental hygienists and lasers. Dr.Ramos, the Presiding Officer of the SBDE,assigned a task force to research the issue. Thetask force members are: Dr. Bill Birdwell (headof committee), Dr. Brad Dean, Dr. StevenAustin, Dr. Christie Leedy and Renee Cornett,RDH. They are to report their findings to theboard at the next board meeting in July.

We are reaching out to all hygienists in

Texas who are currently certified and usinglasers. We need written testimony discussing:

• Experience with lasers• How Lasers are used in a non-initiated state• Effectiveness• SafetyAdditionally, we are in need of dentists who

are willing to write testimony letters. If you area hygienist currently using lasers, please reachout to your dentist to help. If the SBDErescinds their ruling, you will no longer be ableto use lasers as an adjunct treatment in yourpractice.

Please send testimonies to the State Board ofDental Examiners:

Fax testimony to: (512) 463-7452Mail testimony to:State Board of Dental Examiners333 Guadalupe, Tower 3, Suite 800Austin TX 78701-394

Email testimony to:[email protected]

Additionally, please email a COPY to GACCo-Chairs:

Melissa Scott: [email protected] andLynda Bean: [email protected]

If you have any questions regarding this seri-ous issue, please feel free to contact us.

Thank you for your support.Melissa Scott, RDH, [email protected] Lynda Bean, RDH, [email protected] v

Governmental Affairs Committee

Dental hygiene faculty and students traveledto San Marcos, Texas on February 7-8th for the2014 SCADHA annual session. We had theopportunity to meet and mingle with otherdental hygiene educators and students from allover the state of Texas. Students had the oppor-tunity to present and view excellent table clin-ics. Our own past president, Joanna Allaire,B.S.D.H, R.D.H., M.D.H. was presented withthe 2014 Procter & Gamble TeachingExcellence Award!

Victoria Patrounova, M.H.A, R.D.H., trav-eled to New Jersey to present a live Colgatewebinar on Troubling Tobacco Trends. Thewebinar is available for CE credit at:http://www.colgateoralhealthnetwork.com/Dental-CE-Courses/Troubling-Tobacco-Trends

Harold Henson, B.S., M.Ed., R.D.H., hasaccepted a position as the Director of theCenter for Teaching and Learning at UTSD.

We welcomed Dennis Garcia, B.S., M.B.A.,R.D.H., as a full time Clinical AssistantProfessor in the Dental Hygiene Program.Dennis comes to us from Collin College in theDallas area.

Many dental and dental hygiene facultyfrom UTSD traveled to the American DentalEducation Association national conference inSan Antonio on March 14-18th. GHDHSmembers presenting posters, workshops andseminars were Jayne McWherter, M.Ed.,R.D.H., Donna Warren-Morris, B.S., M.Ed.,R.D.H, Joanna Allaire, B.S.D.H, R.D.H.,M.D.H., and Victoria Patrounova, M.H.A.,R.D.H. Attendees included Cristina Brown,Ruth Conn, B.S.D.H., R.D.H., HaroldHenson, B.S., M.Ed., R.D.H., DarlaMcKitrick, B.S., M.S., R.D.H., and MargoMelchor, B.S.D.H., M.Ed., R.D.H. v

UTSD Faculty Highlights

http://www.colgateoralhealthnetwork.com/Dental-CE-Courses/Troubling-Tobacco-Trends

http://www.colgateoralhealthnetwork.com/Dental-CE-Courses/Troubling-Tobacco-Trends

2 Summer 2014 • Hygienically Speaking

Welcome New Members!

ANA ALEMAN

BETTINA BAUMHOGGER

ROSA CARTAGENA

REBEL CHAPA

JENNIFER DUPLECHAIN

ROBIN FRANKLIN-KELLY

JANIE HOFFMANN

AMY LEE

JENNIFER LINDESMITH

KATIE MCLAREN-CHARO

LISA MILLER

STEPHANIE MILLER

FOUZIA MOHAMMAD

MEGAN MOORE

STEPHANIE NEUSCHAEFER

LORI O'KRINSKY

ANN PAVLISKA

MARIA PENA

KRISTYN PULVER

JUANITA RODRIGUEZ

DANIEL RUIZ

BRENDA SHARP

THERESA SMITH

SARAH TRAVIS

NANCY WACHIRA

v

GHDHS Membership Roster

This summer, I will begin to put togetherthe GHDHS Membership Roster. Your help isneeded to make sure that information printedis correct.

1. Update your member contact informationby going to the ADHA website, www.adha.org. Itis so easy to make those updates to your contactinformation on the ADHA website. Just log on tothe member’s only section and click “Update mycontact info” on the screen with your name,address, phone numbers and email address.

This information (name, address, phonenumber and email address) will be what isprinted in the GHDHS Membership Roster.

2. Take a look at the current Roster and let meknow if there are corrections to:

a. Your address, phone numbers and emailaddress if different than what ADHA currentlylists as your contact information.

b. Your work information, i.e. doctor nameand work phone number.

c. Is there information that you wanted addedor deleted.

Hope Garza, RDH, BSGHDHS Roster Committee [email protected] v

IOH Can MakeA Difference

The Institute of Oral Health’s purpose is toraise funds in order to provide educationalscholarships, fellowships, research grants andcommunity service grants to dental hygiene stu-dents, educators, and practitioners. TheInstitute’s programs are funded primarilythrough your donations.

Your annual donation to the Institute ofOral Health can make a difference in helping acolleague or dental hygiene student reach theirgoal to further their education and career. Iurge you to offer that helping hand with yourdonation to IOH.

Donations can be made through the IOHwebsite, www.adha.org/ioh, or you can makeyour donation on your membership renewalform. Don’t forget your support of the Institutesupports the future of our dental hygiene pro-fession.

If you do make your donations through thewebsite or membership renewal form, let meknow so I can add it to the GHDHS IOHgoal.

Hope Garza, RDH, [email protected] Liaison v

Summer 2014 • Hygienically Speaking 3

Employment Ad onGHDHS Website

The fee is waived for all ADHA membersthat will like to post a perspective job positionon the employment page of the website for twomonths. All others non-members and dentists,may post an ad for potential employees for a feeof $35. For more information, please contactStephanie Stricklin at [email protected]. Allemployment ads can be view on the website atwww.GHDHS.org v

Employment NewsEmployment information is available 24/7

on the GHDHS website. Whether you arelooking for a full time/ part time, or simplywant to temp a day or so every now and then,the website is your source for job availability.Check it out soon. Please contact StephanieStricklin at [email protected] for moreinformation. v

Keep ADHA DatabaseUpdated

Just a reminder, update your member con-tact information in REAL TIME by going tothe ADHA website, adha.org. It is so easy tomake those updates to your contact informa-tion on the ADHA website.

Just log on to the member’s only section andclick “Update my contact info” on the screenwith your name, address, phone numbers andemail address. By updating your information,ADHA can get information to you in a timelyand efficient manner.

Do not forget to update your contact infor-mation with the State Board of DentalExaminers. It is the law.

Hope Garza, RDH, BSGHDHS Roster Committee Chair v

GHDHS Hosting Texas Annual SessionThe Greater Houston Dental Hygienists’

Society and The Bay Area Dental Hygienists’Society will be hosting next year’s TDHAAnnual Session in San Marcos, TX, September26-28, 2014. Remember to write it in yourcalendars. This is a great way to be active inyour component as a Texas Delegate. v

As they enter into the final month of theirspring semester, first and second year dentalhygiene students are excited about what thefuture holds. For the first year students, theirsummer will be filled with additional classesand clinic sessions. Their patient load willincrease over the summer, and they will startto see more advanced cases. Second year den-tal hygiene students have their eyes set ongraduation! However, before that happens,they must take the National Board DentalHygiene Examination, Process of Care exam,and the Western Regional Examining Board.They have been preparing since January forthese tests, and have spent a lot of timestudying for their exams. Graduation isscheduled for May 23rd, along with a gradu-ation party at Trevisio’s for friends, family,and professors on May 17th. While there isstill tough work to be done, the end is insight, and the second year students are veryexcited to begin their careers as dentalhygienists.

On February 7, 2014, a number of firstand second year students attended theStudent Chapter of American DentalHygienists’ Association (SCADHA) annualsession hosted by the Texas Hygienists’Association in San Marcus, Texas. The pur-pose of the conference is to offer an opportu-nity for dental hygiene students from acrossTexas to meet annually to discuss current

topics relevant to the field, further theirknowledge through profession related semi-nars, and to acquaint themselves with stu-dents from other universities. The highlightof the weekend is the table clinic competi-tion, in which groups of students from eachuniversity present a topic that they haveresearched thoroughly within the scope ofdental hygiene. UTSD students won firstplace in the state dental hygiene studenttable clinic competition for, “Is Your MouthAffecting Your Memory? A New LinkBetween Alzheimer’s Disease and PeriodontalPathogens.” Second place went to anothergroup of UTSD students for“Photobiomodulation: Shining a Light onNew Dental Applications” (a new procedurebecoming popular in dental offices). Secondyear dental hygiene students will also be pre-senting at the Star of the South conference inApril, as well as the Greater Houston DentalHygiene Society meeting.

Finally, the UTSD hosted two events,Texas Mission of Mercy (TMOM) and GiveKids A Smile (GKAS) in February at theschool. Over 700 volunteers participated,including pediatric dentists, general dentists,endodontists, oral surgeons, dental hygien-ists, and students. Together, the two days ofservice served approximately 1,200 peoplefrom the community, more people than near-ly any other event previously held in Texas.

Summer is Here! First and second year dental hygiene students are excited about what the future holds

At the GKAS event, children were screenedfor various needs, such as restorative treat-ment, prophylaxis, and sealants. The totaltreatment cost offered during these two dayswas over $800,000! The event was such asuccess that UTSD is already looking intohosting it again next year, and expanding itsoutreach. The University Of Texas School OfDentistry is constantly working on ways toimprove its community outreach, to offermore services to more people, and to makean impact in the surrounding communities.As the second year dental hygiene studentsprepare to graduate, they are grateful for thecommunity service and look forward to mak-ing an impact in the lives of others far out-side the school setting. Wishing you andyours a great summer!

Meghan O’DonnellDental Hygiene Class of 2014 v


PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION WEB SITES:

ADHA: www.adha.org

TDHA: www.texasdha.org

GHDHS: www.ghdhs.org

Simply better staffing.

Kristy Leos-Chen

P.O. Box 3106Spring, TX 77383

Phone: (936) 242-4066

Fax: (832) 403-3995

Email: [email protected]

www.dentalforce tx .com

Contact ListPresident

Malorie Okuhara, RDH713-557-2379

[email protected]

For Membership ApplicationsCindy Perez, RDH956-453-3120

[email protected]

Name and Address ChangesHope Garza, RDH713-697-2545

[email protected]

For Advertising InformationKim Le, RDH832-758-5876

[email protected]

For Employment InformationStephanie Stricklin, RDH

[email protected]

Many of us do not think to dig intoour budget to donate to the TexasHygienists’ Political Action Committee(Tex-HYPAC), but we are all grateful forthem when we really need them. So, tothose of you who have donated this year,THANKS!!! YOU “get it”! YOU under-stand that we MUST protect our scope ofpractice and ability to command wagesbefitting the educated professional thatwe are. Tex-HYPAC successfully pro-tected our profession back in 2001, whenpreceptorship training for dental hygienecame VERY close to becoming law inTexas. Had this law passed, hygienistswho possessed a degree would competewith “on-the-job” trained hygienists forpositions that paid about $20 per hour!This is only one example of how Tex-

HYPAC has worked for YOU. Whiledental hygiene has not faced that particu-lar challenge lately, we cannot afford tobecome complacent. The AffordableCare Act is now law. We must not underestimate how it could impact the practiceof dental hygiene in the near future. TexHYPAC is working hard to “insure” youagainst future legislation that may nega-tively affect your profession. Help themout with a donation, no matter howsmall!! Mail to:Joy PutnamTex HYPAC Chair for GHDHS16511 Chalmette Park St. Cypress, TX 77429 or go to www.tdha.org and click on

“Governmental Affairs”. v

BIG SHOUT OUT TO WISE HYGIENISTS!!!


TEX HY-PAC FUNDRAISER 2013 – 2014

YES!! I WANT TO INVEST IN THE FUTURE OF

DENTAL HYGIENE IN

TEXAS!

NAME:__________________________________________________________COMPONENT:________ ADDRESS:______________________________________________________________________________ CITY, ZIP:_______________________________________________________________________________ PHONE:______________________________________EMAIL:___________________________________

AMOUNT: $________

METHOD OF PAYMENT: ____CASH ____CHECK ____ CC____ MC/VISA #_______________________________________________________________EXP:__________ SIGNATURE: ____________________________________________________________________________ (Your information will be shredded)


We Need You!!Are you ready, willing, and able to serve your Texas Dental

Hygienists’ Association?Interest Survey:1. Do you currently serve as a volunteer in your local component? If

so, what position or positions do you hold?2. How many years have you served in this position with your local

component?3. Do you currently serve as a volunteer in your state component? If

so, what position or positions do you hold?4. How many years have you served in this position on the state

level?5. Where do you see yourself serving in the next few years, in a local

or state officer position, as a council or committee member, chair of acouncil or committee, and/or as a delegate?

6. Do you have a mentor or would you like a mentor to help guideyou in your pursuit?

Nominations are now being accepted for all positions within ourorganization. Self-nominations may also be submitted. Details andresponsibilities for each position may be found in the TDHA Bylawsand Administrative Manual.

Please return the interest survey to TDHA Nominations Chair,Monna Carpenter-Barin and declare your [email protected] You may also contact Nominations Committeemembers: Nancy Cline at [email protected] or Jan Smith [email protected]. v

Call us today!936-242-4066www.dentalforcetx.com

Opportunities for hygienists are currently available in Houston and the surrounding area.

Exclusive job openings, Full or Part-Time Flexible temporary assignments Placement based on your location &

scheduling needs Agency pays you directly No tax worries – we match, withhold

taxes & send W-2

Whether you want to work one day a week, add to a partially filled week, or seek an entirely new position, we can assist you in achieving your goals!

UTSD Faculty Highlights · Co-Chairs: Melissa Scott: [email protected] and Lynda Bean:...

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