Advanced dental hygiene practitioner

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Yer right- I wished I wouldnta spent so much time studien for that GED jus' to git inter hygiene school- Guess what freak? I took all those classes too (at university even), and guess what, my GPA stands at 4.0, so what? Fortunately, my academic standing does set me apart from most, including most of your dental school peers, but alas, my attitude does not put me in your league(so sad)- Why do you think your educational standards are so much higher than everyone elses? And I would love to take your boards, assuming that they only included the curriculum included in my education, and not the areas only covered in DDS, which you seem so keen to think everyone wants to be- You must think all NP's want to be MD's too, right? They probably just couldn't cut it-I'm quite certain that there will be a board exam for ADHP, as well-Thanks though!


Your academic standing does set you apart from dental students. You're a hygienist, they are or will be dentists. The whole argument is how wide that gulf really is.

I'll side with the DDS/DMD's on this one.

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Couldn't agree any less.

A friend of mine who is in the nurse practitioner program for ansesthesiology in Columbia University thinks physicians are fools for going through all that hustle to do what she can do in simply 2 years. She says it's definitely a time and cost effective path.

ADH are just the same human as NPs. DH are doing way better than they used to and are now ready to expand through the ADHP. Once they accumulate more power they would start their next lobby for autonomy, again, as usual, "to serve the undesrved and poor".

If the ADHP bills goes through, we should push for an Advanced Dental Assisant program. ADAP.. sounds nice and professional. :)
And as Taurus had mentioned, we should stick together and hire our fellow dental associates instead of ADHs even though it would result in a higher overhead. Hiring ADHs would be like stabbing our own back.

If the DH makes an invasion and does not respect our profession, why should we respect theirs? If it isn't an attempt of invasion into dentistry through a fast track DDS/DMD program, why not voluntarily and clearly state to the legislature to specify the limits to rural, undeserved areas?

Columbia is well known for producing nurses who believe they are equal to or better than physicians. Just see the Forbes article by Mundinger for juicy quotes. Your CRNA friend is sorely mistaken regarding her training, and is very mistaken regarding the impact on financial incentives and patient care her arrogance will have.

You should fight these bills. You should not train or hire these ADHP's. Believe me. It's not too late for you guys, although it's likely too late for physicians to stem a lot of the midlevel stuff on a legislative level.
 
The beauty of dentistry is that because the government has limited infiltration into the system, a free market reigns. This allows for optimal patient care and good reimbursement for dentists.

You open up to ADHP's? Watch out. Socialism will pour in, and you'll REALLY be in trouble.

It's because insurance companies have a very hard time turning a profit on dental procedures. They can do the whole medical treatment deal based on the premise that of 10 people they insure, maybe 1-2 will get sick and have have significant health care costs. The high premiums of everyone else will easily cover those costs. It's bull****. Insurance companies end up protecting10% of the population and turn a profit on the other 90%.

Personally I believe the high healthcare cost are fricking insane. A crown for a grand...gimme a break. However, we have high mofo interest rates on loans now that easily break 250 G. How the F*** are we supposed to pay for that with our MORTGAGE loan and our PRACTICE loan? If you change the high costs associated with our education then you'll change the costs of our services.

Second...MN can implement the program if they want to. I guarantee you'll see all dentists leave the state. I grew up in a rural area and have plans to practice in a rural area and I think the U of MN did a great job looking for applicants that may satisfy this need. I wont stick around under this program and nor will many other classmates I've spoken to. To have our education undermined in such a way is absolutely ridiculous and will only exacerbate the problem.
 
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From what I've read, you've been the one pouring gas on the fire. By shoring up the "arguments" of the ADHP side, you are , in reality, spreading misinformation and attacking dentists, not respecting their professional credentials and boundaries. Furthermore, you have already directly stated that you are taking a page from the CRNA playbook, which is "increase scope through legislation, not education", and you are therefore putting dentists on the defense.

At the end of the day, I hope the dentists see this for what it is, and fight it. Can I say it anymore? I should probably use a smiley that has a blue face..:idea:

Dear God! Is anyone REALLY listening? If I thought diagnosing was a "no-brain" activity, I might just suggest I could shadow a DDS for a couple of months and take it from there- Are you kidding me, or just trying to be a jerk? As far as professionalism goes, check in with some of your future colleagues- Do you expect me to just sit back and listen to their/your unfounded attacks? Please... My entire agenda in this discussion group was to listen to justified concerns, provide correction to any misinformation, and hopefully open up a dialogue between two groups of people that I had hoped have similar interests. (that would be patients, not money, in case there was any confusion) Instead, I'm finding a very hostile us vs. them environment. Basically just a "turf" war-I feel like I am forced to defend myself and my position, and it's really quite sad. I see a group of people that only want to discuss GPA's, and play the "I'm better than you" game, and why I let myself be sucked into that I do not know- So much for the dental TEAM, eh?
 
I can't help but be amazed at the amount of whining on this blog. YOU chose to go to Dental School and get $400,000 in debt. YOU and other dentists chose not to address the problem of access to care. WE hygienists ARE addressing it and now you want to complain??? I find it completely ridiculous that many of you are complaining that the ADHP only has a 2 year community college degree. I think you need to do your homework before making such an ignorant statement. Licensure for ADHP requires a Master's Degree from an accredited college. We would have never gotten this far had the current DDS's made room in their practices for the MA/no insurance patients. BUT greed got the best of many of you and now the hygienists will step up and do what you should have done a long time ago. I see entirely too many people that do not have dental insurance and can't afford to pay out of pocket for dental procedures. Well, I will be more than happy to help them once I am licensed as an ADHP.

To the one who was worried about the ADHP taking their patients away, now would be a good time to work on your chairside manner.:D:p

:sleep:

You chose to become a dental hygienist. Now you complain about lack of access for the poor? Go to dental school, become qualified to work independently, and work in the 'hood.
 
ADHP is dentistry's version of the CRNA, but on a much wider scale.

i dont blame them though...if i wasnt good enough to get into dental school, and i was too lazy to actually become a dentist, id also be trying to manipulate an uniformed legislative body to give me powers i dont deserve.

i mean i can ride a bike.....so i should be able to fly a fighter jet.....right?

You're nearly spot on.

I can fly a cessna on microsoft flight sim: So I can fly a loaded 747 from NYC to Heathrow, right?

I played baseball in high school. What's so special about MLB players?

I've played paintball. Therefore, I am a Navy SEAL. After all, we can all pull a trigger the same way.

:laugh:
 
These midlevel groups don't know what they don't know.

It's as simple as that. I don't think that they are all thinking "screw the patients, take the money", I believe that many of them are just truly ignorant with regards to their knowledge, as well as to the knowledge of physicians, and think that, in reality, they are the same in knowledge and experience as physicians.

It's worse than you think. The PA bill appears to have died on the floor, after much opposition. However, the CRNA's greed is vast. They have convinced themselves that they are entitled to do pain medicine, which is a medical subspecialty and requires a fellowship. CRNA's have no formal training in pain and the only thing that is close to pain and delivering anesthesia is that both can involve giving injections. CRNA's think that doing 2 weekend seminars in pain techniques qualifies them to do pain. That's like saying I can become a dentist after 2 weekends.

The Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that CRNA's could not simply expand their scope to include pain by changing the language in their bylaws, something which they tried. Then a bill on the Louisiana legislature expanding their scope was blocked. Most recently, a court ruled that pain = medicine. As you can imagine, the CRNA's are whining about it.

Learn the lessons of the NP's and CRNA's. Greed knows no boundaries. The group with the lower qualifications, fewer years of training, and higher risk to patient safety does not care. They want to do what you do and get paid the same. And they won't stop until they get it.
 
Link to ADA's news article about this development. (3/13/08)

We really need to elect strong representatives in ADA and state level dentist associations.

I would hate to see this bill gain even more traction like it says in the article. Kudos to the UM dental students who showed up at the hearing and appealed. This is the sort of things that really need to be done. I am interested to know how many practicing dentists were present and appealed it?

Some said we need to team with the physicians and fight. A great concept, what are the practical ways to do it?
 
IF this ADHP goes through, DDSs need to put patient care above all and in order to do that DDSs should not involve or register ADHPs under thier practices. They are a legal liability to DDSs and a health liabilty to the patients. They remind me of the brand name FUBU (For Us By Us). They did not involve DDSs in the design of this postion and thus out of principle, DDSs should not involve them in thier practices.

There will always be more legal wrangling done when dealing with MD/DDS. A competent RDH should, and most do, carry their own malpractice insurance and I am sure that as the ADHP's become more common then the requirment for their malpractice will also keep pace.

Ultimately you are right. The MD/DDS is ultimately responsible. But let's say a hygienist gets sued for malpractice then the doctor too gets sued. The same goes for PAs getting sued. Their MDs also get sued.
 
I am interested to know how many practicing dentists were present and appealed it?

Some said we need to team with the physicians and fight. A great concept, what are the practical ways to do it?

Alot of the state reps have said that they recieved letters of opposition from dentists in thier constituincy. I think the idea of physicians joining the fight with dentist to protect the interests of the underprivledged patients is a great idea. The underprivledeged need someone to voice thier concerns, and this should be our calling. Dental access is a problem but walking around the true problems by simply adding a new mid level job, wont make the problem disappear.
 
IF this ADHP goes through, DDSs need to put patient care above all and in order to do that DDSs should not involve or register ADHPs under thier practices. They are a legal liability to DDSs and a health liabilty to the patients. They remind me of the brand name FUBU (For Us By Us). They did not involve DDSs in the design of this postion and thus out of principle, DDSs should not involve them in thier practices.

Agreed.

As Mac says though, with opportunity for greed at the expense of patient safety, will indeed come greed at the expense of patient safety. Filter this down for a few years, and people will forget the safety argument, as will the politicians ( who don't know enough nor care about patient safety, at the end of the day ), who will seal the deal.

Flee. Crush these guys before it's too late. You should have thousands of dentists taking a day or two to go up to the MN legislature to fight this. It would be minimal in cost to each individual dentist, yet reap large rewards.
 
Educate your buddies.

Those UM dental students are doing a great job by the sounds of it, but there needs to be a coordinated effort amongst dentists county-wide in the capitol, statewide in MN, and nationwide in the USA to lobby in MN. Concentrate fire on this target, and take it out before it spreads like a metastatic cancer.

Coordinate with the AMA, who is battling militant midlevels (but not as hard we would like), as well as the local ASA, American Society of Anesthesiologists, and ask regarding tips and support which will help educated the ADA about fighting mid-level encroachment.

Link to ADA's news article about this development. (3/13/08)

We really need to elect strong representatives in ADA and state level dentist associations.

I would hate to see this bill gain even more traction like it says in the article. Kudos to the UM dental students who showed up at the hearing and appealed. This is the sort of things that really need to be done. I am interested to know how many practicing dentists were present and appealed it?

Some said we need to team with the physicians and fight. A great concept, what are the practical ways to do it?
 
Members don't see this ad :)
This is collaborative agreement. C O L L A B O R A T I V E!!!!!!!

Which means this when put into laymens terms....
"What hygienist in her right mind would venture into this knowing that this annual written agreement will have to be signed yearly"

To make my point even more crystal clear...take a look at the ontario dental hygienists. "Dental hygiene has been a self-regulated profession in Ontario since 1994. Since that time, however, the ability of dental hygienists to work independently of dentists has been circumscribed by the order requirement contained in the Dental Hygiene Act, 1991. As a result of the order requirement, dental hygienists may currently only initiate the controlled acts of scaling and root planing including incidental curettage on the order of a member of the RCDSO."

Since 1994 there was only one hygienist who ventured into the suburb of Toronto with an independent practice (probably related to a DDS) Also...and this is VERY important, NO further education required. This would be soo relatively simple for the hygienist. In fact a lot more simple than acquiring a masters degree. Yet, no hygienists would touch it with
a ten foot pole.


So please, dont sweat your panties over this! :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:
 
This is collaborative agreement. C O L L A B O R A T I V E!!!!!!!

Which means this when put into laymens terms....
"What hygienist in her right mind would venture into this knowing that this annual written agreement will have to be signed yearly"

To make my point even more crystal clear...take a look at the ontario dental hygienists. "Dental hygiene has been a self-regulated profession in Ontario since 1994. Since that time, however, the ability of dental hygienists to work independently of dentists has been circumscribed by the order requirement contained in the Dental Hygiene Act, 1991. As a result of the order requirement, dental hygienists may currently only initiate the controlled acts of scaling and root planing including incidental curettage on the order of a member of the RCDSO."

Since 1994 there was only one hygienist who ventured into the suburb of Toronto with an independent practice (probably related to a DDS) Also...and this is VERY important, NO further education required. This would be soo relatively simple for the hygienist. In fact a lot more simple than acquiring a masters degree. Yet, no hygienists would touch it with
a ten foot pole.


So please, dont sweat your panties over this! :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:


Hygienist can be male or female just ot set the record straight. The profession in and of itself is dominated by woman so most stereotype the profession in that sense.

You are right though about not sweating the small stuff. Hygienists are experts at what they do. Dentists are experts at what they do. The profession as a whole has contributed largely to the disparities by not addressing this issue with a mid-level practitioner years ago.

I do not blame dentist nor do I blame hygienists. I blame society and the prefession as a whole for allowing the disparities to reach such unprecedented levels.
 
Hygienist can be male or female just ot set the record straight. The profession in and of itself is dominated by woman so most stereotype the profession in that sense.

You are right though about not sweating the small stuff. Hygienists are experts at what they do. Dentists are experts at what they do. The profession as a whole has contributed largely to the disparities by not addressing this issue with a mid-level practitioner years ago.

I do not blame dentist nor do I blame hygienists. I blame society and the prefession as a whole for allowing the disparities to reach such unprecedented levels.

Thank you for your politically correct statement.
BTW, did you know that MALE hygienists are HOT!!!:laugh::laugh::laugh:
 
In addition to dental school, most dental students have a bs/ba degree. The pre-dental requirements include gen chem, o-chem, gen bio, gen physics, etc. Even prior to entering dental school, our analytical and scientific background is much higher than a techy. Go and take the two semesters of Organic chemistry and you discover why you're not in our league.

As a dental hygienist with an associates and a bachelors in dental hygiene I also hold an associates in nursing. The change in careers does not matter.

I also have every one of my pre-reqs done for dental school and shall be applying this year. I can tell you that the science behind hygiene is different than that of restorative dentistry.

Does that mean that I am any better than anyone else. No. But I do see both sides of the coin. My only wish is that there could be some happy medium to make everyone happy. The whiners and the like.

But alas, we live in a society and work in a profession where it is everybody for themselves. Hygienists are often times seen as a necessity. I have known a lot of dentists and some are for the ADHP and some are not. THose that are understand that we do not want independent practice. But rather we want to be a more integral part of the practice, patient care and the prfession as a whole.

There are more hygiene schools in this country than there are dental schools. Dental schools only admit "X" number of students each year as does hygiene schools. Unless the dental schools are willing to double their class sizes then there will always be a shortage of restorative dental providers.
 
To make my point even more crystal clear...take a look at the ontario dental hygienists.

Canada is a bad example. Midlevels cannot change the Canadian health system through lobbying as they can in this country. For example, there is no such thing as CRNA's in Canada. NP's and PA's are still a relatively new thing. You can't just donate money to lawmakers there as you do here to make changes to the laws. Like we keep pointing out, NP's and CRNA's are better examples and we know well their history and tactics. That's why no one is convinced with the lame arguments for the ADHP's.

If the dentists make their voices heard in MN, it's possible to prevent this bill from going through. The nurses tried to expand their scope in PA last year, but the doctors were able to stop it. So there is hope.
 
Canada is a bad example. Midlevels cannot change the Canadian health system through lobbying as they can in this country. For example, there is no such thing as CRNA's in Canada. NP's and PA's are still a relatively new thing. You can't just donate money to lawmakers there as you do here to make changes to the laws. Like we keep pointing out, NP's and CRNA's are better examples and we know well their history and tactics. That's why no one is convinced with the lame arguments for the ADHP's.

UMM...OK but please do not google Bill 171 CDHA

uh huh. Sweat--panties--pink?

Dont sweat it, the collaboration will hold for a very, very long time.
ADHP as you should know is not relatively new.
 
the collaboration will hold for a very, very long time.

What do you think CRNA's and NP's work under? They were supposed to work under collaboration agreements too. :rolleyes:

Only a naive person to how politics works in this country would believe that a collaboration agreement is written in stone. Malcontent midlevels know that the way to achieve their goals is through organizing, creating a lobbying group, and donating money to lawmaker reelection campaigns. Physicians and dentists need to do the same.

I'm glad to see that the ADA, dentists, and dental students understand the gravity of the situation and are putting up a fierce fight.
 
:sleep:

You chose to become a dental hygienist. Now you complain about lack of access for the poor? Go to dental school, become qualified to work independently, and work in the 'hood.

The dental hygienists also chose not to address these problems. They could easily open a practice in the underserved area. No one is stopping them. They can clean teeth and teach preventive dentistry. The patients could save money and don't have to get a lot of dental treatments. Why wait until now to talk about it by coming out with an ADHP idea? Doesn't make sense in my book. Hypocrite is what I call it. You can't talk about the dentists and you haven't done the same. I can't believe that politicians couldn't see it. They are so naive. They are talking about socialized medicine. Why think about opening up ADHP programs? That's absurd.
 
I'm in TN but give me an address and I'll write letters and start getting the word out here.

If you want to be a dentist, go to dental school. If you can't get in dental school, you shouldn't be a dentist- that is the point! No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

We need to do everything we can to stop this. If anyone has info please post it or PM me.
 
What do you think CRNA's and NP's work under? They were supposed to work under collaboration agreements too. :rolleyes:

Only a naive person to how politics works in this country would believe that a collaboration agreement is written in stone. Malcontent midlevels know that the way to achieve their goals is through organizing, creating a lobbying group, and donating money to lawmaker reelection campaigns. Physicians and dentists need to do the same.

OK have it your way, if you must.
Still your getting fired up over nothing. Hygienists who open independent ADHP practices will have to offer an incentive...eg low prices. Weeding out all the sunlife, great west life, blue cross..etc., so called Class primo insurance patients. You know as well as I do that no one will see an ADHP for restorative when they can see a DDS for the same. You know that Medicaid cant support and independent Hygiene Practice and top all this with a haphazard collaborative agreement this looks pretty unnatractive to the average hygienist with half a brain.

Flustered and fury will get the opposition nowhere. Why did MN leg even bother to amend the one year direct supervision on extractions. What is the point.

I do bid you and others here a most wonderful evening. IMO...panic is not necessary.
 
just received this email and we need your help in contacting MN state senators with your opposition to this bill (dentists, pre-dental, physicians, anybody with concerns for the safety of dental patients). There is a link below to locate the state senators. Please try to contact as many as you can.

last night the bill for a Oral Health Practitioner (OHP), no longer the
ADHP, passed out of the last committee in the Senate!!!! The model is
still the same but will begin as a pilot project allowing 15 OHPs each year
for 2011 and 2012 to practice in areas of need. The scope of practice and
supervision is the same.

The bill is included in the senate omnibus budget bill and will be heard
most likely Tuesday or Wednesday in the full Senate!!

http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/member_list.php?sort=a&ls=85#header
 
just received this email and we need your help in contacting MN state senators with your opposition to this bill (dentists, pre-dental, physicians, anybody with concerns for the safety of dental patients). There is a link below to locate the state senators. Please try to contact as many as you can.



http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/member_list.php?sort=a&ls=85#header


So is Oral Health Practitoners the new name for ADHs? How fancy!
Doesn't this sound just so much more professional than
Advanced Dental HYGIENISTs ?!!
I bet many patients that lack professional knowledge would even take them as some kind of a physician. Many of you may not believe it but I've seem quite a few people outside of the health profession that think ODs are actually physicians!

So obviously the DH are now aware that patients won't be willing to pay the same fees to DH as they would to dentists. They've obviously realized that having that word 'HYGIENIST' (which is what they exactly are) are going to work as a huge disadvantage to them. But at the end, ADHP or OHP or whatever you call it, this group is eventually going to fall under the DH and not the dental profession.
 
Many of you may not believe it but I've seem quite a few people outside of the health profession that think DOs are actually physicians!


Last time I checked DO's are physicians. But I agree they realized that most people would never see a dental hygenist for an extraction, but a oral health professional sounds more legit.

I wonder if the dental board will end up suing the hygiene organization for practicing dentistry with out a license if this thing goes through.
 
Last time I checked DO's are physicians. But I agree they realized that most people would never see a dental hygenist for an extraction, but a oral health professional sounds more legit.

I wonder if the dental board will end up suing the hygiene organization for practicing dentistry with out a license if this thing goes through.


Thank you for the correction. I agree, DO are physicians as well as MDs. That was a typo, I actually meant OD.
 
Last time I checked DO's are physicians. But I agree they realized that most people would never see a dental hygenist for an extraction, but a oral health professional sounds more legit.

I wonder if the dental board will end up suing the hygiene organization for practicing dentistry with out a license if this thing goes through.

Yes, OHP does sound very legit, doesn't it?
It actually sounds even more professional than 'dentist' to me.

The MDA and ADA should definitely sue the DH if this bill goes through. The ADH/OHP belong under the DH profession, don't want involvement with the dentists but they want to practice dentistry. Minnesota is different from Alaska, they have more than enough dentists there and if they think there really is a shortage or access problem there, they should increase the number of dental school seats or come up with some other plan like GPR.
 
Fellow DDS students,


Below is the full email written by one of the DH faculty addressed to the DH students at the U of Minn. I urge you (whichever state you reside in to make our voice heard contact the Minnesota reps at CLICK HERE. Furthermore, contact your own state reps and educate them on what is going on so that they dont become ignorant like the hygenists that go to them to brainwash them.

Students,

Last night the bill for a Oral Health Practitioner (OHP), no longer the
ADHP, passed out of the last committee in the Senate!!!! The model is
still the same but will begin as a pilot project allowing 15 OHPs each
year
for 2011 and 2012 to practice in areas of need. The scope of practice
and
supervision is the same.

The bill is included in the senate omnibus budget bill and will be
heard
most likely Tuesday or Wednesday in the full Senate!! I will get more
information to you Sunday evening. This initiative really needs your
help.
You need to write to your senator and as many senators as possible
before
that day.

I will be sending you some talking points to help with your email to
legislators when I get back into town Sunday night. Please start
thinking
about what you want to say and even composing the email now when you
have
more time. This is going to be a very hard fight on the Senate floor.
Many
senators have not heard all of the facts if they have not been on the
committees which have directly dealt with the issue. They will be
easily
persuaded by the opposition which continues to say that this is
experimental, that it has been rushed through the legislative process,
that it is extremely unsafe, untested. etc.

Get ready for action!

Jeanne Anderson
 
They will be
easily
persuaded by the opposition which continues to say that this is
experimental, that it has been rushed through the legislative process,
that it is extremely unsafe, untested. etc.

What part of this in her description is not true? So clearly they will be lying to get their points across since the opposition (the dentists & dental students I hope) are going to be telling it like it is.
 
:sleep:

Guys, guys...fight this. Fight it hard. Coordinate every dental student and dentist in the nation. If you don't, you'll regret it..

Fellow DDS students,


Below is the full email written by one of the DH faculty addressed to the DH students at the U of Minn. I urge you (whichever state you reside in to make our voice heard contact the Minnesota reps at CLICK HERE. Furthermore, contact your own state reps and educate them on what is going on so that they dont become ignorant like the hygenists that go to them to brainwash them.

Students,

Last night the bill for a Oral Health Practitioner (OHP), no longer the
ADHP, passed out of the last committee in the Senate!!!! The model is
still the same but will begin as a pilot project allowing 15 OHPs each
year
for 2011 and 2012 to practice in areas of need. The scope of practice
and
supervision is the same.

The bill is included in the senate omnibus budget bill and will be
heard
most likely Tuesday or Wednesday in the full Senate!! I will get more
information to you Sunday evening. This initiative really needs your
help.
You need to write to your senator and as many senators as possible
before
that day.

I will be sending you some talking points to help with your email to
legislators when I get back into town Sunday night. Please start
thinking
about what you want to say and even composing the email now when you
have
more time. This is going to be a very hard fight on the Senate floor.
Many
senators have not heard all of the facts if they have not been on the
committees which have directly dealt with the issue. They will be
easily
persuaded by the opposition which continues to say that this is
experimental, that it has been rushed through the legislative process,
that it is extremely unsafe, untested. etc.

Get ready for action!

Jeanne Anderson
 
So is Oral Health Practitoners the new name for ADHs? How fancy!
Doesn't this sound just so much more professional than
Advanced Dental HYGIENISTs ?!!
I bet many patients that lack professional knowledge would even take them as some kind of a physician. Many of you may not believe it but I've seem quite a few people outside of the health profession that think ODs are actually physicians!

So obviously the DH are now aware that patients won't be willing to pay the same fees to DH as they would to dentists. They've obviously realized that having that word 'HYGIENIST' (which is what they exactly are) are going to work as a huge disadvantage to them. But at the end, ADHP or OHP or whatever you call it, this group is eventually going to fall under the DH and not the dental profession.

Who regulates dentists and hygienists at the state level? Is there a board of dentistry? Why doesn't this board cover both groups?

I agree that the term "OHP" is a clever way for hygienists to hide their background. It's meant to confuse the public and blur the line between dentists and hygienist. Once the hygienist develop a doctorate for themselves, they will claim to be just as good as dentists.
 
Oh yes, mayhem mayhem.

The oral health horrific hygienists will be on the loose.:scared::scared:

Sec. 5. [150A.23] ORAL HEALTH PRACTITIONER PILOT PROJECT AND
254.17 STUDY.
Subdivision 1. Pilot project. The commissioner of health, in consultation with the Board of Dentistry, shall conduct a pilot project under which an oral health practitioner
with advanced training is authorized to provide dental services as described in section
to underserved populations under the supervision of a Minnesota-licensed
dentist and with monitoring and evaluation by the commissioner of health.

The pilot
project is limited to no more than 15 midlevel practitioners entering practice in 2011 and an additional 15 in 2012. The education and training requirements must exceed those required for midlevel practitioner or dental therapist programs in Alaska, Canada, New
Zealand, and Great Britain. The commissioner may establish additional restrictions as
necessary to protect the public and ensure quality of care.

Subd. 2. Requirements to practice in underserved areas. As a condition of being
granted authority to practice as an oral health practitioner, the practitioner must agree :beat::beat:to practice in settings serving low-income, uninsured, and underserved patients or in
communities that located in federal dental professional health shortage areas.

Subd. 3. Oral Health Practitioner Committee. The commissioner of health
254.33shall convene an Oral Health Practitioner Committee to advise the commissioner on the
254.34implementation of the pilot project. The committee shall consist of the following members:
255.1 (1) two persons selected by the University of Minnesota;
255.2 (2) two persons appointed by the Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioner Curriculum
255.3Development Advisory Committee of the Minnesota state colleges and universities;
255.4 (3) two representatives appointed by the Board of Dentistry, including one dentist
255.5and one dental hygienist;
255.6 (4) one dentist appointed by the Minnesota Dental Association;
255.7 (5) one dental hygienist appointed by the Minnesota Dental Hygienists Association;
255.8 (6) one dentist representing dental health coverage plans appointed by the Minnesota
255.9Council of Health Plans;
255.10 (7) one dentist from specialized dental provider who serves patients with disabilities
255.11who have special needs;
255.12 (8) one dentist from a hospital-based dental program appointed by the Minnesota
255.13Hospital Association;
255.14 (9) one person from a community dental clinic that serves low-income and uninsured
255.15patients appointed by the Minnesota Safety Net Coalition;
255.16 (10) the commissioner of health or the commissioner's designee; and
255.17 (11) the commissioner of human services or the commissioner's designee.
Subd. 4. Monitoring, evaluation, and report. The commissioner, in consultation with the Board of Dentistry and the committee established under subdivision 3, shall monitor the activities of oral health practitioners authorized to practice under this section
and section 150A.061, and assess the impact on access, quality, and cost of dental services, including the impact on underserved populations and regions and submit a report to the legislature by December 15, 2012.
255.24 Subd. 5. Application of other laws. An oral health practitioner authorized to practice in a pilot project approved by the commissioner and acting in compliance with the
requirements of this section and the commissioner of health is not in violation of section
, pertaining to the unauthorized practice of dentistry and chapter 151
 
hey r_u_cool2, thanks for the link!

I've emailed the pre-dent club at my univ with all the info and email addresses of the senators and urged them to send emails and continue to spread the word. I'm meeting with my dentist tomorrow, and I am now sending an email to each one of the MN senators!

I think we should post what we're doing to fight this bill to give everyone ideas and encouragement to act!

For those who say we shouldn't worry - stand up for you're profession. Sure as h*ll better safe than sorry.

Good luck everyone!
 
The link to this thread should be emailed to every dentist and dental student in the country. Lots of important and useful info on here.
 
hey r_u_cool2, thanks for the link!

I've emailed the pre-dent club at my univ with all the info and email addresses of the senators and urged them to send emails and continue to spread the word. I'm meeting with my dentist tomorrow, and I am now sending an email to each one of the MN senators!

I think we should post what we're doing to fight this bill to give everyone ideas and encouragement to act!

For those who say we shouldn't worry - stand up for you're profession. Sure as h*ll better safe than sorry.

Good luck everyone!


I agree, we should start posting what we've been doing.

I called the Texas Dental Association and found out that they weren't aware of this ADHP/OHP issue. I spoke with the secretary last week who obviously had no idea on what this issue is so I plan to contact the president of TDA directly to his office on Monday to let him know what's going on.
 
Awesome! Let us know what you find out!
 
Canada is a bad example. Midlevels cannot change the Canadian health system through lobbying as they can in this country. For example, there is no such thing as CRNA's in Canada. NP's and PA's are still a relatively new thing. You can't just donate money to lawmakers there as you do here to make changes to the laws. Like we keep pointing out, NP's and CRNA's are better examples and we know well their history and tactics. That's why no one is convinced with the lame arguments for the ADHP's.

If the dentists make their voices heard in MN, it's possible to prevent this bill from going through. The nurses tried to expand their scope in PA last year, but the doctors were able to stop it. So there is hope.


I agree with Taurus that comparsions of midlevels in other countries is not appropriate. There are NPs even in many asian or european countries and they've been around for decades already. But the difference with the midlevels here is that they know their limits and respect the other professions. Have you ever heard of any of those midlevel groups in foreign countries lobbying to do the same or similar kind of work as physicians or dentists? Look at the CRNAs and how they back stabbed the physicians. They've clearly proved that the midlevels in the US are different from those in other countries.
 
Originally Posted by rambo2006
They will be easily persuaded by the opposition which continues to say that this is experimental, that it has been rushed through the legislative process,
that it is extremely unsafe, untested. etc.

What part of this in her description is not true? So clearly they will be lying to get their points across since the opposition (the dentists & dental students I hope) are going to be telling it like it is.

1- It is experimental because, this is not Alaska nor is this bill drafted like the program is Alaska. Hence, it is experimental.

2- When no board exam is required, no competencies addresses, F*&K yea its unsafe for patients. When they do irreversible procedures, it IS UNSAFE. Stop being ignorant and realize that you do NOT know, what u where never taugth or trained to perform. Thus you are not even competent to speak about what is safe to do or not.

3- It is bieng rushed. The drafters got pissed when ammendments where made to the bill that they purposely left out (like where they work, how many of them can work under a DDS license, and if the DDS has to be from MN or somewhere in the jungles of the Congo.)

I despise the level of ignorance on part of many of the DH here. Especially those who belittle the significance of removing tooth strx. and diagnosis, managing medically comprimised pts.. There are some honerable DHs and RDHs I've met but you guys here..... you are a discrace. We talk about the ethics and pt standard of care and you say, oh, but you can make more money with us bieng ADHPs.....:bullcrap:
 
rambo, I think you missed my point. As a dentist, I believe that the bill is experimental, being rushed, unsafe and untested - just like the hygienist wrote in that email. I find it ironic that the ADHP group doesn't believe this is the case with this bill and are going to "educate" the legislators that none of this is true in order to push their agenda. So the ADHP group is going to be telling the legislators that the bill is not experimental, perfectly safe and tested - bascially they are going to be lying.
 
rambo, I think you missed my point. As a dentist, I believe that the bill is experimental, being rushed, unsafe and untested - just like the hygienist wrote in that email. I find it ironic that the ADHP group doesn't believe this is the case with this bill and are going to "educate" the legislators that none of this is true in order to push their agenda. So the ADHP group is going to be telling the legislators that the bill is not experimental, perfectly safe and tested - bascially they are going to be lying.

Sorry gryffindor, I misfired at you. I misunderstood it.
 
Guys, my 88 year old grandfather is writing to oppose this bill. I know finals will be coming soon for many of you, but all it takes is a quick draft and firing it off to all these misinformed politicians.

I've found that the more personal you make it the better. They like hearing about money, and they like hearing about compromised care.

Tell them...if they pass this bill, there will be dozens more little children that won't have died from an abscessed tooth, but from incompetent care.

Tell them, a hygienist making a half *** restoration that fails in half the time because of lack of preparation/education isn't helping anyone or saving anyone any money when it needs to be replaced soon therafter by a skilled dentist.

This is OUR profession. The new language to the bill with the "Pilot project" etc changes nothing.
 
Last time I checked DO's are physicians. But I agree they realized that most people would never see a dental hygenist for an extraction, but a oral health professional sounds more legit.

I wonder if the dental board will end up suing the hygiene organization for practicing dentistry with out a license if this thing goes through.

That is a good question and one that I would love to know the answer to.

As long as they graduate from a CODA school, pass all national/regional boards and are licensed then I am not sure if they could/would be sued.
 
I agree, we should start posting what we've been doing.

I called the Texas Dental Association and found out that they weren't aware of this ADHP/OHP issue. I spoke with the secretary last week who obviously had no idea on what this issue is so I plan to contact the president of TDA directly to his office on Monday to let him know what's going on.

So how did that work out for you?
 
So how did that work out for you?

I couldn't contact him through phone so I sent an email to the president of TDA and the dental associations in some of the major cities and recieved answers from some of them that they were unaware of the issue and that they would send a letter of opposition on the ADHP/OHP bill.
Has anybody else recieved any replies?
 
Hi everyone please click here to add your name to a pre-made letter that will go to your representative. Please, have an influence in this world and make your voice of opposition count.




Rambo:boom:
 
You have to enter a Minnesota address.

Here is the address to the dental school:

School of Dentistry
University of Minnesota
Moos Health Sciences Tower
515 Delaware Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
 
You have to enter a Minnesota address.

Here is the address to the dental school:

School of Dentistry
University of Minnesota
Moos Health Sciences Tower
515 Delaware Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455



Thanks for the links and address!

Should I use this school address even if I'm not a student of U of M?
Wouldn't it be more influential if we used our own address from other states than all of us using the same U of M school address to show that this is calling a national attention?
 
Thanks for the links and address!

Should I use this school address even if I'm not a student of U of M?
Wouldn't it be more influential if we used our own address from other states than all of us using the same U of M school address to show that this is calling a national attention?
I just signed the letter with my actual location.
 
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