Question

From the article, Transforming Dental Hygiene Education Proud Past, Unlimited Future: Proceedings of a Symposium from September 18-20, 2013 Chicago, Illinois reflect on the changing profession of Dental Hygiene and how can it can impact you as a future dental professional.

Answer 1

On September 18, 2013, the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) hosted a symposium, titled Transforming Dental Hygiene Education: Proud Past, Unlimited Future. The symposium was the result of the collaboration between ADHA, the Santa Fe Group, and ADHA’s Institute for Oral Health. ADHA’s mission is to advance the art and science of dental hygiene by working to ensure access to quality oral health care; increase awareness of the benefits of prevention; and promote the highest standards of dental hygiene education, licensure, practice, and research while representing and promoting the interests of dental hygienists.

Slavkin (one of the speaker) saw an enormous opportunity for the future of dental hygiene, provided that the profession asks the right questions, adapts to change, and encourages critical thought. Transformation will take time, he said, and there are many moving parts, but the present symposium can be the catalyst.

According to ADHA’s policy below are the changes that happened:

1. Provision of clinical and diagnostic services in addition to those services permitted to an entry level dental hygienist, including services that require advanced clinical decision making, judgment, and problem solving.
2. Completion of a clinical and academic educational program beyond the first professional degree required for entry level licensure, which qualifies the dental hygienist to provide advanced practice services and includes preparation to practice in direct access settings and collaborative relationships.
3. Documentation of proficiency such as professional certification.

There were some limitations like the ability to make dental hygiene diagnoses included in the standards for clinical practice for dental hygienists; it is a core competency, but one that dental hygienists have not been able to use (an exception is the State of Colorado, where dental hygienist diagnostic services is listed as a competency written into statute).

Such limitations changed, facilitated by market forces including trends in the delivery of health care and provisions in the ACA. Careers for dental hygienists go beyond the clinician in the dental office, adding roles as educator, researcher, administrator/manager, and a voice for the patient in public health settings which is very helpful in building great career professionally as dental hygienist.