Governor declares H1N1 to be a State Disaster Emergency

In response to requests for assistance from local governments across New York State including New York City, Governor David A. Paterson today issued Executive Order 29 declaring a State Disaster Emergency, which will provide additional personnel and flexibility to local governments as they work to implement a statewide vaccination campaign to protect New Yorkers from H1N1 influenza.
“The nationwide H1N1 vaccination campaign represents the first time in 33 years that the United States has attempted to conduct a mass vaccination campaign of this proportion for influenza,” Governor Paterson said. “Local governments are reporting that the current public health workforce is not sufficient to thoroughly execute a vaccination campaign of this magnitude. Those local governments and health care providers specifically requested that we issue this emergency declaration to give them flexibility to use additional personnel and resources in New York’s vaccination campaign.”

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Update from the American Dental Hygienists’ Association

This e-mail is another update from the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) on issues related to health reform.  This week Congress will return to session after an August recess where dialogue on health reform took center stage across the country.  As part of our effort to keep the dental hygiene community informed on health reform matters that may impact the profession, ADHA is submitting this update.
Certainly health reform has proven to be a highly charged issue with passionate advocates on both sides.  This update is not intended to sway recipients in one direction or the other on the issue, but is being offered as a means to update dental hygiene professionals about the role that oral health plays in pending health reform legislation and offer an overview of ADHA’s engagement in the process thus far.

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Is your head where your heart is?

Is your head where your heart is? It may be now. A strong connection between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been suggested in recent clinical studies. As many as 75 percent of adults in the United States have been affected by periodontal disease and an estimated 80.7 million adults (1 out of every 3) have been a victim of CVD in 2006 according to the American Heart Association. From the 80.7 million adults in the United States, 38.2 million are less than 60 years of age, which is almost 50 percent.

According to the latest study "Oral Body Inflammation Connection" presented during the 57th Annual Meeting of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), The AGD's Annual Meeting in Baltimore, MD, July 8-12, 2009 there is a powerful link between perio disease and heart disease. The revelation was made a a team of experts and the observations are believed to be proof that there is a mouth-heart connection.

The discussion will be one of the first discussions held at the AGD's annual meeting that integrates both dentistry and medicine because the disease is common to both health management groups. "It is critical for all dentists and physicians to collaborate in helping patients reduce inflammation, which can become a target factor for cardiovascular disease," says Dr. Slepian. Both Drs. Slepian and Gottehrer, with the help of an expert doctoral panel will discuss the correlation between periodontal disease and CVD. Information presented during this session will provide dentists with hands-on knowledge regarding how to communicate with physicians in order to collaborate and create more proactive management periodontal disease treatment plans (including non-surgical options), which can then improve periodontal and associated physical health by reducing CVD.

CVD has a wide range of categories, which affect adults in the United States every day including high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure. A recent study that will be cited during the presentation explored the existence of bacteria known to cause periodontitis and the growth of blood vessel walls, which is a symptom of CVD. After examining the subjects used, the investigators found a positive connection between the growth of blood vessel walls and the existence of bacteria found in dental plaque, causing periodontitis.

 

Occasional Smoker, 47, Signs Tobacco Bill

President Obama does not discuss the fact that he still occasionally smokes, a habit he very publicly tried to kick during his race for the White House.
But there he was on June 23, 2009, talking about cigarettes. As he signed legislation bringing tobacco products under federal control for the first time, the president conceded that the new law, aimed at keeping children from starting to smoke, could have helped him three decades ago.
Mr. Obama noted that 90 percent of smokers began on or before their 18th birthday.
“I know — I was one of those teenagers,” he said, standing beneath a punishing afternoon sun at a Rose Garden ceremony. “I know how difficult it can be to break this habit when it’s been with you for a long time.”
With that, Mr. Obama moved on. He did not mention whether he still smokes, a topic that has been a subject of considerable curiosity, and family drama, for years. Instead, he talked about the dangers of the addiction and its causes.
“Kids today don’t just start smoking for no reason,” he said. “They’re aggressively targeted as customers by the tobacco industry. They’re exposed to a constant and insidious barrage of advertising where they live, where they learn and where they play.”
The new law, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, allows the Food and Drug Administration not only to forbid advertising geared toward children but also to lower the amount of nicotine in tobacco products, ban sweetened cigarettes that appeal to young taste buds and prohibit labels like “light” and “low tar.”
When Mr. Obama entered the presidential race, he said his candidacy had been contingent on a deal with his wife, Michelle, that he quit smoking. The couple discussed his habit on “60 Minutes,” where Mrs. Obama declared, “I hate it.”
“That’s why he doesn’t do it anymore, I’m proud to say,” she continued. “I’m the one who outed him on the smoking. That was one of my prerequisites for, you know, entering this race, is that he couldn’t be a smoking president.”
Now there are few touchier questions inside the White House than whether Mr. Obama is still smoking. One senior administration official declined to answer, but pointed out that the president spoke Monday in the present tense, saying, “I know how difficult it can be to break this habit,” as opposed to “I know how difficult it was to break this habit.”
As Mr. Obama shook hands with some of the guests at the bill-signing ceremony, he wandered near a group of reporters. Dan Lothian, a correspondent for CNN, asked, “Mr. President, how difficult has your struggle been with smoking?”
The president, a mere few feet away, did not reply.
Several minutes later, the question came up at the daily White House press briefing. When asked directly if Mr. Obama was still smoking, the president’s press secretary, replied: “He struggles with it every day. I don’t honestly see the need to get a whole lot more specific than the fact that it’s a continuing struggle.”

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American Dental Association Applauds Legislators for Introducing “Meth Mouth” Bill

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2009—Dr. John S. Findley, president of the American Dental Association (ADA), applauded Capitol Hill legislators today for introducing a federal bill aimed at understanding and treating “meth mouth”—a condition where teeth can become blackened, stained, rotting and crumbling from methamphetamine use.

To read the full press release, please visit ADA.org at this link: http://www.ada.org/public/media/releases/0902_release05.asp

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The SCHIP bill became law on Feb. 4. It adds 11 million children to the program. SCHIP was established in 1997 to provide coverage for health care services to children and pregnant women from families that are not Medicaid-eligible but are unable to afford private insurance.

A motivation for starting the program was that people completely dependent on government programs had no incentive to work toward independence if getting a job meant losing health care for themselves or their children. SCHIP allowed children in families with incomes up to 200 percent (about $46,000/yr income) of the federal poverty level to enroll children, expecting co-pays from parents in the upper ranges.

Currently, most states offer a dental benefit as part of their state CHIP program, but the benefit is optional and subject to being eliminated when state budgets become constrained. A “dental wrap” benefit will enable children of families that meet income and other eligibility requirements for SCHIP and receive medical benefits through an employer-sponsored medical insurance plan, to access just dental coverage through SCHIP.

President Barack Obama signed a bill that reauthorized and expand SCHIP to an additional 4 million children. “In a decent society, there are certain obligations that are not subject to tradeoffs or negotiation, and health care for our children is one of those obligations,” he said. Notably, the measure passed both chambers with bipartisan support.

Bad news for smokers. The expansion is to be funded by a 62-cents-per-pack increase in the federal cigarette tax.

As things stand, parents will seek and get health care for their children when it’s needed. If they are uninsured, clinics and hospitals write the expense off as uncompensated care and then increase charges for patients who pay. In some way these expenses can and must be paid. SCHIP is not a bad program, especially in these economic times.

ADHA President Diann Bomkamp, RDH, BSDH, remarked, “The collective effort within the dental community to advocate for the inclusion of dental benefits in SCHIP demonstrates the strength of collaboration and the positive impact it can have on the patients we serve. Those efforts resulted in dental coverage for millions of low-income children who desperately need access to preventive and other oral health care services.”

For additional information on SCHIP visit: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/home/schip.asp

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Consumers Want to Buy Products That Dental Hygienists Recommend
www.Gumbrand.com offers robust suite of dental products for consumers, .

Sunstar Americas, Inc., an international leader in mouth and body care products, has commissioned a survey by Mintel International Group Limited to demonstrate consumers' desires to purchase products recommended by their dental hygienists.

The 1,957 people who participated in the online survey distributed in March of 2007 were asked about their relationship with their dental hygienist; the majority said they trust their dental professionals completely. What's more, 81 percent said they trust the product recommendations of their dental hygienist.

The study also found that women are more likely to visit their dental hygienist than men (47 percent to 39 percent), and that 69 percent of those women are more likely to shop for oral care products for themselves and the entire household.

"We know how hard dental hygienists work to educate their patients on the appropriate products to use, and this confirms patients are listening," said Ann Foppe, Professional Marketing Director of Sunstar Americas, Inc."Gumbrand.com has our entire suite of products online and is perfect for patients who are having a hard time finding the product recommended by their dental hygienist. It's a quick and easy shopping experience, with everything in one location."

The upgraded Web site is not only easy to navigate, it has product and oral health information for consumers as well as dental professionals. There are downloadable product pages which dental hygienists can use to check off recommendations and give to their patients as a reminder on which products to buy. A small tip card directing patients to the Web site is also available to download.

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URGENT - Proposed Changes to the CODA Accreditation Standards for Dental Hygiene Education Programs

As a result of the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) meeting on July 31, 2008, there are proposed revisions to Standard 2-17 of the Accreditation Standards for Dental Hygiene Education Programs.  Standard 2-17 refers to the dental hygiene process of care; of particular interest are the proposed changes to dental hygiene diagnosis and treatment planning.

Click here for a template letter that the ADHA requested we submit to the Commission on Dental Accreditation.  It is important that the ADHA, dental hygiene educators, and dental hygiene practitioners to provide written and verbal testimony to CODA.

Upon reading this letter, you will note that the terminology "dental hygiene diagnosis" has been eliminated; however, the description and definition within the Standard has been strengthened. Another proposed change is relevant to treatment planning. This pertains to part "e" of the Standard changing the word "plan" to needs".

You can read the full Standard of Care and Addendum at the adha.org website.

DHASNY asks that everyone write a letter before Feb 15, 2009.

We need our voices to be heard.

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HALLOWEEN HORROR: CALIFORNIA DENTAL HYGIENISTS
ISSUE WARNING ABOUT THE DANGERS OF SOUR CANDY
Click Here for the Rest of the Story!

 

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DENTAL PREVENTIVE SERVICES IN BROOKLYN

Preventive Dental Service Program at New York Methodist Hospital The primary goal of the program is to provide enhanced oral health care for children ages 12 months to 16 years, through education, counseling and increased clinical services. http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=4&id=13928

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See www.DHASNY.org for:

New Dental Hygiene Regulations
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New AHA Guidelines for Infective Endocarditis (IE) pre-med

The American Heart Association recently updated its guidelines regarding which patients should take a precautionary antibiotic to prevent infective endocarditis (IE) before a trip to the dentist.

The guidelines, published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, are based on a growing body of scientific evidence that shows that, for most people, the risks of taking prophylaxis antibiotics for certain procedures outweigh the benefits. These guidelines represent a major change in philosophy.

The new guidelines show taking preventive antibiotics is not necessary for most people and, in fact, might create more harm than good. Unnecessary use of antibiotics could cause allergic reactions and dangerous antibiotic resistance.

Only the people at greatest risk of bad outcomes from infective endocarditis — an infection of the heart's inner lining or the heart valves — should receive short-term preventive antibiotics before common, routine dental and medical procedures.

Patients at the greatest danger of bad outcomes from IE and for whom preventive antibiotics are worth the risks include those with:

• artificial heart valves
• a history of having had IE
• certain specific, serious congenital (present from birth) heart conditions, including:
  - unrepaired or incompletely repaired cyanotic congenital heart disease, including those with palliative shunts and conduits
  - a completely repaired congenital heart defect with prosthetic material or device, whether placed by surgery or by catheter interventions, during the first six months after the procedure
  -any repaired congenital heart defect with residual defect at the site or adjacent to the site of a prosthetic patch or prosthetic device
• a cardiac transplant which develops a problem in a heart valve.

Learn more about infective endocarditis.

Read the news release.

Read the new guidelines.

Visit the American Dental Association.

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Dialing 211: Connecting People with Important Community Services

Every hour of every day, someone in the United States needs essential services- from finding an after-school program to securing adequate care for a child or an aging parent. Faced with a dramatic increase in the number of agencies and help-lines, people often don't know where to turn. In many
cases, people end up going without these necessary services because they do not know where to start. 2-1-1 helps people find and give help.

€ Basic Human Needs Resource: food banks, clothing closets, shelters, rent assistance, utility assistance.

€ Physical and Mental Health Resources: health insurance programs, Medicaid and Medicare, maternal health, Children's Health Insurance Program, medical information lines, crisis intervention services, support groups, counseling, drug and alcohol intervention and rehabilitation.

€ Support for Older Americans and Persons with Disabilities: adult day care, congregate meals, Meals on Wheels, respite care, home health care, transportation, homemaker services.

€ Support for Children, Youth and Families: childcare, after school programs, Head Start, family resource centers, summer camps and recreation programs, mentoring, tutoring, protective services.

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RDH talk was created for hygienists everywhere to be able to connect & visit with one another; its a place to just talk and become friends with other RDH's. You can ask advise on products, equipment, share concerns, good news and more!

Spread the news to your colleagues, its fun, informational on available when you are.

If interested you have to sign up here: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RDHTalk/

 

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To all Dental Hygienists

You recently received an invitation from the Dental Association to join their allied staff. This may appear to be a very inexpensive alternative to joining the organization that represents your profession. Yes, you will get
a break on the annual session but for that break you will be giving your voice to the the dental association. In essence you are saying what ever policies the ADA endorses that you agree with them. This can be pretty
devastating if they do not wish to promote the same direction for Dental Hygiene as you would like to see.

Consider instead joining ADHA which will provide you with updates relating to how your career is changing and evolving. You also will be involved in a professional organization that represents you profession only. The American Dental Hygienist Association is continually looking for ways to enhance our profession.

Currently there are a lot of Dental Hygienists who have been unable to find jobs. We need to be looking for ways that hygienists can close the gap on access to care. Our organization is doing just that and we need all the support we can get from all the members of our profession.

Thank you for considering not joining the allied staff and looking into joining our State Dental Hygiene Association.