Transcript Indiana Dental Hygienists’ Assoctiation

Indiana Dental Hygienists’
Association
East Central Component Legislative Forum
July 21, 2012
9:00 -10:00 am
Ivy Tech Anderson
Welcome to the East Central
Dental Hygienists’ Association
Legislative Forum
The purpose of this forum is to share with you ways in
which dental hygienists could better be utilized in regards
to access to oral health care. Increasing our
accessibility to patients would require legislative
change.
What is a Dental Hygienist?
 Preventive oral health professionals who are licensed in
Dental Hygiene to assess and provide educational,
clinical, and therapeutic services that support total
health.
 Provide preventive services that limit extent of cavities
and periodontal disease.
 Indiana has approximately 3,800 Dental Hygienists.
Services Provided
 Removes (scales) calculus and plaque, bacterial hard and soft deposit from above
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and below the gum line
Helps prevent and recognize dental disease
Polishes and removes extrinsic stain
Educates patients about the importance and techniques of good oral hygiene habits
Analyzes dietary needs and habits and provides nutritional counseling
Evaluates the need for preventive agents such as fluoride and sealants and applies
them to the teeth for added resistance to decay
Screens for head, neck and oral cancer and high blood pressure
Exposes, processes and interprets dental x-rays
Designs and implements community dental health and dental educational programs
Designs and conducts research to further knowledge about dental health
Active member of dental team
*****Administer Local Anesthetic*****
Dental Hygiene Education
 In the State of Indiana, Dental Hygienists complete a
minimum of three years of collegiate requirements in
an accredited Dental Hygiene program. Dental
Hygienists receive 3 times more clinical instruction in
periodontal and preventive procedures than dentists.
 We do so much more than “just clean teeth”! We are
very educated, just as an RN in a doctors office! Just
because I can be trained on the job to take BP, weigh
someone and draw blood, does not make me a nurse.
A few of the most notable courses
taken in the dental hygiene program
are:
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Anatomy and Physiology, Head and Neck Anatomy,
Local Anesthesia, Radiology, Periodontics I and II,
Pharmacology, Microbiology, Oral Anatomy, Oral and
General Pathology, Medical Emergencies,
and Clinical Dental Hygiene.
Importance of Oral Health
to Overall Health
 Dental hygienists save lives. The signs and symptoms of many
life-threatening diseases are first apparent in the mouth.
 Oral health is increasingly linked to systemic health.
 Unlike most medical maladies, the principal dental diseases
are fully preventable. Prevention is cost-effective.
 The cost of providing restorative treatment is more
expensive than providing preventive services.
 Carious lesions are preventable through the use of fluoride
and sealants.
The Nations Tremendous Unmet
Dental Needs and Silent Epidemic
 Dental disease (tooth decay) is the single most common chronic childhood disease, five times more
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common than asthma and seven times more common than hay fever
Dental caries- which is an infectious transmissible disease- affects more than half of all children by
second grade
Disparities in oral health are common; there are higher levels of oral diseases among vulnerable
populations, such as poor children, elderly persons and members of many racial and ethnic
minority groups.
Oral health has been described as one of the single greatest unmet health care needs in the U.S. The
current oral health workforce simply is not meeting the nation’s oral health needs.
While 45 million Americans lack medical insurance, more than 108 million lack dental insurance
coverage.
There is an acute shortage of dentists that is expected to worsen in the coming years. Each year,
approximately 6,000 dentists retire while only about 4,300 dentists graduate from dental school.
By contrast, there is a steadily rising number of dental hygiene education programs and dental
hygienists. Presently, there are over 290 accredited dental hygiene education programs; at least
one in every state. There was an 89% increase in the supply of dental hygienists from 1980 to 2000
and dental hygiene is expected to be one of the fastest growing professions between now and 2013.
Indiana’s Legislative Goals
 Improve access to oral health care by permitting dental
hygienists in the state of Indiana to practice under prescription
supervision and to allow us to administer local anesthetic and
nitrous oxide.
 Prescription supervision, (HB 1172/2008) which means
specific written or oral authorization by a licensed dentist or
physician for a licensed dental hygienist to perform procedures
according to a clearly defined treatment plan for all practice
settings not just hospitals and clinics.
 43 States allow some form of general supervision in public
and private settings. Indiana NOT being one of them
Indiana’s Laws
 Limit the type of practice settings by imposing restrictive supervision
requirements
 Dentist must be on premises during treatment and must inspect after
completion (awaiting HB 1172 rule and regulation completion by Indiana Board
of Dentistry)
 Licensed dental hygienist employed by public health department or school may
deliver patient education, perform routine prophylaxis without dentist being
present. Hygienists are not allowed to take radiographs, deliver fluoride or
sealant applications without the dentist’ supervision.
PEW Children’s Dental Campaign
 What We Do
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The Pew Children's Dental Campaign works on four
efficient, cost-effective solutions:
ensure that Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance
Program – the programs that serve low-income children –
work better for kids and for providers so that insurance
coverage translates into real access to needed care
expand sealant programs for kids who need them most
help expand access to optimally fluoridated water
expand the number of professionals who can provide dental
care to low-income children
PEW Report !!!!! YIKES!!!
 Indiana scored an “F” on the PEW Report Card! We are
failing the children in Indiana. (and adults)
 Indiana has more than enough dentist in the state and
Hygienist looking for jobs and we still received an “F” when
it comes to access to care.
 Pew grades are based off of states meeting 8 benchmarks.
Indiana meet 2 or less.
8 Benchmarks
1.Having sealant programs in at least 25
percent of high-risk schools.
2.Allowing a hygienist to place sealants
in a school-based program without
requiring a dentist’s exam.
3.Providing optimally fluoridated water to
at least 75 percent of residents who are
served by community water systems.
4.Meeting or exceeding the 2007
national average (38.1 percent) of
Medicaid-enrolled children ages one to
18 receiving dental services.
 5.Paying dentists who serve Medicaid enrolled children at
least the 2008 national average (60.5 percent) of dentists’
median retail fees.
 6.Reimbursing medical care providers through its state
Medicaid program for preventive dental services.
 7.Authorizing a new type of primary-care dental provider.
 8.Submitting basic screening data to the national database
that tracks oral health status.
IDHA Workforce Survey Statewide
 Eighty-seven percent of the responding dental
hygienists indicated that there are too many dental
hygienists in their community. For the Northeast
region, 95 percent indicated there are too many dental
hygienists in their community.
 Forty-five percent of the responding dental hygienists are
working in dental hygiene or a related field full-time, while
42 percent are working part-time (less than 32
hours per week).
 Eighty percent of the respondents Strongly
Agree/Agree that the law in Indiana should be
expanded so a licensed dental hygienist could
practice in certain settings under general
supervision. The settings most frequently mentioned by
respondents as those they would like to see dental hygienists
be able to practice under general supervision are public
health facilities (93 percent), nursing homes (92
percent), long term care facilities (89 percent) and
charitable clinics (87 percent).
What is your opinion about the number of dental
hygienists in your community?
 East Central----87% say TOO Many!
 Statewide-----87% say TOO many!
 New Dental Hygiene Schools are trying to open in
Indiana. And in East Central!!! Graduates will have
school loans to pay back but there are not enough
jobs for these new graduates!! We need to create
jobs!!
We can help each other!!!
 Remember
 There is NOT a dentist shortage in Indiana, yet we still
received an “F” in the PEW report due to lack of access to
care. We can improve this grade!
 There are a lot of unemployed or underemployed dental
hygienists who are educated and capable to deliver care.
 We can place sealants, provide cleanings and access without a
dentist. Studies show we do not need to take x rays prior to
placing sealants.
 We can help so many people in a wide range of settings with
a small change in legislation.!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for coming !!!!