"California Dental Hygienists on Front Lines in Identifying Methamphetamine Use in Patients"
Click Here for more information.

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This article appeared in October issue of RDH magazine. A single act of
pigment to pulp finalized a new law that changes the future of dental
hygiene in California

http://www.rdhmag.com/display_article/343506/56/none/none/Feat/With-a-Singl e-Stroke-of-the-Pen:
-a-New-Reality-for-Dental-Hygienist

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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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American Heart Association New Guidelines for Pre-Medication 2007

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

€ Artificial heart valves
€ A history of having had infective endocarditis
€ Certain specific, congenital 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

Antibiotic premedication is no longer indicated for dental patients with
mitral valve prolapse, rheumatic heart disease, bicuspid valve disease,
calcified aortic stenosis, congenital heart conditions, such as ventricular
septal defects, atrial septal defects, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

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Click Here for New Blood Pressue Guidelines.

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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.

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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/