State News.

New infection-control rules take effect in California

August 22, 2011 -- Dental professionals in California, take note: New infection-control regulations took effect August 20, and without making some significant changes in certain aspects of your everyday routine, you could be in violation of the state's minimum standards for infection control.

The guidelines are a product of the Dental Board of California and the Dental Hygiene Committee of California, as mandated by California law. The revised guidelines are the result of a year-long collaboration between these two agencies of the California Department of Consumer Affairs.

The regulations have not been updated since 2005, according to Leslie Canham, CDA, RDA, an infection-control compliance expert in California.

The Dental Board of California does not contact dental licensees to inform them of the new regulations, Canham noted; instead, dentists are expected to check the dental board website to stay informed of any changes. In addition, a copy of the regulations must be conspicuously posted in each dental office, and a written protocol outlining proper instrument processing, operatory cleanliness, and injury management must be made available to all workers.

The California Dental Association (CDA) has informed members about the revised infection control regulations through CDA’s monthly news magazine, online resources, email, and local dental society newsletters, according to an association spokesperson.

Utility gloves, more sterilization

The board made several changes and additions to the regulations, Canham said, some more significant than others. For example, utility gloves that are chemical- and puncture-resistant must now be worn by anyone working with germicides or hazardous chemicals and when processing contaminated instruments.

“Other states would do well to know what we are doing in California to protect ourselves and our patients.”
— Leslie Canham, CDA, RDA

"Many people don't like to wear the heavy-duty utility gloves because they are bulky and don't fit well, but anyone cleaning a treatment room has to wear them now," she said.

In addition, instrument pouches, packages, and wraps must be labeled with the date of sterilization and sterilizer used (if an office has more than one sterilizer).

"Some offices already do this, but the majority don't," Canham said.

Other changes in the regulations include the following:

Instruments, items, and devices processed by high-level disinfection (cold sterile) must be packaged or wrapped and dated upon completion of the disinfection process.
Hand washing with soap and water must be performed at the start and end of each workday. Alcohol-based hand rubs may still be used in between glove changes as long as hands are not visibly soiled or
contaminated.
Protective eyewear and face shields must be cleaned and disinfected after each patient treatment.

The board also changed some language in the regulations to help clarify who the rules apply to.
"Dental workers" is now "Dental Healthcare Personnel," which broadens the scope of who might be
exposed to infectious materials while working in a dental office, Canham noted.

"This is a better definition because it applies not only to a dentist's employees, but contracted workers
as well," she said.

The infection-control regulations complement the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) bloodborne pathogens standards, Canham added.

"Other states would do well to know what we are doing in California to protect ourselves and our
patients," she said. "Some states still defer to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
guidelines, which are almost 9 years old."

Dear RAM Dental Volunteer:

           We hope all of you had a joyous Easter holiday with your ,loved ones. It has been a few weeks since our RAM experience here in Northern California, and as promised we have some early statistics
quantifying some of the wonderful services you provided to help those less fortunate.

          In total, 6,600 patients were seen in Sacramento and Oakland with 4,700 of them treated by Dental. As much as you all tried to complete the pink treatment forms and see that they all were returned, we are pretty certain that there was considerable underreporting. We have a record of 5,500 fillings, 1,600 cleanings, 3,600 extractions (probably many more), and 1,400 great panorex x-rays taken by Craig Dial, DDI and his staff. The value of dental services was over 2.5 million dollars, but was priceless to those who received the benefit of your skills.

          According to Stan Brock, the effort by Dental was a record breaker of his 640 missions. We were honored to be your dental volunteer coordinators and floor leaders and hope that we have a chance to work together again in the future. Remote Area Medical is very interested in returning to California as early as next year. Your spirit of volunteerism and the leadership of Pam Congdon and
CALAOMS are the reasons why.

Again, thank you so much!
Sincerely,
Don Rollofson, DMD
Russ Webb, DDS

"Licentiates must notify the Dental Hygiene Committee of California of address change within 30 days."

Highlights of the Dental Hygiene Committee of California meeting
Sacramento, December 4-6, 2010
1. The DHCC reviewed active dental hygiene licensure statistics; 17,870 RDH’s, 31 RDHEF’s, and 304 RDHAP’s. Twenty fictitious name permits have been issued.

2. Overall results of the 2010 RDH clinical examinations show an 81% pass rate.

3. The DHCC is investigating the development of an alternative testing method to administer the law and ethics written exam.

4. The DBC is working on requirements for approval of courses in local anesthetic, nitrous oxide-oxygen analgesia and periodontal soft tissue curettage; Sacramento City college is currently the only location for this coursework (outside the dental hygiene program curriculum).

The long and winding road

California's path to self-regulation was full of twists and turns (RDH Magazine Nov 2010)

by Heidi Emmerling, RDH, PhD, and Ellen Standley, RDH, BS, MA

California dental hygienists did it! In 2009, the Dental Hygiene Committee of California (DHCC) distinguished California as the first state to achieve their own regulatory agency. The self-regulation process has not been a fast track. Thanks to many progressive California dental hygienists who have paved the way, certain key milestones stand out. The following events are considered part of the long history in the formation of the DHCC professional self regulating agency:

Early independent practice
Increasing the dental hygiene scope of practice and licensure categories
Joining northern and southern California for stronger advocacy
Acquiring dental hygiene representation on the Board of Dental Examiners
RDHAP licensure including pilot projects.

March Fong Eu was one of California's true gems. In the early 1940s, Fong, who later became California's Secretary of State and member of the State Assembly, began her career as a dental hygienist. Susan McLearan writes that Fong's position on self-accreditation and self-regulation has never wavered. Thus, the vision, discussion, and hard work that goes into becoming professionally autonomous started many years ago. Fong also served as ADHA president in the 1950s. During her presidential address she stated, "Dental hygiene is controlled by the dental profession. Dental hygiene is the only profession I know that is controlled entirely by another profession. It is not a simple process to divorce oneself from a dependency which has become part of our professional thinking; yet we must make this first step if we hope to be free." Read more.

CDHA Board Notes and Highlights of meeting held August 28, 2010 at the Burbank Airport Marriott, which is appropriate for reprinting in your component newsletters. Read more.

News Alert from the DHCC

Digital fingerprinting will be required of all hygienists licensed with the Dental Hygiene Committee of California (DHCC) beginning with the April 1, 2011 renewal cycle. Paper fingerprinting cards will no longer fulfill this new legal requirement. Licentiates renewing after January 1, 2011 will need to have Livescan digital fingerprints submitted as part of the renewal process. Licentiates who already have Livescan records on file after taking the CA state board examination will not need to be rescanned. Renewal applicants will need to download a DHCC Livescan form prior to going to a Livescan site for fingerprinting. Specific forms for RDHs, RDHAPs and RDHEFs are available on the DHCC web site.(http://dhcc.ca.gov/formspubs/index.shtml#forms)

Click here for a list of livescan locations. (http://www.ag.ca.gov/fingerprints/publications/contact.htm)

For more information, visit the DHCC web site.

It’s official! UCSF President Mark Yudof signed the approval for the Masters of Science in Dental Hygiene at UCSF. This is truly a milestone for our profession. Peggy Walsh has been working tirelessly with the full support and commitment of Dean Featherstone to get this program approved. If all goes as planned, the first class will be accepted in June of 2011. It is a one year program.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Stevan Allen – 916.448.1336
stevan@allenstrategic.com

CALIFORNIA DENTAL HYGIENISTS SAY NATIONAL CHILDREN’S
DENTAL HEALTH MONTH SHOULD BE A YEARLONG EFFORT

California Dental Hygienists’ Association Conducts Statewide Outreach Efforts to Provide Low-Income Children Access to Dental Care

GLENDALE, Calif. (Feb. 25, 2010) – As National Children’s Dental Health Month draws to a close, California’s dental hygienists are reminding parents and guardians that protecting the smiles of California’s youngest children is a year-round commitment.

“Taking a month to spotlight this issue is a wonderful opportunity to better educate parents and the public,” said Daphne Von Essen, president of the California Dental Hygienists’ Association (CDHA). “But this really needs to be something we as a society focus on 365 days a year because we have millions of California children suffering from insufficient oral health care.”

The most vulnerable Californians are children in low-income families who have limited access to dental care, lack of dental education and nutritional needs – all of which result in a high cavity rate in children. The greatest racial and ethnic disparity is seen among children ages two through eight, especially in Hispanic, African American and rural communities.

Early Childhood Caries (ECC), a distinctive pattern of severe tooth decay in infants and young children, is one of the most common diseases in this age group. By conservative estimates, it affects more than one out of seven preschoolers and over half of California’s elementary school children.

“Poor oral health not only results in cavities but sets in motion the potential for long-term health risks,” said Von Essen. Poor oral health has been associated with heart disease, diabetes, potential strokes, along with low birth weight and preterm deliveries. Oral health problems can also lead to pain, poor nutrition and development, impaired speech, loss of employment, time away from school, and low self-esteem.

State News.

The long and winding road

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