Poznan, Poland, is to host the 2016 FDI Annual World Dental Congress (AWDC) in September 2016. The agreement between FDI and local organizing team was signed 15 May between all parties.
Said FDI President Dr Tin Chun Wong: “The decision to hold the 2016 AWDC in Poznan demonstrates FDI’s determination to ensure a good worldwide balance alternating in the last decade between the Americas , Asia-Pacific and Europe* . I congratulate the Polish Dental Association on their successful bid and look forward to yet another must-attend FDI event.”
Speaking on behalf of the congress organizing committee, Polish Dental Society President Prof Bartlomiej W. Loster said: “We feel honoured and privileged to be chosen as the host country for the 2016 FDI Annual World Dental Congress. We look forward to welcoming delegates from all over the world to Poznan, a city of history and style, in September 2016.”
Responsibility for the success of the AWDC is shared between FDI and a three-partner local organizing team comprising the Polish Dental Society, Exactus, a professional company specialised in organising medical and dental congresses, and the Poznan Congress Center. The AWDC also has the active support of the Polish Chamber of Physicians and Dentists, which will play an active role in its preparation.
“Exactus already organizes the Central European Dental Exhibition featuring 250 exhibitors and 8,000 square metres of exhibition booths, with some 13,000 visitors. The FDI AWDC in Poznan is a fantastic opportunity to build on this solid base. We look forward to working on a dental event of such worldwide importance,” said Exactus CEO Ewa Mastalerz.
Poland’s sustained economic growth over last few years is reflected in a lively market for dental equipment and services valued at nearly €2.2 billion in 2013. Demand for dental services, both national and foreign, is growing rapidly, with a private dental sector estimated at €884 million and growing between 20% and 30% year-on-year. The country has some 30,000 qualified dentists (nearly 80% of whom are women) and an estimated 23,000 dental practices.
Poznan is a pleasant and dynamic city of some 650,000 inhabitants situated half-way between Berlin and Warsaw, with easy access by air, rail and road and numerous tourist attractions. The choice of the city for the FDI Annual World Dental Congress was helped by the unique facilities the city offers: a centrally situated Congress Center, an extremely well-developed, city-wide transport system, a large range of excellent accommodation within the vicinity of Congress Center and strong support from the city authorities.
ROSEMONT, Ill., June 18, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new position paper on Medication Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (MRONJ) released by the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, expands the scope of the condition previously referred to as Bisphosphonate-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (BRONJ) and changes its name to reflect the antiresorptive (denosumab) and antiangiogenic therapies that have recently been associated with the condition.
In addition to changing the name of the condition, the MRONJ position paper provides guidance to:
physicians, dentists, dental specialists, and patients in making medical decisions relating to the risk of developing MRONJ, as well as the risks and benefits of those medications related to osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ);
clinicians regarding diagnosis of MRONJ in patients with a history of exposure to antiresorptive and/or antiangiogenic agents; and to
clinicians regarding MRONJ prevention measures and management strategies for patients with MRONJ, based on their disease stage.
MRONJ appears as a non-healing exposed bone in the mouth and may affect patients undergoing intravenous cancer-related therapy, or more rarely, patients treated with oral or IV bisphosphonates for osteoporosis.
Written by the members of the distinguished AAOMS Special Committee that prepared previous position papers on BRONJ in 2006 and 2009, the new MRONJ paper contains revisions to diagnosis, staging, and management strategies, and highlights the status of current research relating to this condition.
In order to distinguish Medication Related ONJ from other delayed healing conditions and to address concerns about under-reporting of the disease, the new position paper redefines the diagnosis characteristics of MRONJ as follows:
Patients may be considered to have MRONJ if all of the following characteristics are present:
Current or previous treatment with antiresorptive or antiangiogenic agents;
Exposed bone or bone that can be probed through an intraoral or extraoral fistula(e) in the maxillofacial region that has persisted for more than eight weeks; and
No history of radiation therapy to the jaws or obvious metastatic disease to the jaws.
The majority of patients on antiresorptive or antiangiogenic therapy who experience MRONJ do so following a dental procedure, such as a tooth extraction. Therefore if systemic conditions permit, the position paper suggests that the start of antiresorptive therapy should be delayed until the patient's dental health is optimized. The MRONJ position paper further recommends that patients who are about to be prescribed antiresorptive or antiangiogenic therapy should undergo a thorough oral examination and a radiographic assessment when indicated in order to identify both acute infection and sites of potential infection that could be exacerbated once drug therapy begin. The paper cautions that any decisions relating to drug therapy must be made in conjunction with the treating physician, dentist and other specialists involved in caring for the patient.
MRONJ is painful and difficult to treat. While osteonecrosis of the jaw has been recognized by dental and medical practitioners for many years, the identification of bisphosphonates as a contributory factor to the condition was first reported by oral and maxillofacial surgeons about 10 years ago when they noticed an increase in the number of patients exhibiting the signs of ONJ. A review of these cases indicated that bisphosphonate therapy was a common thread.
In 2006, the AAOMS appointed the Special Committee on BRONJ to review the existing literature and prepare a position paper that synthesized the findings for the dental and medical communities. This Special Committee was reconstituted in 2009 and again in 2013 to review current research findings. The 2014 Position Paper on Medication Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaws offers the most recent and up to date diagnosis and treatment information to dental and medical professionals, clinicians and patients.
The complete 2014 MRONJ Position Paper is available at aaoms.org.
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Dr. Connie L. Drisko, former Dean of the College of Dental Medicine at Georgia Regents University, died Sunday at Georgia Regents Medical Center after a short battle with acute myelogenous leukemia.
Dr. Connie Drisko, Dean Emeritus of the College of Dental Medicine
Drisko became the college’s third dean in 2003. During her tenure, she oversaw construction of a new state-of-the-art clinical facility, one of the largest of its kind in the country, which opened in 2011 with 316 clinical operatories, simulation labs, and clinics for junior and senior dental students. The expansion allowed for the number of dental students in a class to grow from 60 to 84 and will allow for continued growth to 100.
Under Drisko’s leadership, the college twice received full accreditation by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association and has been nationally recognized for student diversity programs that prepare under-represented minority and low-income students for dental practice. In 2012, Drisko was awarded GRU’s inaugural employee Diversity Award for promoting and enhancing diversity among students, faculty, and students since she became Dean. The award recognized her sustained commitment to diversity and inclusiveness at the university.
Her successor, Dr. Carol Lefebvre, served as Associate and Vice Dean under Drisko for seven years.
“Connie’s passion for the College of Dental Medicine and dentistry in the state of Georgia was evident to everyone she met,” Lefebvre said. “She poured her heart and life into getting us into this new building, and it stands as a monument to her tireless efforts. The CDM has lost a dear friend.”
More than a building, Drisko envisioned dental programs that helped the school focus on expanded outreach and increase its renown in research and specialty dentistry. In recent years, the college established an Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency program; opened an interdisciplinary Center for Esthetic and Implant Dentistry; expanded its global outreach to China, Peru, France, Italy, and Africa; extended student rotations and patient care regional outreach to 27 dental clinic sites in 12 Georgia cities; and increased average annual faculty and student research by more than 40 percent.
“Connie was an energetic and tenacious leader, a force to be reckoned with in every sense of the phrase,” said GRU President Ricardo Azziz. “Her colleagues nicknamed her the White Tornado, a reference to her white hair and Oklahoma roots but really a tribute to her amazing ability to get things done. We mourn this great loss to the GRU community, and we will long celebrate the impact she had on the dental profession, this university, and the people we serve.”
After 10 years serving as Dean of the College of Dental Medicine, Drisko left her leadership position on June 30, 2013. She moved to a new role in the Office of Advancement, continuing to raise support for the dental school, the construction of the J. Harold Harrison, M.D. Education Commons building, and other university endeavors, and co-directing the Executive Leadership Academy.
“Dr. Drisko led the College of Dental Medicine through a remarkable period of growth,” said GRU Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Gretchen Caughman. “She was a remarkable leader, and an unwavering advocate for dentistry and dental education. Connie’s extraordinary spirit will be greatly missed.”
Prior to joining GRU, Drisko was Associate Dean for Research, Associate Dean for Academic Planning and Faculty Development, and Director of the Dental Education and Research Center at the University of Louisville School of Dentistry in Louisville, Ky. She had previously served as Associate Professor of Periodontics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and as a Clinical Dental Hygiene Instructor at Tyler Junior College in Texas and at the University of Oklahoma.
Drisko was a practicing dental hygienist for 16 years before earning a dental degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1980. She received her certification in general practice dentistry from the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Kansas City, Mo., then a periodontics certificate from the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Leavenworth, Kan. She was a member of the Omicron Kappa Upsilon Honor Society.
She chaired the American Dental Education Association Women’s Advisory and Legislative Advisory committees, was a longtime member of the Dean’s Council and the Gies Board of Trustees and was faculty for the organization’s Leadership Institute.
Drisko was a member of the American Dental Association’s Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations and the Georgia Society of Periodontists Executive Committee; a Diplomate and former Director and Chair of the American Board of Periodontology; and a Fellow of the American College of Dentists, the International College of Dentists, the Pierre Fauchard Academy, and the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine program.
She served on the Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA Board of Directors and received the 2011 Woman of Distinction Award from the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia.
Drisko is survived by her husband, Dr. Richard Drisko; a step-daughter, Julie Gardner, and her husband, Marc, of Frisco, Texas; a sister, Carol Barr of Wichita, Kan.; two granddaughters, Kristin Longstaff (husband, Travis) and Cara Gardner, all of Frisco, Texas; and five nieces and nephews.
A private family service and burial will be held this week. A memorial service for friends and extended family is being planned for September. Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors on Davis Road in Augusta, Ga., is in charge of arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made in Connie Drisko’s memory to the Georgia Health Sciences Foundation, 1120 15th Street, FI-1000, Augusta, GA 30912. Funds will be used to support the College of Dental Medicine’s pediatric dentistry outreach programs and other efforts related to the oral health needs of children.
Parkview Health System, Inc. has agreed to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Parkview will pay $800,000 and adopt a corrective action plan to address deficiencies in its HIPAA compliance program. Parkview is a nonprofit health care system that provides community-based health care services to individuals in northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio.
OCR opened an investigation after receiving a complaint from a retiring physician alleging that Parkview had violated the HIPAA Privacy Rule. In September 2008, Parkview took custody of medical records pertaining to approximately 5,000 to 8,000 patients while assisting the retiring physician to transition her patients to new providers, and while considering the possibility of purchasing some of the physician’s practice. On June 4, 2009, Parkview employees, with notice that the physician was not at home, left 71 cardboard boxes of these medical records unattended and accessible to unauthorized persons on the driveway of the physician’s home, within 20 feet of the public road and a short distance away from a heavily trafficked public shopping venue.
As a covered entity under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, Parkview must appropriately and reasonably safeguard all protected health information in its possession, from the time it is acquired through its disposition.
“All too often we receive complaints of records being discarded or transferred in a manner that puts patient information at risk,” said Christina Heide, acting deputy director of health information privacy at OCR. “It is imperative that HIPAA covered entities and their business associates protect patient information during its transfer and disposal.”
Parkview cooperated with OCR throughout its investigation. In addition to the $800,000 resolution amount, the settlement includes a corrective action plan requiring Parkview to revise their policies and procedures, train staff, and provide an implementation report to OCR.
Chicago (June 16, 2014) — The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) — in conjunction with its 2014 ADHA Center for Lifelong Learning (CLL) and 91st Annual Session (AS) taking place at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas June 18-24, 2014 — is partnering with the Las Vegas community to help improve the overall health and lives of the city’s homeless youth, as well as strengthen their oral hygiene awareness and instill positive oral health habits.
On Wednesday, June 18, 2014, the ADHA, with sponsorship from the Wrigley Company Foundation and support from numerous corporate partners, will demonstrate a commitment to giving back to the community by providing oral health education to homeless teenagers in Las Vegas. Dental manufacturers 3M ESPE, ACT, Colgate, Crest Oral-B, Hu-Friedy, Johnson & Johnson and Premier have all donated generously to ensure that the youths receive home-care products to reinforce what they will learn at the event.
Las Vegas is the setting for the ADHA’s convention, the CLL at the 91st Annual Session, with nearly 2,000 attendees at the meeting. Dental hygienists from across the country will gather for professional development, continuing education, exhibits, networking and social events, and the ADHA’s annual business meeting. CLL kicks off on Wednesday with Community Service Day, bringing registered dental hygienists and dental hygiene students together in a volunteer outreach event.
“Dental hygienists are proud to give back to our communities as volunteer oral health professionals,” said ADHA President Denise Bowers, RDH, PhD. “Community Service Day affords us the tremendous opportunity to do just that. Together, we can make a difference.”
The dental hygienists will bus to the Shannon West Homeless Youth Center, a residential facility for teenagers who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Using educational posters prepared by students at the College of Southern Nevada Dental Hygiene Program, the volunteers will set up education stations outdoors. The teens will be divided into groups that rotate from display to display, each featuring a different oral health topic geared toward young adults. In addition to basic information about taking care of their teeth and oral tissue for a lifetime, participants will learn about the oral health implications of eating disorders, sports drinks, oral piercing, recreational drug use, pregnancy, diabetes and more. They will also learn about careers in the oral health care field, which aligns with the Shannon West Homeless Youth Center’s efforts to prepare youths to succeed as adults. After visiting all of the tables, the teens will receive goodie bags filled with products that will help them apply their new knowledge.
The impact of a healthy mouth and an aesthetically pleasing smile play an important role in anyone’s self-confidence, and young adults’ in particular.
“Dental hygienists know and embrace the importance of a healthy smile,” said ADHA Executive Director Ann Battrell, MSDH. “The ADHA is so proud to support the community in Las Vegas through our volunteer dental hygiene leaders.”
ADHA President-Elect Kelli Swanson Jaecks, RDH, MA, who will be installed as 2014-2015 president of the ADHA at the meeting, agreed, noting that “our profession was founded on oral health care prevention and providing services to the public. We believe that every citizen should have direct access to a dental hygienist. Volunteering is one way we as a profession can help meet the oral health care needs of the public.”
Chicago (June 16, 2014) — The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) is highlighting the start of the dental hygiene profession’s second century as the organization hosts the 2014 ADHA Center for Lifelong Learning (CLL) and 91st Annual Session (AS) at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Nearly 2,000 attendees are expected to attend over the course of the week-long event, which takes place June 18-24, 2014.
Education, Involvement and Exhibits Take Center Stage at CLL
“There are six fantastic continuing education (CE) tracks designed to meet the needs of all oral health professionals,” said ADHA President Denise Bowers, RDH, PhD. “There is an amazing exhibit hall featuring the industry's top dental companies. There are also various receptions and networking opportunities where you can celebrate accomplishments of your colleagues, reconnect with past friends and develop new relationships.”
Within those six CE tracks, more than 30 CE programs will be offered during the CLL portion of the event, including five sessions featuring either hands-on or interactive elements. Programs will include trends in periodontology, comprehensive health prevention for older adults, new curricular domains and models for dental-hygiene education, and management of dental pain. The courses can be taken in specific tracks, or attendees can mix things up, depending on their focus and educational needs. A specific track for dental-hygiene students also is available.
In addition to the educational sessions and nationally known presenters speaking at this year’s event, the CLL also features a product exhibition hall showcasing nearly 120 companies involved in oral health and dental hygiene. And for the fifth consecutive year, the exhibit hall will feature the ADHA/Henry Schein Dream Center — an interactive, unique hands-on operatory experience that allows attendees to visit six different product stations where they can utilize the latest dental hygiene technology and equipment.
“We truly hope that everyone enjoys their time at the ADHA Center for Lifelong Learning and Annual Session,” noted ADHA Executive Director Ann Battrell, MSDH. “Some of the best things about our meeting are the people who attend, as well as the conversations that emerge from our numerous networking sessions and social events.”
One event that benefits tremendously from the involvement and attendance of members and students at CLL is the ADHA’s Community Service Day, which will take place on June 18, 2014. The ADHA, with sponsorship from the Wrigley Company Foundation and support from numerous corporate partners, will demonstrate a commitment to giving back to the community by providing oral health education to homeless teenagers in Las Vegas at the Shannon West Homeless Youth Center — a residential facility for teenagers who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Dental manufacturers 3M ESPE, ACT, Colgate, Crest Oral-B, Hu-Friedy, Johnson & Johnson and Premier have all donated generously to ensure that the youths receive home-care products to reinforce what they will learn at the event.
The media will have two unique chances to get a better understanding of the dental hygiene profession during the 2014 ADHA CLL. On June 20, 2014, from 10:45-11:30 a.m., media will have exclusive access to the ADHA/Henry Schein Dream Center, with the opportunity to learn about the unique technologies on display at each station and their role in improving oral health; and on June 21, 2014, a special ADHA Media Roundtable — including ADHA President Denise Bowers and ADHA senior staff — will be held from 12-1 p.m. highlighting some of the key achievements and initiatives undertaken by the ADHA on behalf of the profession over the past year. Media members who have an interest in either of these programs should contact ADHA Director of Communications John Iwanski for these RSVP events.
Some of the other exciting happenings during the 2014 ADHA CLL include:
·The DENTSPLY/ADHA Graduate Student Clinicians Research Program Awards Banquet, which takes place June 19, 2014, to acknowledge the effort and achievement put forth to advance the profession and improve oral health.
·On June 20, 2014, 13 poster presentations will be on display for the sixth year of this master-level student research poster competition, affording attendees the chance to walk through the DENTSPLY/ADHA Graduate Student Clinicians Research Poster session.
·The ADHA Institute for Oral Health (IOH)/President’s Reception held June 20, 2014, helps generate awareness and support for the IOH’s mission to advance the profession of dental hygiene, and the benefit raises significant dollars to help support the dental hygiene scholarship, research-grant and community-service-grant programs.
“To connect with hygienists from all around the country, to partake in cutting-edge CE courses, to dialogue and make decisions about the future of the profession — this type of experience is priceless,” said ADHA President-Elect Kelli Swanson Jaecks, RDH, MA. “Every dental hygienist who attends has the opportunity to be a part of transforming our profession.”
ADHA 91st Annual Session Highlights Organization’s Renewed Focus on the Future
The ADHA 91st Annual Session House of Delegates officially takes place June 22-24, 2014, and will focus on the business-related activities of the organization, including forums, workshops and committee sessions centered on the ADHA’s critical role in representing the more than 185,000 dental hygienists in the United States.
Some business-meeting-related programs, such as the District Discussions and Association Update Workshop, begin on June 21, 2014. The topic of the Association Update will be the ADHA’s discussion with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about Accreditation Standards for Dental Therapy Education Programs and the resulting revision of the draft standards by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). As a result of the ADHA’s outreach and education efforts, the FTC responded to a draft version of the standards with 15 pages of commentary. Among the recommendations for their revision was the development of standards that do not effectively and unnecessarily constrain the discretion of states to determine dental therapy scope of practice and authority. CODA has circulated revised standards for comment and will be holding an Open Hearing on June 21 during the ADHA meeting. Meeting attendees will have the opportunity to share their concerns about the standards in the Open Hearing session, which takes place from 2:30-4:00 p.m. in the Forum 12 Ballroom at Caesars Palace.
Attendees with have the opportunity to work with each other and the organization as the ADHA builds on its new strategic plan focused on education, alliances and advocacy; its new core ideology to lead the transformation of the dental hygiene profession to improve the public’s oral and overall health; and its new vision statement, which says: dental hygienists are integrated into the health-care delivery system as essential primary care providers to expand access to oral health care.
Other Business Meeting highlights include Executive Director Ann Battrell’s Annual Report to the House of Delegates; a farewell address by ADHA President Denise Bowers; and the Installation Luncheon, where President-Elect Kelli Swanson Jaecks will be installed as ADHA president.
Tallahassee, Fla. – Proposed nationwide regulations for dental laboratories may be the perfect prescription for the oral health care profession – especially when dentists and consumers understand why the need for minimum standards is so great. Today, dental laboratories in more than 40 states in the U.S. remain unregulated and the person who flipped burgers today could be your dental technician tomorrow.
In a 2009 American Dental Association (ADA) member survey, nearly 65 percent of dentists responded that they believe dental technicians and laboratories are licensed in their state. This is not the case. In fact, only four states in the U.S. require either certification or continuing education.
Poorly-made dental restorations can lead to a range of health consequences for patients and, in turn, legal consequences for dentists. Growing demand for dental work has created a market that features both high-end and economy-priced work. This has inspired some unqualified producers to set up shop almost anywhere, with a strong disregard for standards, like the Ohio laboratory exposed in a news story in 2013.
“Hairdressers, nail technicians and salons are all required to be licensed,” said Gary Iocco, National Association of Dental Laboratories (NADL) President and Co-Chair of NADL’s Public Awareness Committee. “Why is this not the case for dental laboratories and the technicians who make a device that in some cases is permanently placed in the mouth?”
In November 2013, the ADA urged states to enact dental laboratory registration as a means to enhance patient health and safety. NADL proposed standards include requiring laboratory registration, requiring a Certified Dental Technician in each laboratory, requiring minimum continuing education, disclosing what materials are present in the dental restoration and disclosing where the restoration was manufactured.
“What has been missing is a tie to enforcing dentistry best practices,” said Iocco. “Our hope is that dentists will aspire to deliver quality restorations to their patients by ensuring that the dental laboratories and the technicians they use are qualified.”
NADL’s “What’s in Your Mouth?” campaign is a resource that gives patients, dentists and the dental laboratory community the information necessary to make informed decisions about their dental needs.
For more information, please visit the NADL website Public Awareness link at www.nadl.org.
Colgate-Palmolive Company joined the Hispanic Dental Association (HDA) to celebrate the launch of Colgate's "Oral Health Month". From now until June 30, this annual campaign will help fight the poor oral health epidemic by educating Hispanic consumers and their families about the importance of proper oral care.
In partnership with the HDA, this campaign will strongly target the Hispanic community through bilingual oral health education materials and activities. According to the National Institutes of Health, Latinos have the highest rate of untreated tooth decay and the lowest level of dental visits of all racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. Due to language barriers, lack of familiarity and low dental insurance coverage levels, our Latino population continues to experience difficulty in accessing oral healthcare services and education.
"At Colgate, we are committed to giving everyone access to the tools they need to make oral health a priority, and encouraging our consumers and their families to learn more and embrace healthy oral care habits that will last a lifetime," said Carla Kelly, General Manager, U.S. Multicultural Marketing, Colgate-Palmolive.
During "Oral Health Month", Colgate's flagship program, Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures® will travel throughout the U.S. to provide free oral health education and dental screenings to children via mobile dental vans. On a larger level, all families are encouraged to visit Colgate.com/OHM, to submit a pledge to improve their oral health habits. For each online pledge submitted, Colgate will donate a variety pack of oral care products, including toothpaste, mouthwash and toothbrushes, to dental clinics in need throughout Hispanic communities across the U.S.
Consumers can also follow and engage with @SonrisaColgate on Twitter for news and oral health tips. Fans will be asked to share photos of their families and their brilliant smiles, and will be selected at random to receive Colgate Total and Optic White product for the whole family for one year, to help make oral health a priority year round.
"We know that there are many factors that contribute to poor oral health among the Latino population, including lack of dental insurance, lack of education about dental care and lack of access to dental care," said Tyrone Rodriguez, President, Hispanic Dental Association. "Our partnership with Colgate gives us the opportunity to push the boundaries of oral care through a variety of initiatives accessible to everyone."
To learn more about Colgate's "Oral Health Month" and to access the oral health pledge, please visit the campaign's bilingual website at www.Colgate.com/OHM.
MARIETTA, Ga., June 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In her 34 years as a pediatric dentist in Marietta, Georgia, Dr. Rhea Haugseth has given thousands of children (from infant to college age) healthier teeth and better smiles. She has also helped them overcome any fears they may have had when they first visited Post Oak Pediatric Dentistry. She's enjoyed watching several generations of kids grow up healthier and happier as a result of her efforts. She appreciates every smile, hug and giggle from her patients – and those priceless moments when she'd hear patients tell their parents they couldn't wait to come back.
Dr. Haugseth has risen to the top echelons of her profession, serving as President of the Southeastern Society of Pediatric Dentistry, the Georgia Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and, from 2011-12, the 8,000 member American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Her overall love of working with children and dedicating her professional life to their dental and general health has given her the opportunity to solve one of the major challenges in her career. She has been continually frustrated by the lack of well-trained pediatric dental assistants she could employ as team members in her practice. There was little clinical training in pediatric dental assisting at the many dental assisting schools in the Atlanta area.
In recent years, she noticed that graduates of these dental assistant schools who came to do their "externships" in her practice seemed ill equipped to work in the pediatric realm; they had the book experience, but not any clinical experience dealing with young patients, which they needed to succeed in a dental office. This has led her to develop the Pediatric Dental Assistant School, a specialized program specifically designed to train dental assistants seeking rewarding careers in pediatric dentistry.
Her intensive training program – which promises that students will be "highly trained and clinically competent in nine weeks" – is similar to other dental assistant schools in the Atlanta area. However, the Pediatric Dental Assistant School is the only one of its kind in the United States. In addition to her commitment to growing the flagship location in Marietta, Dr. Haugseth is currently researching demographic trends and laying the foundation to open schools under this name in large cities where there are enough pediatric dentists to ensure immediate potential employment opportunities for the graduates of her training program.
Classes at the Pediatric Dental Assistant School are taught in her state of the art pediatric dental office and the curriculum is a mixture of home study, didactic course work, with an extensive focus on clinical experience and training. Contributing to the student's personal development and their technical expertise is the fact that the ratio is four students per instructor.
Revolutionary though it is, launching the Pediatric Dental Assistant School is not the first time Dr. Haugseth has broken exciting new ground in her profession. When she was at the University of Louisville Dental School in the early 70s, the field was truly a "boys club" and the prevailing mindset was that female students were taking up a spot that should be reserved for a male who needed to work to support a family. Women, many felt, would either drop out before earning their degree, or practice only part time or not at all when they had children.
She became frustrated that she would receive lower grades for comparable work to her male colleagues, but eventually her hard work and determination to succeed helped her earn the respect of her peers.
For parents who are considering taking their children to a pediatric dentist instead of a family dentist, Dr. Haugseth has a simple way of explaining the value of placing their trust in a dentist whose focus is children. Just as a pediatrician specializes in children's overall health, pediatric dentists are experts in the growth and development of children's mouths. They can spot problems such as early decay or crowded teeth - and treat them - before they do major damage.
Pediatric dentists know as much about kids as they do about children's dentistry. They undergo extensive training in child development and child psychology, which means they can calm kids' fears and make visiting the dentist a fun, positive experience.
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the availability of up to $300 million under the Affordable Care Act to help the nation’s community health centers expand service hours, hire more medical providers, and add oral health, behavioral health, pharmacy, and vision services.
“Health centers are key to the Affordable Care Act’s goal of expanding access to health care,” said Secretary Sebelius. “They are critical providers of care and have also been instrumental in linking people to coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Health centers provided enrollment assistance to more than 4.7 million people since last fall.”
Today, nearly 1,300 health centers operate more than 9,000 service delivery sites that provide care to over 21 million patients in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Pacific Basin. The health center program is administered by HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).;
“These funds will allow health centers to expand health services to better serve newly insured patients,” said HRSA Administrator Mary K. Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N.
Health center grantees requesting expanded services funds must demonstrate how these funds will be used to expand primary care medical capacity and services to underserved populations in their communities.
For more information on this funding opportunity announcement, please visit
