The Dental Hygiene Committee of the Oregon Board of Dentistry held a meeting on March 6, 2014. One of the agenda items for this meeting was discussion regarding a request from the Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association to allow expanded practice dental hygienists to use emergency kits that would contain prescription medications such as EpiPens.

The Dental Hygiene Committee of the Oregon Board of Dentistry recommended a rule change that would allow all dental hygienists to prescribe and use a medical emergency kit that contains EpiPens, nitroglycerin, etc. Following this discussion, the Executive Director of the Oregon Board of Dentistry requested that their Assistant Attorney General (legal counsel) provide the Oregon Board of Dentistry with legal advice on the type of authority dental hygienists have to prescribe drugs.

The Assistant Attorney General opined that the Oregon Dental Practice Act (law) does not expressly authorize dental hygienists to prescribe drugs that were otherwise allowed to be prescribed by rule. A dental hygienist can administer and dispense a drug under the supervision of a dentist. However, there is no prescriptive authority granted to dental hygienists in the law other than in ORS 680.250(3) and (5). These provisions in the Oregon Dental Practice Act do allow expanded practice dental hygienists to write prescriptions for fluoride that is applied or supplied to patients and to prescribe prophylactic antibiotics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as specified in their agreement with a licensed dentist.

Based on this legal opinion, the Oregon Board of Dentistry through their rule making process amended OAR 818-035-0025(5) Prohibitions and OAR 818-035-0030(f) Additional Functions of Dental Hygienists by deleting the word “prescribe” from each of these rules. This rule change means that dental hygienists cannot prescribe fluoride, fluoride varnish, antimicrobial solutions used for mouth rinsing or other non-systemic antimicrobial agents. This rule change became effective on August 1, 2014.

Expanded practice dental hygienists can continue to write prescriptions for fluoride that is applied or supplied to patients and to prescribe prophylactic antibiotics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as specified in their agreement with a licensed dentist because this prescription writing authority is in the law.

After this legal opinion was rendered, the Oregon Dental Hygienists’ Association (ODHA) immediately began working with the Oregon Board of Dentistry (OBD) and the Oregon Dental Association (ODA) to draft a bill that would add prescriptive authority for dental hygienists to the Oregon Dental Practice Act thereby making this part of the law.

The bill that has been drafted would add “prescribing, dispensing and administering drugs for such services” to the definition of dental hygiene in the Oregon Dental Practice Act. This bill will be considered by the 2015 Oregon State Legislature. With the support of OBD, ODA and ODHA, we anticipate that this bill will become law in 2015 and dental hygienists in Oregon will again be able to prescribe fluoride, fluoride varnish, antimicrobial solutions used for mouth rinsing or other non-systemic antimicrobial agents.

It is our great pleasure to announce that Gail Aamodt, RDH, MS, has been selected to receive the 2014 ADHA Educator of the Year Award.  This award is sponsored by the American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) and Crest Oral-B.
 
Gail is an Associate Professor and the Clinical Education Coordinator for the School of Dental Health Science at Pacific University.
 
The ADHA Educator of the Year award recognizes, honors and rewards a full-time dental hygiene faculty member who contributes to and is dedicated to providing high quality education to dental hygiene students.  The recipient will characterize excellence in teaching, mentoring and/or devotion to student achievement.
 
As the recipient of the 2014 ADHA Educator of the Year Award, Gail will receive:
 
•an engraved award
•recognition in an ADHA publication
•complimentary registration for the 2014 ADHA Annual Session •air travel & two nights lodging at the 2014 ADHA Annual Session
•$1,000 cash award
 
Gail will be presented with the 2014 ADHA Educator of the Year Award at the awards ceremony held during the 2014 ADHA Annual Session in Las Vegas, Nevada this June.
 
Please join us in congratulating Gail Aamodt on being selected for this prestigious national award!

SAVE THE DATE!

November 8-10, 2013

ODHA Annual Business Meeting and Fall Oral Health Conference

Join us for CE for dental hygienists, parties (aka networking!), discussion of issues facing our profession, updates on what your association has been doing, and much much more!  Meeting is open to all dental hygienists!

Contact your local component if you are interested in attending as a delegate and making the most of your membership!

Delegate information Click here (delegates manual is posted 30 days prior to the meeting!)

If you have trouble loggin on, please contact Hildie 

Thank you to our Banner Sponsor, Captiol Dental Care, Inc.

Oregon Practice Act Changes July 1, 2013

(see below)

Thank you ODHA Government Relations Council for your efforts and thank you members for your support!

Click here to get more info on upcoming Dental Hygiene Committee Meetings!

The following changes are of particular interest to dental hygienists.  These changes are a result of collaboration between Oregon Dental Hygienists Association, Oregon Dental Association and the Oregon Board of Dentistry.

Changes like these can only happen when dental hygienists speak with one voice. Please join us today!

OAR  818-035-0020  has been amended, in part, by removing the following language:  “A supervising dentist may not authorize a dental hygienist and a dental hygienist may not perform periodontal procedures unless the supervising dentist has examined the patient and diagnosed the condition to be treated.”  This change means that a dental hygienist can perform scaling & root planing without first having the patient examined by a dentist.

OAR  818-035-0066  has been amended by adding additional populations that can be treated by a dental hygienist with an expanded practice permit to include “specific population groups designated by the Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas (DHPSA) that lack access to care and are underserved.”

OAR  818-035-0072  has been amended by deleting the word “anterior” from rule.  This change will allow a dental hygienist who holds a Restorative Functions Endorsement (RFE) to place both anterior and posterior composite restorations.

OAR  818-042-0090  has been amended by adding “or dental hygienist” after the word “dentist” in three areas.  This change will allow dental hygienists (along with dentists) to authorize EFDAs to apply pit and fissure sealants and to apply temporary soft relines to complete dentures for the purpose of tissue conditioning, to provide indirect supervision when these procedures are performed, and to check these procedures when they are completed prior to dismissing the patient.

OAR  818-042-0095  has been amended by deleting the word “anterior” from the rule.  This change will allow a dental assistant who holds a Restorative Functions Certificate (RFC) to place both anterior and posterior composite restorations.

Please share this information with your professional colleagues.

Please note that these changes are scheduled to go into effect until July 1st.

ODHA members dues support activities that support ALL dental hygienists.

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