Committee On Governmental Affairs
Attention: All FL Licensed Dental Hygienists:
On August 6, 2007, the Florida Board of Dentistry received a request from the Florida Dental Association seeking revisions to board rules on delegable duties. There are numerous proposed rule changes but the most alarming ones are to:
64B-16005(1) Remediable Tasks Delegated to Dental Assistants.
(n) Using appropriate implements for preliminary charting of existing restorations and missing teeth and a visual assessment of existing oral conditions, to include, but not limited to periodontal probing
(v) Removing calculus deposit, accretions and stains from exposed surfaces above the gingival margin (prophylaxis)
Two of the Florida Dental Hygiene Associations' goals are to: ADVOCATE THE PUBLIC'S HEALTH AND SAFETY and REPRESENT THE PROFESSION OF DENTAL HYGIENE. Because of this FDHA vigorously OPPOSES these proposed rule changes!
Bet you are dying to hear what happened at the Board of Dentistry (BOD) meeting 9/14/2007
The FDA did not speak at the meeting, simply allowed their letter with the proposed rule changes to stand as written.
The board has scheduled a RULES WORKSHOP with the entire board to work on these proposed changes prior to acting on them or sending them to Rules Committee for final wording. This will be held on Thursday afternoon (time ? about 3 PM) December 6th prior to the December 7, 2007 BOD meeting in Ft. Lauderdale. Put this date on the ca lander. The board then referred these changes to the DH council for consideration via phone meeting prior to that time.
Janice Elkins, President of FADE (Florida Allied Dental Educators) spoke to the Board explaining that the educators do not want these changes, are not prepared to teach these procedures and that neither procedure is even included in dental assisting textbooks.
I then spoke and stated FDHA's opposition and our contention that statutes do not allow scaling to be done by anyone other than an RDH. It is also our position that neither scaling nor probing meets the statutory definition of a remediable task and therefore neither is delegable,. In closing I asked the board to remember its primary role as protectors of the health and safety of the citizens of FL.
We had great participation. Beside myself and Jan Elkins, Noreen Dowd the FDHA BOD Liaison attended the meeting along with members from around the state. Orlando, Jacksonville, and the Tampa Bay areas were all represented. We also had faculty and students from Sante Fe CC and Daytona Beach CC. Our thanks to all who took the time to participate.
We have a great deal of work before us. FDHA will be working on this at the BOT and Symposium, Sept. 27-30th to plan our future strategies. We have strong indications that if FDA is not successful in this venue, a legislative effort will follow(or more likely coincide.) Whether our course is followed through the administrative process, the legislature, or both a great deal of work faces us all.
- Download the support letter below, get them filled out and returned to us. While we want support letters from dental hygienists, and general citizens, we are especially interested in letters from dentists who feel that these rule changes would not benefit their patients, the public or the practice of dentistry in FL. Please ask your employer to sign a letter supporting our stance for quality patient care, and if so, signify their status as dentists.
- Talk about this with your peers and co-workers. A letter outlining explaining these proposed rule changes and our opposition has been sent to every licensed dental hygienist in FL because these changes affect us all. Encourage every dental hygienist you know to help us with this battle. Have them write a check to FDHA or to HyPac to be used in this fight or direct them to www.fdha.org to see how everyone can help.
It has been a pleasure being your president this year. I look forward continuing my work with FDHA, especially as we continue to work to protect the profession and our jobs.
Sincerely yours,
Cookie
Mary Y. "Cookie" Martin RDH
FDHA President 2006-07
ADHA Reports on Resolutions Adopted by the 2006 ADA House of Delegates
The American Dental Association (ADA) concluded its annual meeting Friday, October 20, 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Assuming the office of the ADA presidency is Dr. Kathy Roth of Wisconsin, the second woman to hold the position in the ADA's 143-year history. In an uncontested race for the position of ADA President-Elect, Dr. Mark Feldman of New Jersey was elected. Feldman has served as ADA's Treasurer for the past four years.
