Australia

Austria

Canada

Denmark

Czech Republic

Finland

Germany

India

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Japan

Korea

Latvia

Malta

Nepal

Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

Philippines

Portugal

Russia

Singapore

Slovakia

South Africa

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom

USA

Executive Director
Peter Anas
director@IFDH.org

Membership Director
Laikisha Jeffries
membership@IFDH.org

Membership Coordinator
Clare Karpinski
coordinator@IFDH.org

Robyn Watson RDH, BSc, MPA

A Review of IFDH Halfway Through Our Term

It seems another year has flown by and the IFDH Board of Directors looks forward to another eventful year. Let's look at what we've been doing and what's coming up.

Read the latest message from our President Robyn Watson, including:

• Our Members' Social Responsibility Programs
• World Dental Hygienist Awards Program
• 2019 ISDH
• A Review of IFDH Goals

Read the full message.

2019 IFDH International Symposium on Dental Hygiene (ISDH)

Brisbane Australia

The DHAA, in coordination with the IFDH Board of Directors and Scientific Committee are working furiously behind the scenes planning what looks to be the biggest and best International Symposium on Dental Hygiene yet!

Lock the dates in your diary now (15-17 August 2019) and start planning your trip to balmy Brisbane, Australia!

The Symposium will offer three days of world-class speakers, engaging exhibition and memorable social activities. While you are here don't miss the opportunity to cuddle a koala, visit the iconic Australia Zoo or take a day trip to the Great Barrier Reef - or even visit some other amazing parts of our country!

We look forward to welcoming you 'down under'!

Watch the video on Brisbane!

Register your interest and to receive updates at www.isdh2019.com.

Call for Abstracts: Oral Session and Poster

Submissions Open: February 19th
Submissions Close: April 30th
Go to www.ISDH2019.com for more details.

Make Your Travel Plans Now

Remember to add ISDH to your calendar and make travel plans to attend the 2019 ISDH in Brisbane, Australia:

• August 13-14: IFDH House of Delegate Business Meeting
• August 15-17: International Symposium on Dental Hygiene

Not Sure What to Expect at the ISDH?

Read the article and see photos of:

• 2016 ISDH: Basel, Switzerland
• 2013 ISDH: Cape Town, South Africa

Congratulations to our 2017 Research Grant Recipients!

A Qualitative Study: An Evaluation of the Perception of Ohio Dental Hygienists that Work in Nursing Home Facilities with the Elderly Population and Use the Oral Health Access Supervision Act Permit by Janelle Cobb Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA

Oral Health Care Training of Caregivers for the Developmentally Disabled by Tari Devaney Eastern Washington University Cheney, Washington USA

Exploring Student-Led Interprofessional Education through a Community Service Project by Lindsay Doerschuk Eastern Washington University Cheney, Washington, USA

Remember that this IFDH Webinar
Is Available for Online Viewing & CE for 3 Years!

Increasing Health Literacy to Reduce Dental Caries. Are you and your Practice Health Literate?

Thank you to Alice Horowitz, PhD, MA, RDH the presenter for the IFDH Education Academy's first-ever webinar in December 2016. The webinar will remain accessible from our website with one hour of content (1 CE), which includes background and update on oral health literacy and its potential impact on decreasing dental caries, especially among pregnant women and their children.

	Participants will learn:
	•	What health literacy is & why it is important
	•	How to incorporate important communication skills to increase health literacy among their patients

Have Any of Your Members Volunteered? For those inspired to improve the oral health of children, the IFDH "Every Child has a Toothbrush" campaign is designed to teach children how to use a toothbrush effectively so they can better control biofilm and reduce the risk of tooth decay. Grant money is still available! To participate in the program: dental hygienists must create a community-based event that involves providing oral health education to children, teaching tooth-brushing techniques and conducting an oral examination to determine other needs. More details »

IFDH Enters into the World of Twitter! Come and follow us @IFDHygienists

IFDH Research Resources Exchange

The IFDH is committed to continually pursuing professional development and academic expansion for the profession of dental hygiene around the world. Resources are provided to further support practitioners, educators, associations and researchers who seek to enrich their career pathways. Learn more.

Feature Article:

Dental Mission to Bolivia

By Wanda Fedora, IFDH Vice President

Access to oral health care has long been recognized to demonstrate the disparity within a population. As dental hygienists, we have responded time and again by addressing this gap in care through our many outreach programs worldwide. I had the privilege to participate in such a program in November 2017. As part of a solidarity team, through Chalice, we travelled to Cochabamba, Bolivia, home to over 600,000 residents, to bring oral health care to a welcoming group of seniors and children.

Our team of three dental hygienists, dentist and varied volunteers made the long trip from many parts of Canada. Two children's clinics were established and our dental hygienists provided oral hygiene instruction, prophylaxis, fluoride treatments and pit and fissure sealants. Alongside them, four dentists provided restorations and extractions. Our second location was a church where local seniors came together to interact. Myself and dental hygienists from Smiles Forever, a winner of the IFDH/Sunstar Award in 2016, delivered oral health care and advice to the many elders that attended our four-day clinic. The seniors were also assessed for a future denture clinic financed through our group fundraising.

Two of our Dental Hygienists, one dressed as a toothbrush, visited a local school with just under 1000 students. Along with a team of volunteers and translators they delivered the message of good oral health to the students. A big Thank You goes out to Colgate for providing 1000 oral health kits through their Colgate Bright Smiles Bright Futures program.

We can measure our success in so many ways; 230 examinations, 87 prophylaxis, 345 sealants, 200 fluoride treatments, 85 restorations, 150 extractions, an estimated $50,000 in donated treatment!

Dental Care for Patients with Special Needs

Sukhmani Singh explains how dental care for disabled people in the UK may differ.

Pathways to Health Equity A report of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, finds that communities are taking action to address health inequities in the United States. Partners in education, transportation, housing, planning, public health, business, and many other sectors are joining forces with community members to promote health equity.

Barriers to Oral Health Create Regional Divide among England's Rich & Poor

A report published by the Nuffield Trust and the Health Foundation reveals an existing a divide in good oral health between northern and southern England, as well as rich and poor. The report, released last November, is part of a quality watch programme on publicly available data on oral health outcomes and activity.

Alzheimer's & Dementia: How to Help Someone with Alzheimer's Brush Their Teeth

In this 2 minute video, Teepa shows how to successfully brush someone else's teeth by calming and distracting those natural instincts to resist. She demonstrates on an audience volunteer and explains why her techniques work.

Hygienist Pays it Forward to Other Cancer Patients

Jane Weiner, RDH, BS, tells her personal story of triumph over serious illness, and how to turn adversity into an opportunity to help others.

The 4TH International Dental Hygiene Educator's Forum (IDHEF)

The meeting will be held Tuesday, June 19, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency Hyatt Regency Columbus, Ohio, prior to the 2018 ADHA Annual Conference and Educator's Conference. The goal of the meeting is to promote networking and share curriculum information with dental hygiene educators globally. Presentations and panel discussion on issues related to Global Dental Hygiene Education, Doctoral Education, and Interprofessional Education.

Australia

In Sydney, on December 9th, the DHAA held its first Career Development Workshop for 14 participants. This course was developed and presented by our DHAA CEO Dr. Melanie Hayes (second from the right). This workshop for Dental Hygienists and Oral Health Therapists aimed to provide a unique opportunity for these professionals to learn about career development across the lifespan, and how they may work towards fulfilling and meaningful careers. The day included a panel discussion involving hygienists that have pursued alternate career paths, and a portfolio template for ongoing career development. It's our aim to have this course available to our members in most states by the end of the year.

Canada

The Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) has recently launched a Dental Hygiene Image Bank. CDHA's dental hygiene image bank offers a collection of quality images that accurately portray dental hygienists and reflect proper dental hygiene practice. Dental hygienists, media, businesses, and the public are free to use and distribute these images at no charge, with proper attribution where possible.

Czech Republic

In December, delegates from our association were invited to take part in a workshop organized by EDF and Pierre Fabre. This workshop focused on developing a Common Education Framework for European Dental Hygienists.

We are very proud to announce that after 7 years of negotiations, our Association has achieved an issue of a new decree extending the dental hygienists competencies without dental supervision.

This year the presentation of The Association of Dental Hygienists in medical schools for future dental hygienists took place. Our new project, electronic magazine DH Spectrum was introduced where students can contribute their final graduate themes.

Denmark

In October 2017 the Danish Dental Hygienists (DTP) managed to get the members of parliament to reserve DKK 13.2 million in the annual budget aimed at projects helping elderly suffering from dysphagia and malnutrition. The projects are planned to take place in the municipalities of Denmark between 2018 and 2021.

DTP has worked with other professions from the Danish Association of Occupational Therapists and the Danish Diet and Nutrition Association that work with this group of elderly citizens on a daily basis.

The projects are expected to run for one year in the municipalities which will have to apply to be part of the project. DTP are glad that the focus is now aimed at this specific group of citizens and will support and advise on how to handle this group of citizens from a dental hygienists perspective.

Emirates

The Emirates Dental Hygienist's Club (EDHC) held their inaugural Annual Symposium on Friday 19th January at the Centre for Advanced Professional Practices (CAPPmea) in Dubai. President Rachael England welcomed over 40 Dental Hygienists from throughout the region and began proceedings with a speech about the role of the EDHC to empower clinicians, improve health literacy in the region and develop interdisciplinary collaboration and the need for public and private sector partnership.

Dental Hygienists who are interested to join the EDHC are encouraged to contact the club directly at enquiriesedhc@gmail.ae

Ireland

The 30th AGM and Scientific Meeting of the IDHA took place in Dublin, Ireland November 10 & 11th 2017. The meeting attracted record attendances with a mixture of workshops and lectures. President Donna Paton welcomed all delegates and trade and VIP guests to celebrate with the IDHA. Originally starting before legal registration of the Dental Hygienist in Ireland, the IDHA has grown form a very small number of dedicated individuals to a dynamic and industrious organization still run on a voluntary basis. Friday evening gave a chance to network, relax and enjoy the 30 year anniversary meeting with food and music!

The IDHA extends an invitation to all IFDH members to attend our Annual Meeting in November 2018. Visit www.IDHA.ie for more information.

Israel

The Israeli Dental Hygiene Association (IDHA) is bolstering its efforts to disseminate information regarding oral health to the public via social media and has recently translated some of the video clips already successfully used in the past. We continually provide a variety of messages including the connection and effect of oral health on general health issues.

We are also in the advanced stages of our community projects with children of children of foreign refugee community, battered women's shelters and community outreach.

Finally, after much lobbying in the Ministry of Health, the IDHA has succeeded in cancelling the regulation that required new graduates to receive a temporary license for one year with the permanent licence contingent on recommendation from the employing dentist. A permanent license is now issued to new graduates upon successfully passing the Ministry of Health Board exams.

Italy

The Italian Dental Hygienists Association is happy to announce that on December 22 the Italian Parliament passed a law, DDL1324B, which establishes orders for the health professions. It has been a very complex legislative process, lasting many years, which will allow dental hygienists to have their own national register. This important milestone was also possible thanks to the efforts made by the AIDI association, which has actively collaborated with other associations in the world of health professions. The establishment of a register is essential to give the profession of DH the authority that it deserves, but also and above all for the protection of the citizens from the danger of professional abuse. The practical procedures to make the book operational, will probably take many months but we are sure that the institution will be beneficial both at the national and international level.

Russia

The International Conference and the Congress of Dental Hygienists was held in Moscow on September 25, 2017. This unique annual event united dental hygienists from all over Russia and covered the latest news and achievements in preventative oral care. Our Association is very grateful to the special guest of the conference - Robyn Watson, the President of IFDH.

During the year, the Professional Society of Dental Hygienists conducted dental hygiene competitions in many regions of the country. All regional finalists gathered together in Moscow to compete for the title "Best Dental Hygienist"

Slovakia

In Cooperation with the League of Rheumatology of Slovakia the ADHS organized one full day of education courses for medical nurses working at their specialized hospital, treating patients with several systemic autoimmune health diseases, lupus and osteoporosis, this education takes place every 3 months.

United Kingdom

The British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy (BSDHT) have been working alongside the British association of Dental Therapist (BADT) and are currently going through a robust process of applying for prescribing rights with exemptions. Over the last 3 months Michaela O'Neill immediate past President of BSDHT and Fiona Sandom immediate past president BADT have been very busy writing up the two "Cases of Need" (one for dental hygienists and one for dental therapists) to enable us to use exemptions in medicine legislation. The Programme Board reviewed the cases in December and these are now to be assessed by the NHS England medical and nursing SMTs, before then being reviewed by the Non-Medical Prescribing Board. If Ministers give us the go ahead for a public consultation, this may take place over the summer.

New Zealand

The NZDHA is again combining their conference this year on July 21, 2018 in Christchurch NZ, with the New Zealand Dental and Oral Health Therapist Association. Last year was the inaugural combined conference and was a great success, seeing how the professions amalgamate to further their knowledge for the benefit of their patients and the community.

As well as a combined conference, both executives of these associations are working towards combining the association to form a new association.

It is very exciting to acknowledge an oral health therapist, Simita Keshoor, undertaking a PhD program to investigate the effects of early life vitamin D supplementation on childhood dental health in New Zealand. This study will be the first prospective, randomized controlled study of its kind, aimed at decreasing dental caries in high-risk children in New Zealand.

World Cancer Day A truly global event taking place every year on 4 February, World Cancer Day unites the world's population in the fight against cancer. It aims to save millions of preventable deaths each year by raising awareness and education about the disease, pressing governments and individuals across the world to take action.

Who is the Tooth Fairy's best friend? This unique children's picture book, written by DHAA member Cathryn Carboon, was published with the support of a Community Oral Health Grant from the Dental Hygienists Association of Australia and sells for $20AU.

New Guidelines for Assessing Severity of Head & Neck Cancers Researchers have developed a new, more accurate set of guidelines for assessing the severity of head and neck cancers and predicting patient survival. The new guidelines center around counting the number of malignant lymph nodes found in each patient.

Nanomedicine, an Emerging Therapeutic Strategy for Oral Cancer Therapy Nanomedicine-based therapies in OSCC have been evaluated in in vitro settings. Subcutaneous xenograft models do not accurately reproduce human oral cancer. Nanomedicine-based therapies have been proven effective in chemoresistant cells. No nanomedicine-based therapy has been clinically approved for oral cancer. New nanomedicine-based approaches for metastatic OSCC therapy remain an unmet need.

Prevalence of High-Risk Human Papillomavirus in Healthy Adults Tonsil Tissue Colocalization of HPV in bacterial biofilm of human tonsil tissue has considerable implications with respect to the determination of HPV prevalence rates in the oropharynx and may also play a role in the pathogenesis of HPV-related oropharyngeal carcinoma.

Jabs for the Boys to Raise Awareness of HPV Risks A new campaign has been launched to address the pressing need for greater awareness of the human papillomavirus (HPV) and its potential impact on millions of men. Oral Cancer Screening Practices in Australia Click to learn oral cancer-related screening practices of Oral Health Professionals (OHPs - dentists, dental hygienists, dental therapists, and oral health therapists) practising in Victoria, Australia.

Study Identifies Potential Markers for Tongue Cancer Diagnosis & Treatment In a new study published in Oncotarget, a team of researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center has found that bacterial diversity and richness, and fungal richness, are significantly reduced in tumor tissue compared to their matched non-tumor tissues.

Pre-Radiation Dental Considerations & Management for Head & Neck Cancer Patients There is lack of evidence-based dental treatment guidelines for head and neck radiation patients. Dental management organized into 3 categories: cancer, patient, and dentition. This review provides individualized guidelines for treating these patients.

Evaluation of Website Content Quality for Recurrent Aphthous Ulcers & Oral Lichen Planus The Internet is one of the most popular resources for people to obtain medical information. However, only a limited number of studies have reported the quality of the available health information related to oral mucosal diseases. The present study is aimed to evaluate the quality of information on websites for recurrent aphthous ulcers (RAU) and oral lichen planus (OLP), in both Chinese and English.

Photodynamic therapy in Treatment of Symptomatic Oral Lichen Planus The aim of this systematic review was to assess the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the treatment of symptomatic oral lichen planus (OLP).

Effects of Smoking Severity & Moderate/Severe Periodontitis on Serum C-reactive Protein Levels Clinicians should warn the patients, especially the older ones, about the effects of their gingival health and smoking on their cardiovascular condition. Learn more.

New: Public Health Consequences of E-Cigarettes The report is a comprehensive and systematic review of the literature that evaluates the evidence about e-cigarettes and health, highlights gaps that are a priority for future research, and makes recommendations to improve the quality of this research.

Can e-Cigarettes Help Smokers Quit? This new study finds smokers who are willing to use e-cigarettes tend to smoke less and increase their quit attempts.

The Impact of Marijuana Use on Oral Health In addition to causing green stains on the teeth as reported by many dental hygienists, regular smokers can expect to see a rise in the number of caries as well as respiratory problems. Read more.

Risks & Benefits of Probing Around Natural Teeth & Dental Implants This article discusses the risks and advantages of probing around teeth and dental implants and suggests methods of probing intended to enable more accurate evaluation of periodontal and peri-implant conditions.

What is the Impact of Epstein-Barr Virus in Peri-implant Infection? EBV cannot be considered as a microbiologic marker of peri-implantitis. However, EBV could be considered as a risk factor and a peri-implantitis enhancer based on its positive correlations with pathogens associated with peri-implantitis. Learn more.

Prevalence of Periodontitis, Caries, Peri-implant Pathology & Relation with Systemic Status & Smoking Habits A large epidemiological surveillance study with results of an open-cohort study with 22009 patients in a private rehabilitation center, on the three major chronical oral diseases (Dental caries, Periodontitis and Peri-implant pathology) published in the Journal of Dentistry.

Periodontitis-Causing Bacteria Could Trigger Cancer Researchers in Finland have investigated the role of a bacterium strongly associated with periodontitis in the development of oral and certain other cancers. In a second study, they also found a link between periodontitis and cancer mortality at the population level.

More Evidence of Link between Severe Gum Disease & Cancer Risk A new ARIC Study - Periodontal Disease Assessed Using Clinical Dental Measurements and Cancer Risk - adds to accumulating research that periodontal disease is associated with some cancer risk. It reports a 24% increase in the risk of cancer among participants with severe gum disease. The highest risk was observed in cases of lung cancer, followed by colorectal cancer.

Ten Questions from Novice Laser Users Trainers who are also hygienists share the answers to the most common questions they receive.

How Dentists & Other Oral Health Professionals Can Help Patients Discover Hypertension Dentists and other oral health professionals should strongly recommend those in their care get an annual checkup from their general practitioner — especially when periodontal disease is present. Read more.

Unhealthy Diet Makes the Body's Defenses More Aggressive in the Long Terms The immune system reacts similarly to a high fat and high calorie diet as to a bacterial infection. Read more.

Pain-free Skin Patch Responds to Sugar Levels for Management of Type 2 Diabetes Researchers have devised a biochemically formulated patch of dissolvable microneedles for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Analysis of New Studies Confirms Sugar-Sweetened Drinks are Linked to Overweight & Obesity in Children & Adults A new review of the latest evidence on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) - which includes 30 new studies published between 2013 and 2015 (and none of them industry sponsored) including 250,000 people — concludes that SSB consumption is associated with overweight and obesity, and that countries that have not already done so should take action to reduce the consumption of the so-called 'empty calories' that these drinks contain.

Australia: Rethink Sugary Drink Why are we concerned about the amount of sugar in soft drinks and sugary drink overconsumption? Because the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages (e.g soft drink, sports drinks) is associated with increased energy intake and in turn, weight gain and obesity. It is well established that obesity is a leading risk factor for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Learn more about Rethink Sugary Drink, a partnership between the health and many community organisations.

Strategies to Limit Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption in Young Children In June, 2017, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board convened a workshop in Washington, DC, to explore the range of policies and programs that exist at the federal, state, tribal, and local levels to limit sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in children birth to 5 years of age. Learn more.

Cavitating Jets May Provide Easier Removal of Oral Biofilm In a recent study, Japanese researchers looking for better ways for dentists to remove plaque from implant fixtures compared the effects of a cavitating jet with the standardly used water jet. They found that the cavitating jet removed biofilm from the rough surface of an implant fixture more effectively.

Canadian Community Health Survey Oral health is a significant measure of overall health, and regular dental visits are recommended for the maintenance of oral health. The purpose of this study is to determine the pattern (amount and type) of, and factors associated with dental care use among Ontarians.

"Dental Therapists" Helping the Less Fortunate in Minnesota Legalizing dental therapists has made a big difference in Minnesota in terms of dental care for the less fortunate.

Free PHE toolkit for UK Dentists Dentists can access free resources from Public Health England to help make parents more aware of how to look after their children's teeth.

The Next Steps for UK Dental Regulation The UK's regulator of dental professionals, the General Dental Council (GDC), published Shifting the Balance: The GDC's response to your views and next steps today, marking a significant milestone in its strategy to reform dental regulation.

CONTACT eNews
Editor: Maria Perno Goldie, RDH, BA, MS

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