Available for dentists or dental hygienists, these HIV Oral Health Preceptorships/Mini-Residencies are individually tailored to the needs, interests and experience-level of the individual provider. Typical training sessions are one to two days but can be extended. Tuition for the preceptorships/mini-residencies is fully covered by a grant from Health Resource and Service Administration (HRSA) and continuing education credits are available from the American Dental Association and the Dental Hygiene Association of the State of New York.

If you would like further information regarding this program or to register for it, please contact Howard Lavigne, Deputy Director of HIV Clinical Education for the NYS Department of Health-AIDS Institute at 315-477-8479 or HEL01@health.state.ny.us Participant slots are limited so don’t wait.

DHASNY Partnership with DHHD and PreventionSpecialist.com

Political action committees are a fact of political life. Those legislators that we support financially are those that we count as friends of Dental Hygiene and we look to ensure their viability in the legislature.

You are aware that not only within New York State, but nationwide, Dental Hygiene is being challenged - educational standards, scope of practice issues, access to care issues, protection of our profession and more every day.

In order to maintain and improve the standards of our profession and protect the public we serve, it is imperative that we are visible within the legislative arena and that means political action and money! We encourage you to get involved with the political scene - both at a state level and at your own local level. Making friends within the political arena is imperative to advancing our agenda. Get involved with local campaigns, stuff envelopes, man telephones, join your local political clubs, county womens clubs. Let people know you are a Registered Dental Hygienist and tell them your issues.

Aside from involvement, continued support is vital to legislative success. Please take five minutes, complete the application below and become a member of NY HYPAC. Annual dues are $10.00 and the entire dues amount goes to advancing our agenda. NO administrative costs are incurred by the PAC as it is purely a volunteer organization. You do not need to be a member of DHASNY (though we certainly encourage and welcome new members!). Join today - a whole lot of $10.00 memberships can add up to the monies we need!!

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Name ____________________________________

Address ____________________________________

City _____________________________ State______ Zip ____________

Phone No. ____________________________

Fax No. ____________________________

E-Mail ____________________________________

Make checks payable to NY HYPAC and mail to:

NY HYPAC
64-64 229th Street
Bayside, NY 11364

The guidelines, published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, are based on a growing body of scientific evidence that shows that, for most people, the risks of taking prophylaxis antibiotics for certain procedures outweigh the benefits. These guidelines represent a major change in philosophy.

The new guidelines show taking preventive antibiotics is not necessary for most people and, in fact, might create more harm than good. Unnecessary use of antibiotics could cause allergic reactions and dangerous antibiotic resistance.

Only the people at greatest risk of bad outcomes from infective endocarditis — an infection of the heart's inner lining or the heart valves — should receive short-term preventive antibiotics before common, routine dental and medical procedures.

Patients at the greatest danger of bad outcomes from IE and for whom preventive antibiotics are worth the risks include those with
-artificial heart valves
-a history of having had IE
-certain specific, serious congenital (present from birth) heart conditions, including:
- unrepaired or incompletely repaired cyanotic congenital heart disease, including those with palliative shunts and conduits
- a completely repaired congenital heart defect with prosthetic material or device, whether placed by surgery or by catheter interventions, during the first six months after the procedure
-any repaired congenital heart defect with residual defect at the site or adjacent to the site of a prosthetic patch or prosthetic device
-a cardiac transplant which develops a problem in a heart valve.

To read more info and get the updated guidelines click on the following link: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3047051

The amendment will increase the scope of practice for both certified dental assists and dental hygienists to include placing, condensing, carving and finishing amalgam and non metallic restorations under the personal supervision of a licensed dentist. These procedures are in agreement with Chapter 300 of the Laws of New York which states that services performed by certified dental assistants and licensed dental hygienists “shall not include diagnosing and/or performing surgical procedures, irreversible procedures or procedures that would alter the hard or soft tissue of the oral and maxillofacial area.”

It is necessary for DHASNY to note the regulations do not increase the scope of practice of certified dental assistants to allow them to perform dental hygiene procedures such as removing calcareous deposits, accretions and stains, including scaling and planing of exposed root surfaces indicated for a complete prophylaxis, application of topical fluoride, or placing pit and fissure sealants. Therefore, the manner in which certified dental assistants perform the proposed services must not overlap into dental hygiene procedures.

The educational requirements and the concept of competency in completion of restorative (or any) procedures which certified dental assistants and dental hygienists perform are clearly defined in the regulations. It should be made very clear that the proposed regulations apply only to dental assistants who are New York certified dental assistants as defined by Education Law Article 133, sections 6608, 6608-a, & 6608-b and those dental assistants without such qualifications who perform allowable procedures for certified dental assistants are engaging in illegal dental practice. These individuals and their dentist-employer will be prosecuted accordingly when reported.

DHASNY considers the amendment a beneficial advancement for all members of the oral health profession and the debate over the passage of Chapter 300 has been useful in informing legislators about the importance of oral health care and all the issues surrounding the professions involved such as the difference in educational levels, procedures performed by each profession, and licensing for dental hygienists and certified dental assistants in New York. We are optimistic that the increase in the scope of practice for the professions affected by the regulations will aid in attracting more qualified members to the dental team and begin to address some of the workforce issues that currently exist in the dental profession. These regulations are a step toward improving access to care will benefit the citizens of New York.

It is clear that the State Education Department has made every effort to inform and include all interested parties in the approval of these proposed regulations. We look forward to maintaining an open dialogue and a continuous working relationship with the Department of Education in an effort to further advance the profession dental hygiene in New York State.

Online Continuing Education Courses

Online Continuing Education Courses The following courses are offered online for the convenience of Registered Dental Hygienists through a collaboration between DHASNY and Nursing Spectrum. Though the courses mention "nurses" throughout, the information pertains to any licensed healthcare provider and BOTH courses have been authorized by the New York State Education Department for continuing education credit towards the 24 hours required of RDHs each trienniel cycle. The fee for the courses are $30.00 for the Infection Control Course and $25.00 for the Child Abuse Identification and Reporting Course. Three CEUs are awarded for completion of the Mandatory Infection Control course and two CEUs for the Child Abuse Identification and Reporting course. Please click below to explore the course content. The reading material that you immediately see is the beginning of the course. The test for credit is at the end of each course's reading material.

Mandatory Infection Control

Child Abuse Identification and Reporting