Public Health

The ODHA will do our best to keep you informed of opportunities throughout the state that are available to Oklahoma's Dental Hygienist. We would also like to keep you posted on what dental hygienists are doing in the community.

I had the privilege of performing screenings at three Delta Head Start facilities this spring. It was such a joy to work with these preschool children! If you are interested in helping with the 2005-2006 school year screenings, please contact a Head Start Program in your area or send me an email.

If Public Health is interesting to you, it's easy to get involved and volunteer. There are many areas you can serve within the Public Health Committee:

• Children's Oral Health Coalition
• Education Council in conjunction with ODA
• School Screenings
• Health Fairs

The next opportunity for screenings in the Oklahoma City Area will be with Delta Head Start in September 2005. Please contact me if you are available to help.

Please check this page often and contact me pubhealth@okdha.org with any news and/or questions. Help keep us posted on the latest progress you and your colleagues are making in your community.

Thank you
Kelly Sanders
Public Health Chair

• All 50 states will be receiving a $1,000 grant from ADHA for tobacco cessation programs this year.
• Oklahoma has received our grant money. Please watch for further information about the Ask. Advise. Refer. Program.
• Go to www.adha.org to learn more about the national program. Are you taking the time to Ask. Advise. Refer. your patients?
• The Allied Health Community is admiring ADHA's initiative. The program is becoming known as the leading referral program in the nation.

The holidays are quickly approaching and it is time to think about gifts. This Holiday season help us promote good dental hygiene by giving your young patients "Helping You Smile" CDs as gifts. "Helping You Smile" was designed to educate and provide dental health information for children by using animations, fun games, and other learning activities. As an ADHA member, you may purchase this CD in 100 unit quantities for $299.99 (that's only 2.95 per CD), or 25 for $99.99. This fun CD provides a high value for your office, and best of all, a $1 dollar donation for each CD purchased goes back to your constituent.

So order 100 CDs for Holiday gifts today at: www.helpingyousmile.com and get into the spirit of giving by providing your patients a great educational tool and at the same time support your constituent.

Ordering is easy! Visit www.helpingyousmile.com. Click on "Order Form" and select the "Dental Hygienist" option. Follow the Order Form steps and be sure to select "ADHA (American Dental Hygienists' Association)" in the "Referred By" drop-down.

"Helping You Smile" has many possible uses.

• Makes a great Holiday gift!
• As a feature in your "New Patient Kits"
• As a "Good Check-up" hand-out to your child patients
• As an educational tool for children to calm their "first visit" worries
• To help parents understand how and why their children's teeth change

Three Oklahoma City dental hygienists spent three hours with approximately 200 ninth and tenth graders at a project health day. A teacher received information about ODHA's Public Health Council and asked that hygienists be a part of this health day including oral health, physical health, diet and nutrition. Kelly Sanders, Kim Stone and Val Rambousek Walser set up a dental area with three stations for dental screenings, information on oral disease and oral hygiene instruction. "I thought it was a very good experience," said Walser. The students really seemed to enjoy it.

Shidler Elementary School

This predominately Spanish-speaking school in south Oklahoma City is considered the second lowest income school with over 95% of the students on the school free lunch program. On Friday, February 27, six dental hygienists met at 8:30 am in front of the principal's office to provide dental screenings and oral hygiene instructions for all students (pre kindergarten through the fifth grade), a total of 326 children.