cdaa4u.org

cdaa4u.org

September 2007 Membership Meeting Update

President's Greeting by CDAA President, Mrs. Lois Villa

May 2007

     Greetings to all dental assistants! My name is Lois Villa, CDA. I am your new CDAA President for the year May 07-08. I have been a dental assistant for over 20 years and a CDA for 12 years. I work full time for the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, CT Valley Hospital treating special needs patients. I have been actively involved in the CDAA for the past 3 years. I will try to continue with the GREAT work your immediate past president Susan Dolliver has started. I would like to update you on the work the CDAA has done for you in the past year.

     Prior to March of 2006 there was little activity from CDAA. There was not even a full slate of officers. How can the work of few equal the work of many? Since March of 2006 there has been a dedicated full slate of officers working hard to improve what the CDAA can provide to CT’s dental assistants. We have offered some continuing education courses geared towards dental assistants. How many times have you looked for continuing education that focuses on the career of dental assistants and couldn’t find any? Many times we are in the shadow of dentists and hygienists when it comes to courses available for us. We are committed to providing interesting topics for dental assistants with an exciting course package for fall 07. The three courses we have selected are:

“Hearing Voices That Are Distressing”- Understanding the Needs of the Psychiatric Dental Patient in September

   PANDA “Prevent Abuse through Dental Awareness” in October

“Shade Selection for the Dental Assistant” in November.

All of these courses will be available at an affordable rate and take place in the evening so that dental assistants do not have to miss work. Visit the continuing education link for detailed information.

     In addition to this we have completed the first audit in 10 years! In doing so we decided we would create a co-treasurer position. Susan Dolliver has been recently elected into this newly established officer position.

     We have created a 5 year plan and will be sending out multiple newsletters to the members of the CDAA. If you are not a member, please consider joining. This is a great way to network, receive liability coverage, accidental death benefits, a subscription to the “Dental Assistant Journal” and first hand news on what is happening with our profession in CT.

     The CDAA has been active legislatively in seeking the opportunity for dental assistants to have the CHOICE of becoming an Expanded Function Dental Assistant (EFDA). We will continue to look for ways in which we can help increase dental access to the underserved/underprivileged. You can click on the legislative link for an update.

     In summary, NOW is the time for dental assistants to join together, network and realize that we are a valuable part of the dental team. Help us through joining and volunteering with the CDAA in order to provide dental assistants with the best a dental association can offer.

Sincerely yours,

Lois MB Villa, CDA

CDAA President

Legislative Update

May 2007

The current limitations on access to oral health care has been the impetus to explore means of improving access to dental care on a state and national level. This is especially true for underserved populations. Over the past three years the Expanded Functions Curriculum Committee charged by the Connecticut State Dental Association; the Connecticut Dental Assisting Association Legislative Task Force; and the Access to Care Ad hoc Committee at the Department of Public Health have worked to address these concerns. This encompassed the development of over 100 pages of documents to define: levels of dental assisting to provide a career ladder advocated by the ADAA/DANB Alliance; the tasks to be delegated to dental assistants; the levels of supervision required to perform each task under the various DA levels; and the actual educational requirements for expanded functions to provide competent dental auxiliary so that a balance of increasing access to care and public safety is achieved.

It was a privilege to be present and graciously accept the ADAA’s generous allocation of LAP (Legislative Assistance Program) funds on behalf of the CDAA at the Annual ADAA meeting in Denver. The funds ($1,500) are to be utilized in promoting our EFDA legislative proposal. Since this original allotment of funds, CDAA has procured an additional $1,000 LAP fund allocation and $1,000 in emergency LAP funds. The LAP funds have allowed CDAA to retain a professional lobbyist to foster our legislative initiative and the CDAA/ADAA mission. Please help support your profession and access to care for the underserved through CDAA membership and involvement. We are optimistic that our proposed EFDA legislation will become a reality for a win-win-win outcome. The passage of this legislation will benefit the public, the underserved, and our profession.

Respectfully submitted by; Gary Jacobs, RDH, CDA CDAA President -Elect

CDAA Five-Year plan

Combating Infection in the Dental Office