by ANN-MARIE C. DEPALMA, MEd, FADIA, FAADH, RDH
This column is designed to introduce readers to continuing education speakers who provide engaging topics that can benefit you and your practice in a variety of ways. This month I’m going to divert a bit, and while still focusing on education, the column will be about the written rather than the spoken form. Over the past year, I’ve been privileged to work with three distinguished authors in developing materials for their dental textbooks. I’ll review each here, and hopefully pique your interest to learn more about these educational endeavors.
Seven years ago, while attending a special care dentistry meeting, Karen Raposa RDH, MBA, asked Wiley Publishers if they had a text for dental professionals about treating special needs patients. The representatives stated that they did not, and they soon began to discuss creating such a book for dentistry.
Karen is the mother of a 13-year-old boy with autism, and she understands all too well the frustrations, demands, and joys that working with these special patients entails. Teaming with Steven Perlman, DDS, Karen convened an international team of experts to create "Treating the Dental Patient with a Developmental Disorder." Karen asked me to participate since I have a continuing education program on recognizing developmental delays in children for dental teams, and we had previously worked on continuing education programs for INeedCE.com entitled "Building Bridges – Dental Care for Patients with Autism" and "Building Bridges, Part 2 – Understanding and Guiding the Dental Patient with Autism." Our chapter, "The Exam/Hygiene Appointment," focuses on:
- Strategies to prepare for a successful exam/hygiene appointment.
- Techniques for developing a team approach to care
- Approaches for guiding the patient through the hygiene appointment
- Suggestions for follow-ups and championing opportunities.
The book contains an overview of the major types of developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders, Down syndrome, attention deficit, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and learning difficulties. The text contains information on practical methods of caring for patients with disabilities, including guiding and modeling behaviors, practice management tips to accommodate patients with special needs, and instructions on delivering homecare tips to caregivers.
All dental professionals, from hygienists to pediatric and general dentists, to dental and dental hygiene students, will benefit from the tools and information presented in this valuable text, while becoming comfortable treating these special patients. Karen also presents traditional continuing educational programs on autism for dental teams. Contact her at [email protected].
The second book is "Comprehensive Preventive Dentistry," edited by Hardy Limeback, DDS. Dr. Limeback established a team of international preventive dentistry professionals, including Shirley Gutkowski, RDH, BSDH. Shirley asked me to coauthor a chapter with her on "The Effective Preventive Dental Team." In addition to the chapter that we coauthored, Shirley wrote the chapter "Mechanical Plaque Removal." Our chapter covers dental assisting, preventive procedures for dental office or home use, minimally invasive dentistry, photography, radiographs, practice settings, and methods for integrating preventive dentistry into a general practice.
Shirley’s chapter on mechanical plaque removal discusses biofilm, toothbrushes, interdental aids, and other products and techniques to achieve optimum care. The book contains key features on all aspects of preventive dentistry, thorough discussions of oral diseases, incorporation of other areas of preventive dentistry into general practice and sports dentistry, and the role of diet and nutrition.
Grounded in a patient-centered, preemptive, and minimally invasive philosophy, this book provides a comprehensive companion to other texts for practicing dentists, hygienists, educators, and dental/dental hygiene/dental assisting students who are interested in learning the latest in preventive dentistry. Shirley is also available to provide CE programs on a number of preventive dentistry topics. Contact her at [email protected].
"Savvy Success – Achieving Professional Excellence and Career Satisfaction in the Dental Hygiene Profession, Volume I – III" is by Christine Hovliaras, RDH, BS, MBA, CDE. Christine has developed three volumes of textbooks and a faculty guide that offer a refreshing way to define dental hygiene practice, provide professional competencies for utilization in practice, offer an overview of evidence-based decision making, discuss incorporation of technologies to enhance responsibilities, expand on career opportunities to achieve career satisfaction, and review ethical obligations for the dental hygiene profession that can be applied into practice every day.
This is the first series of textbooks that contain interviews with more than 45 dental hygiene professionals. These hygienists represent a vast array of administrators/managers, advocates, clinicians, educators, researchers, public health and corporate colleagues in all roles of the dental hygiene profession. Christine has separated the volumes into:
- Volume I: You, Roles, Practice Environment
- Volume II: Patient Care
- Volume III: Technology, Ethics, Career Success
- Faculty Guide – Developed to assist dental hygiene educators in bringing the information into their dental hygiene programs.
Christine asked me to participate in Volume I, which centers on why people choose dental hygiene as a profession, what dental hygiene has done for hygienists personally, how hygienists have helped patients achieve improved oral care, qualities that make a dental hygienist successful, the importance of having a mentor, and how career success can happen.
As president of Professional Savvy, LLC, (www.professionalsavvychd.com) Christine can provide online continuing education credits for hygienists, faculty, and students who purchase all three volumes. She also offers Savvy Success seminars for those interested in traditional CE opportunities. Proceeds from the sale of the textbooks and faculty guide go to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Research Foundation in honor of her mother, Ruth Ann Hovliaras.
Each of these new books provides dental professionals with the opportunity to learn, be engaged and challenged, and strive to make themselves, the profession, and their patients the best they can be. I feel honored to be a part of all. Thank you, Karen, Shirley, and Christine.
Thought for the month
Winter is on my head, but eternal spring is in my heart. Victor Hugo RDH
The INeedCE.com
course for February is "Surgical and Prosthetic Implant Treatment of a Maxillary Premolar." RDH Magazine readers will receive a 50% discount -- regular course price is $49, with discount $24.50. Use code ANFEB13, which is good until 2/28/2013.
Description: The diagnosis and extraction of a fractured root is a common occurrence in clinical dentistry. The missing tooth can be restored in a variety of ways. This course will demonstrate the evaluation, treatment planning, and implementation of surgical extraction, bone grafting with guided tissue regeneration, implant placement, and subsequent restoration of an extracted maxillary second premolar.
Information on each textbook
"Treating Patients with a Developmental Disorder" – Edited by Karen A. Raposa and Steven P. Perlman, Wiley-Blackwell Publishers, Iowa, 2012 ISBN-13: 978-0-8138-2393-5/2012
"Comprehensive Preventive Dentistry" – Edited by Hardy Limeback, Wiley-Blackwell Publishers, Iowa, 2012 ISBN-13: 978-0-8138-2168-9/2012
"Savvy Success" – Christine Hovliaras, AuthorHouse Publisher, Indiana, 2012
Volume I:
ISBN: 978-1-4772-0582-2 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-4772-5360-1 (e)
Volume II:
ISBN: 978-1-4772-0880-9 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-4772-0881-6 (e)
Volume III:
ISBN: 978-1-4772-0882-3 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-4772-0883-0 (e)
Faculty Guide:
ISBN: 978-1-4772-5553-1 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-4772-5554-4 (e)
All books are available at Amazon www.amazon.com or Barnes and Noble www.barnesandnoble.com.
ANN-MARIE C. DEPALMA, RDH, MEd, FADIA, FAADH, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Dental Hygiene and the Association of Dental Implant Auxiliaries, as well as a continuous member of ADHA. She presents continuing education programs for dental team members on a variety of topics. Ann-Marie is collaborating with several authors on various books for dental hygiene and can be reached at [email protected].
Consider reading: Selling to dentists
http://www.rdhmag.com/articles/print/volume-33/issue-1/coumns/dental-seminar-examines-selling-products-to-dental-offices.html
Consider reading: Managing The EHR
http://www.rdhmag.com/articles/print/volume-32/volume-12/columns/managing-the-ehr.html
Consider reading: A Guide To Improve Performance
http://www.rdhmag.com/articles/print/volume-32/issue-11/columns/a-guide-to-improve-performance.html
Past RDH Issues
