We asked our 'From the Podium' columnist to rank the most intriguing courses offered at RDH Under One Roof on Aug. 14-16
By Ann-Marie DePalma, RDH, MEd, FADIA, FAADH
Mark Hartley, the editor of RDH magazine, sent me an email, asking if I would write about the "Top 10 Most Intriguing Seminars" for this year's RDH Under One Roof. UOR 2014 is hosted Aug. 14-16 in Chicago at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. It sounded like an interesting and fun assignment, but little did I know how difficult it would be!
How do I narrow down days of exceptional courses into 10 of the most intriguing? What would pique my interest may not excite someone else. Initially, I began with a quick overview of all of the courses starting with the pre-conference program on Wednesday, August 13, and then moved on to the actual program on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. But that proved fruitless since all the courses sounded so appealing that I wanted to write about all of them. But the assignment was to narrow it down to 10 – ok, Mark, thanks for the challenge! So here is my list, listing the most intriguing courses to me in chronological order.
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Other articles about RDH Under One Roof courses in 2014
- Grill to focus on periodontal coding at UOR
- Miller points to 'business of hygiene' in UOR seminar
- Gueits explains 'ortho link' to be presented at RDH Under One Roof seminar
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(The courses below are also identified as whether they are a "general session" or a "workshop." In simplistic terms, general sessions are seminars open to any registered attendee at RDH Under One Roof. Workshops require additional registration, and an additional fee may be assessed. A ticket is provided for the specific workshop while the generic conference badge is all that is required for admittance to a general session.)
As dental professionals, we build our practices on our relationships with patients. Communication is at the heart of these relationships. But poor communication skills and low literacy can affect our relationship in providing oral health care for our patients. Toni's program will discuss how participants can influence and persuade patients to achieve optimum health.
This program is celebrating its fifth year of being a part of RDH Under One Roof. Each year, Noel has given hygienists the opportunity to provide oral health services to underserved populations in and around the geographic area of UOR. Chicago will be no different. Beginning a month prior to UOR, participants will have the opportunity to join together in a webinar that will review information ranging from how to write a grant to serving communities with integrated medicine. The webinar information allows participants to devote more time to the actual outreach initiative during the conference. During UOR, participants will then serve the underserved in the Chicago area. Lessons learned both in the webinar and in the street will enable participants to be able to return to their home states and reach others in their own area -- a way to "pay it forward."
If you are thinking of starting or already own a business, are you doing it all on your own? Why? Kristine's program will review the resources, templates, outlines, and steps to take your business to the next level, whether it is a twinkle in your eye or well-established entity. She will assist you in building your message, sharing your expertise, and driving your passion to achieve your goals.
Cancer affects many of our patients and their families. Facing life-threatening illness is difficult enough, but often the treatments create oral side effects that may or may not be addressed by the medical community or the patient's care givers. Learn the latest recommendations to assist your cancer patients in managing the oral complications of their therapies and allow for safe and effective care both in office and at home for these medically compromised patients.
Dental hygienists are seeking to expand their roles and take control of their career. Whether deciding to continue to practice clinical hygiene and enhance one's income or to choosing to move beyond clinical into other opportunities, participants will join Lillian and other hygienists who have found success in sales, consulting, speaking, and writing in discussions focusing on using one's skills, talents, and passions to find the career path that works for you. Although this course will not be eligible for CE credit, it will provide networking opportunities that may be the step you need to grow your career.
The world of today requires us to do more with fewer resources, whether that is time, money, equipment, or any other resources. Poor resource management along with poor communication and conflict can zap one's energy and waste those valuable resources. Christine will discuss how to increase job satisfaction, improve morale and reduce stress when you are asked to do more in your environment with less. She will provide the tools to allow you to be the best you can be with the resources available.
Technology is changing the face of dental hygiene practice. Lasers are a part of that change. Participants in Jo-Anne's program will learn the physics and safety issues associated with lasers, the integration into the hygienist's non-surgical periodontal program, and the efficacy and research behind the use of lasers.
More than 78 million people were born between 1946 and 1964 -- the baby boomers. Are you one of them? If not, then you are definitely treating them in your clinical practice. Previous generations were doomed to edentulism, but not the baby boomers. Baby boomers have changed the face of a number of areas of life, and dentistry is one of them. Participants in Patti's program will discover the myths regarding older brain function, and discuss the latest research on oral-systemic connections and age-related disorders while reviewing ways to increase the practice's visibility in the mature marketplace.
Over the last few years, consumers have been bombarded with direct-to-consumer marketing of prescription medications. Many of these medications have oral implications. As dental professionals, it is difficult to remain up-to-date on the latest types of medical prescriptions, not to mention the types of drugs available for dental prescription use. Tom will review the latest information on these new drugs including their actions, side effects and interactions with other medications that may impact dental therapies.
With today's regenerative products and procedures, the periodontal myth of "once it's gone, it's gone" has dissolved into the new possibilities of rebuilding hard and soft tissues through enamel matrix derivatives and biological modifiers. Tracy will review the evolution of periodontal and regenerative therapies, and the significant impact these therapies have on comprehensive dentistry.
There are so many exciting and intriguing courses at this year's RDH Under One Roof that, despite my attempts at writing this article, I can only barely scratch the surface. I wanted to include all the courses, but time and space won't allow me. I really had a hard time choosing only 10. But that being the assignment, I reluctantly end with a self-indulgent plug for my own course on Friday: "Implant Coordinator, Are You Ready for Your Next Role?" In this course, we will review the basics of dental implants and how hygienists can transition into the role of implant coordinator.
After reviewing my top 10, please visit www.rdhunderoneroof.com and let me know your top 10. Here's hoping you find it easier than I. Looking forward to seeing you at UOR!
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].
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