Maria DeSylva, RDH, BS, Andrea Caster, RDH, AS, and Teddie Dominy, RDH, BBA, are three of 48 preventive care consultants of OMNII Oral Pharmaceuticals. This talented group of individuals provides cutting edge, evidence-based information that can be incorporated into everyday dental and dental hygiene practice. Their goal is to provide clinicians with the latest scientific knowledge that will positively impact patient care. From information provided during staff huddles, lunch meetings, or continuing-education meetings, this team has put together a program titled “Prevention, Patient by Patient” (P3). P3 is an interactive continuing-education program that highlights diagnosis strategies (yes, diagnosis), including risk assessment protocols for hard and soft tissues. The program includes a fast-paced case study presentation providing both well-established and new therapeutic modalities.
P3 is divided into three modules: caries, periodontal disease, and tooth hypersensitivity. Each module discusses the etiology of disease, risk factors, and treatment options. After the interactive lecture portion of each module, a hands-on workshop allows the newly acquired information to be transferred through group activities. P3 can be presented in either two-hour programs or as a comprehensive six-hour presentation, depending on the needs of the group. Participants love the hands-on portion of the programs, since the take-home message can be applied in class and then implemented the next day in clinical practice. This hands-on experience translates into real results for better patient compliance and communication. The P3 program provides the education and practice - in one session - to more effectively prepare participants to successfully implement new initiatives.
Dental hygiene was founded on prevention strategies. Through this program and its protocols, hygienists can be further empowered to bring about individual treatment options to patients, rather than cookie-cutter protocols. Patient outcomes can be improved when hygienists possess the most up-to-date knowledge that can enhance their ability to provide the best treatments possible. This also translates into a powerful tool for the hygienist to increase overall career satisfaction. P3 allows dental professionals to experience real world situations, understand the science behind the procedure or product, and overcome obstacles within an interactive, nonthreatening setting. Everyone contributes to the learning, sharing, and improvement of the standard of care that is currently offered in individual practice settings. In addition, this experience can help the dental professional to maximize the patient’s oral health status.
Dental consumers (patients) deserve the best that we can offer in terms of up-to-date diagnosis strategies and treatment options. As a consumer of health-care services yourself, would you want to be treated by someone who isn’t up-to-date on the latest technology and/or services? Would you trust your legal or financial information to an attorney or accountant who has not kept up with the current laws? Dentistry and dental hygiene services are no different. As dental professionals, we have an ethical and moral responsibility to remain as current as possible with advancing care. It is through programs like P3 that this can be achieved.
P3 is presented using PowerPoint along with group discussions and case presentation. Handouts contain supporting research, up-to-date protocols, and slide presentation printouts.
Each of the preventive care consultants brings his or her own personal touch to the program. Maria DeSylva received her bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene from Oregon Health Sciences and has been with OMNII for more than five years. She is also a member of the ADHA. One of her goals in continuing education is to encourage and motivate dental teams to their highest level. Maria’s passions are her family, faith, friends, travel, and outdoor activities. Maria enjoys working with dental professionals, helping them overcome patient compliance obstacles, and providing product updates.
Andrea Caster received an associate’s degree in dental assisting before enrolling in the first dental hygiene program at Edison Community College in Ft. Myers, Fla. She loves teaching, regardless of the size of the group. The ability to grab an audience’s attention, impart knowledge, and be a force in enhancing the prevention and treatment of oral disease is an absolute high for her. Andrea is also an ADHA member (and president-elect of the San Antonio Dental Hygiene Society). As a preventive care consultant, her goals are to motivate hygienists to consistently deliver preventive care options that will positively affect patients’ overall health on a daily basis.
Teddie Dominy is a graduate of Macon State College’s dental hygiene program, and she received a business degree from Kennesaw State University. Her passions revolve around her 13-year-old twin daughters, keeping an eye on the Weather Channel, vineyard hopping, and playing tennis and the piano. If she were not a hygienist, she would probably be a meteorologist on the Weather Channel! Teddie, like Maria and Andrea, is also an active ADHA member.
The OMNII Oral Pharmaceutical preventive care consultants will be available to speak with you at the RDH Under One Roof meeting in Las Vegas this July. If you are interested in learning more about the P3 program or would like to schedule a presentation, contact Donna Boswell at OMNII Oral Pharmaceuticals at (800) 445-3386, Ext. 1409.
Attention Continuing-Education Speakers
Would you like your speaking engagements to be listed in a 2007 calendar ... free? RDH Rainmakers is a group of hygienists dedicated to increasing the public’s awareness of the dental hygiene profession. In 2006, the RDH Rainmakers calendar project spotlighted hygienists from around the country. The committee is working on the 2007 calendar and is looking for photos as well as speaking engagements of dental hygiene continuing-education presenters. All that is asked is that the speaker promote the Rainmaker project by including a prepared slide on the project in their presentations. For more information, go to www.rdhrainmakers.com.
