A Message From the President

The lilacs are starting to bloom, could it finally be spring? 

IDHA has been busy working for the Illinois Dental Hygienists! Legislation is still going on, we are waiting to see the next steps for our bill in the senate. AS of yesterday, there are now 7 states that have passed the compact, making it a reality. We will continue to put Illinois joining this compact as a goal for IDHA. Talking to your legislators will help them to understand better what this bill is about. There is a lot of misinformation out there. If you have any questions, please reach out. Go to https://ddhcompact.org/ for the most updated information.  

With the warm weather, health fairs and dental education opportunities arrive. We have a couple health fairs we plan on attending and are always happy to have volunteers. If you know of a health fair, or would like to volunteer, reach out to publichealthidha@gmail.com. 

Keep an eye on the events calendar at https://idha.net/ to see the schedule and volunteer.  

IDHA is planning a new graduate Continuing education opportunity! Sponsored by the Membership committee. All SADHA members are invited.  

Come listen to Carol Jahn discuss Tips for Securing Your First RDH Position on May 30, 2024 7:00 PM CDT. See flyer below with link to register.

Event is free, no CEUs. Even seasoned RDHs will benefit from this information.  

Coming up soon is one of my personal favorite holidays and in keeping with the Star Wars theme, 

MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU!!!! 

Licensure Portability

Dentist/Dental Hygienist Licensure Compact becomes a reality!!!!

Congratulations to the 7 states that are the first members of the Dental/Dental Hygienist Licensure Compact!

Iowa, Washington State, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Virginia, Kansas and Maine. 

For more information regarding the compact, go to IDHA.org to see a recording of the most recent presentation regarding the compact, or go to ddh.org for more information. 

We have been fighting hard in Illinois to move this bill through the house and senate. Don’t give up yet! Let your legislator know that you are interested in having the state of Illinois included in the compact. Illinois licensed hygienists will not benefit from this compact unless it is passed in Illinois. Watch for updates on the IDHA website regarding our bills (SB2982 and HB4579) during this legislative session. 

WE NEED YOU to reach out to your state legislators regarding these bills. Visiting their office, phone calls or emails all are effective ways of reaching out. 

Only by hearing from their voting constituents will the message get across that we want this bill to pass in Illinois. If Illinois is not part of the compact, we will continue to have to jump through the hoops of state license requirements for other states.





The house bill is HB4579

The senate bill is SB2982

You can find your state legislator at elections.il.gov

IDHA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Silsan Kaminski, RDH, PHDH

Silsan Kaminski, RDH, PHDH has a passion for knowledge and helping people. She has livedin Brazil, Japan, San Diego, and currently resides in Valparaiso, Indiana. Silsan is multilingual, fluent in Portuguese, Japanese, Spanish and English. She loves traveling and experiencing different cultures: their foods, their communities, their experiences with family and friends.

It was this love of community, along with missing her family and friends overseas, that prompted her to form an International Ladies Group. The group has been meeting for years. It started with just a few women from her community who were born and raised in other countries. The small group of ladies would meet for a monthly potluck meal, sans kids and husbands. With time, the group has grown, and friendships have evolved. They now celebrate holidays and special occasions, sharing their cultures and food from areas all over the world.

One can imagine how lonely the holidays would be when your family is halfway around the world. Silsan has helped to turn these tough times into something very special for so many families in her community. Silsan began her dental journey while attending a dental school in Brazil. Dental school got put on hold when her family moved to Japan. She met her future husband when he was stationed in Japan while in the Navy. They got married and settled in San Diego.

Silsan ended up attending an 8-month dental assisting program, and worked as a dental assistant while raising her young son and daughter. Wanting to do more, she began taking the pre-requisite courses to get into hygiene school. The Kaminski family then transferred to Indiana. Silsan entered dental hygiene school when her son was 3 years old and graduated from the Indiana University Dental Hygiene program in 2011.

Silsan currently splits her time between working in private practice and public health. Living near the border of Indiana and Illinois, Silsan holds a license to practice dental hygiene in both states. She was very excited when Illinois started offering the PHDH certificate. This certification allows Silsan to treat between 30-50 children in Illinois per week under the general supervision of her collaborating dentist. She uses portable equipment to visit schools and daycare centers. Services include dental screenings, sealants, prophies, fluoride treatments, and oral hygiene instructions. She can help parents get the additional services that may be needed in a timely manner.

The school nurses are so appreciative of the services that Silsan is providing! These are children who would not otherwise be getting their dental needs met because of barriers to access to care. Transportation, financial, and other issues such as time restraints because parents cannot take off of work to bring their children to appointments contribute to dental decay being the most common childhood chronic disease. Public Health Dental Hygienists such as Silsan Kaminski are helping to bridge the gap to access to care!

Silsan continues to be excited about her chosen profession. She is looking forward to the licensing compact getting passed in surrounding states. She would love to see a Dental Therapist model get passed to be able to better serve those in underserved communities. Silsan is doing what she can to help with the current staff shortages by encouraging her son to follow in her dental footsteps! He is currently a senior in high school and is working as her hygiene assistant on days that she is in private practice. He is hoping to attend dental school in the future.

Thank You, Silsan, for all that you do!

Tips for Securing Your First RDH Position

For New grads and Seasoned RDHs

Thursday May 30, 2024

7PM-8:30PM

FREE

Carol Jahn, RDH, MS is a highly respected dental professional and the Director of Professional Relations and Education at Water Pik, Inc. 

Public Health Dental Hygienist Certification Course

(PHDH Review and Exam Course)

Next Course: June 8, 2024

8:00 am - 4:00 pm

ZOOM Webinar

8 Live CEUs

To make sure you qualify to take the PHDH Certification course; and to register visit IDHA.net/PHDH

2024 Annual Conference registration is now open!

Early Bird Registration End THIS FRIDAY April 26!!

Let’s get competitive!

Hey there, y'all! Get ready to jazz it up with some Crescent City charm! We're kicking off the dental shindig of the year starting Wednesday, February 15, 2024! It's a showdown like no other as each state gears up to strut their stuff and rack up those registrations for the ADHA24 Annual Conference.

Picture this: the thrill of the chase, the buzz of the competition, all set against the backdrop of New Orleans' vibrant culture! And here's the cherry on top: the state with the sassiest, spunkiest crew, boasting the highest percentage of registered members, will score not just one or two, but a whopping FIVE passes to ADHA25 on the sunny shores of Long Beach, CA! The state competition deadline is Friday, July 12.

Lets go Illinois!!

New Job Board up on IDHA.NET

Have a job to post? Or are looking for work? Head over to the new job board on our website.

ADHA is currently collecting applications for the 2024 cohort of ADHA Professional Fellows.

ADHA is opening up a special opportunity for dental hygienists to receive a personal invitation and nomination to become an FADHA.

If you're already a Fellow, ADHA is asking you to nominate ONE colleague who you believe would be an exemplary addition to the program.

Nominees will receive a letter of invitation informing them that they have been named by an ADHA Professional Fellow based on their exemplary achievements and dedication to oral hygiene.

Please submit your nomination by clicking the button below. ADHA will keep you informed on the process and we look forward to welcoming more extraordinary colleagues in 2024!

  If you're not a Fellow and are interesting in applying, click here. 

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