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Flying the flag for Australia Tabitha Acret reports from the International Symposium in Basel, Switzerland THIS YEAR I WAS fortunate enough to be able to travel to the International Symposium in Basel Switzerland. This was the first time that I have attended the event and I am already excited to visit the next one. The symposium was held over three days with a great mix of events. The first day started with an opening ceremony. All the flags from the countries that make up the IFDH were represented and it was a really proud moment for the Aussie contingent to see our National President, Melanie Hayes, represent us and carry the flag into the room. The committee planning the Basel symposium was rightly proud of their achievements. It was really touching to see the tears in their eyes as they opened up proceedings – a demonstration of their patriotism and how hard they had worked over the last three years. The day continued with numerous lectures in multiple lecture theatres and a very large trade display. The trade show was particularly enjoyable with a
whole host of products that have yet to make it to Australia. It was great to find out about them and show interest for them to come here. My bags quickly filled with goodies and I was getting worried about exceeding my luggage allowance on day one! The first day also provided the opportunity for us to attend free
“ It was really touching to see the tears in their (the committee) eyes as they opened up proceedings. A display of their patriotism and how hard they had worked for the last three years.” evening workshops. I registered for the EMS workshop and afterwards we were taken by bus out to the Rhine River and attended a cocktail party for 100 people. It was a fantastic night with my fellow Australian delegates and a great opportunity to meet and chat with hygienists from all over the world.
The second day provided more international speakers and interesting topics followed by a gala dinner in the evening and more networking. One of the highlights for me was walking down the streets of Basel and hearing friends call out your name. We had 50 Australian delegates in total and it was such an amazing opportunity to be overseas and enjoying the experience with so many colleagues and friends. Basel is close to both Germany and France, we caught the train into both countries to have a meal. This was really fun, especially considering how long it takes to get anywhere from Australia. After the last day’s events had finished we stayed in Basel for the evening. We experienced some local cuisine – fondue, schnitzels, potato salad and local beers. Being able to go out and sample new tastes and customs with friends, really adds to the whole experience of a trip like this. Overall I had an amazing time and I am really looking forward to the next symposium in Korea.
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International Federation of Dental Hygiene House of Delegates Meeting by Melanie Hayes IN CONJUNCTION WITH the International Symposium of Dental Hygiene, delegates from all around the globe gathered in Lucerne, Switzerland for the 2016 IFDH House of Delegates meeting. The DHAA is extremely proud to be the member association representing Australia, and have a long history of significant contributions to this International body. At this meeting, myself and Jo Purssey represented Australia, with Cheryl Dey and Kathryn Novak attending as observers, to ensure a strong succession plan in this global forum. The IFDH unites dental hygiene associations from around the world in their common cause of promoting dental health. The HOD approved the first ever IFDH policy statement in support of this goal, which states that: The IFDH supports dental hygienists as health care professionals who are key providers of primary oral health care preventive and maintenance “ Jo (Purssey) and I were services. Dental hygienists thrilled to carry the flag for may work autonomously and Australia in the opening participate with interdisciplinary ceremony. It was a privilege health care teams to provide total to be a part of the 30 year health care to the public across anniversary of the IFDH” the life span. Much like the DHAA, the IFDH has re-evaluated its structure and management over the past three years, in order to be a stronger and more effective federation. The IFDH have established a number of new partnerships, including the ‘Every child has a toothbrush’ program with Oral-B; a research grants program, and the text-to-floss program with A.T. Still University’s Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health. The HOD meeting included a focus on Social Responsibility, which included a half-day workshop presented by Prof Ramen Bedi and Gail Malone (Dentsply). A conference will be held in 2017 for the sharing of ideas and setting the agenda, with future symposiums to include a stream dedicated to these worthwhile programs that truly make a difference in people’s lives. As with all meetings, there were many decisions to be made and committees to contribute to. I am excited to be taking on the role of Chair of the Education and Research Committee across the next three years, and hope to make a positive contribution in this space. However there was also time for socialising, and with the wonderful support of Curaprox and Oral-B we were able to enjoy two nights of fabulous dining in memorable venues. Jo and I were thrilled to carry the flag for Australia in the opening ceremony. It was indeed a privilege to be a part of the 30 year anniversary of the IFDH, and also to have the opportunity to network and make friendships with delegates from all around the world. The DHAA warmly welcomed the instalment of our member Robyn Watson as IFDH President for the next three years. n
Dreams 6
M
y name is Marcy Patsanza. I am a young lady born and raised in Zimbabwe, a country nestled in the southern part of Africa. Relocating to Australia for my studies four years ago was a fulfilment of a dream of living in Australia – which I had at the age of five. Fifteen years later I started living within my dream and my career path became modelled by my aspirations of becoming a global community/outreach dental practitioner. Living in a developing country, a dental clinic was not a place you would visit unless you had a toothache. As I never had a toothache throughout my childhood, I missed out on the opportunity to experience a dental visit. The mystery of what happened in a dental clinic continued to intrigue me as I was growing up and stirred up great curiosity. After completing my high school studies, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to shadow a local dentist at his practice for the day. This
really do come true
was the day I knew that a dental career was what I was meant to do. In hindsight, my failure to meet the selection criteria for dental programs back home were a blessing in disguise. My determined spirit – which I inherit from my mother – led me to seek study opportunities elsewhere. My global research on accredited oral health programs uncovered Australia as having a great reputation for oral health education, promotion and opportunities for vocational dental studies that incorporate simulated working environments. I was fortunate to get accepted for the Dental Assisting course which I knew would be rewarding and a great platform to kick-start my career as well as realise my dream to live in Australia! I completed my Dental Assisting studies in Perth. While I waited to further my dental studies on the Dental Hygiene program in Adelaide, I studied Community Services Work to broaden my knowledge and gain skills that I
would later use for my dental career. Growing up with Christian values; I always knew that my greater purpose in life should be governed by love through serving others and being of great assistance wherever possible. Throughout my studies I have had the opportunity to be involved in community outreach programs – with the homeless and with dental organisations such as the National Dental Foundation. I have the opportunity to present a poster at the DHAA 2016 National Symposium, through the guidance and mentorship of a community involved Dental Hygienist, Margie Steffens, and the lecturers at TAFE SA. Not only have I now learned the mystery of what happens in a dental clinic, but I have now come to understand the importance of Oral Health Promotion and Prevention, which is the sole foundation of a Dental Hygienist’s career. Having discovered this, I now have a strong desire to publicise the
“I Don’t Remember How To Smile” Marcy’s self-penned article WE KNOW WINTER is here when the freezing winds sound alarm bells for us to dig out the fur coats and sheepskin ugg boots to keep warm! The cold nights are perfect for a hearty hot soup surrounded by the warmth of family around the dinner table or, if you are real lucky, in front of a crackling wood fire by the fireplace in grandads vintage cottage in the hills. Falling asleep cuddled-up in winter sheets, electric blankets or warm throw rugs makes winter even more exciting. But have you ever stopped to wonder about those that roam the streets through the day and fall asleep watching the stars above them? What hope do they have to get through the cold winter’s nights, those that have no shelter to call home or have any family with them as they endure this? And while we complain of grandma’s hearty broth being insipid, have we stopped to think of those without any hot soup to savour at all this winter?
According to the 2011 ABC census – conducted every five years – there are 105 237 homeless people in Australia. This equates to approximately one in 200. While snuggled up in a sleeping bag while on a ‘Sleep Out’ event intended to raise funds for a community outreach dental program for the homeless people in the city of Adelaide, the reality of the living circumstances that some people are forced to endure daily became a reality. As oral health professionals, we understand that diet and social history, as well as medical history, can contribute as risk factors to an individual’s oral health status. Furthermore, as preventative oral health advocates, we thrive on opportunities for oral health promotion and education as a means to reduce the prevalence of oral health disease, or cripple its manifestation in individuals with the related signs or symptoms. This large proportion of homeless Australians are therefore a
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What sort of projects and programs have you run previously? I helped collaborate with the Department of Health to set up a pilot project, through Knox Social and Community Health (now EACH Ferntree Gully), to provide dental services to children in out of home care. Every year, many children who are not suitable for foster homes are left without families. These children are usually placed in the care of the state, and can be difficult to integrate with health services. It was a great opportunity to work with some challenging kids, and their support staff, to develop appropriate education, up-skilling, and clinical interventions. Overall, it really raised the profile of oral health in these government-run homes and made me see the stark deficit in knowledge and attitudes towards oral health across suburban Melbourne. What is the title of your PhD study? It’s entitled “Contextual influences on oral hygiene behaviour”. You talk about dental hygiene/oral health therapy as a counselling role, what do you mean by this? As hygienists and oral health therapists, we already provide diet counselling, smoking counselling, oral health counselling, etc. in a one-on-one setting. However, the information we provide is often education-based, or motivational, in trying to establish clear benefits of changing behaviour. By researching the effect of daily events on health behaviour instead, it may lead to a more justified understanding of why an individual has difficulty changing their behavioural patterns despite understanding negative consequences. It may also allow us to discuss these reasons deeper with the patient, and counsel them on how such events may be impacting oral health in an evidence-based manner. Additionally, the more we understand these relationships, the more simplified and effective such oral hygiene counselling may be.
decisions. Furthermore, it raises the profile of the dental hygiene and oral health therapy profession. What formal education have you achieved to get to your current position? Bachelor of Oral Health (MelbUni), Graduate Diploma of Psychological Science with honours (Deakin).
Adam Rogers - hoping to make a difference How will receiving the DHRF help you with your research study? I want to explore the use of smartphone technology to track the influence of changes in moods and attitudes on oral health-related behaviour. The grant money will provide funding to gather this data, analyse it, and hopefully develop an intervention based on the findings to assist in improving oral health behaviours. What do you hope to achieve? To develop more novel predictors of oral hygiene behaviour from the cognitiveaffective, or “daily thoughts-and-feelings”, point-of-view, as well as give a platform for researchers wanting to develop mobile-based interventions – hoping that I help them achieve some positive outcomes. In particular, finding reasons related to repeat incidences of dental disease, despite professional oral health intervention, and helping to break these cycles is something I want to be part of. Formulating more intricate and predictive models of what influences oral health behaviours is a good starting point. Why do you think research is important in the dental hygiene/oral health therapy profession? Evidence based healthcare is important for all health professionals. Especially in dental hygiene and oral health therapy as we provide very dynamic, patient-specific advice, and it’s important to have some high-level evidence supporting our clinical
Any tips for oral health professionals looking to embark on research? To be honest the word research never entered my mind until I reached my honours year of my psychology degree. Being surrounded by health information in the dental field meant that, as I was taught to explore curiosities within the information, the more I found elements of health research that I was passionate about. I guess, therefore, if you see a need that could be addressed – do some internet searching and read up about it. If it sparks your interest, explore it further and see what people in that field are currently doing. Then I’d then recommend reaching out to your university and chatting with your old faculty – things are often different when you’re no longer a student! They’re often the best people to point you in the direction of a mentor, course, or appropriate support for an academic path. It’s important to ultimately see your career as evolving too, and recognise that there are paths and opportunities to up-skill that may not get you somewhere immediately, but might open up other interests to keep exploring. In the current age of digital technology there are a plethora of opportunities in online courses – something you could do while working. Next time you are at a CPD presentation you like, head up to the speaker afterwards and ask them about their field. It can be the best place to start if you are curious about an academic field. Don’t be afraid to pursue what you want. To contact Adam you can email him on: adam.rogers@unimelb.edu.au
DHAA NSW Orthodontics for the Dental Hygienist and Oral health Therapist
Presented by Dr Derek Mahony The DHAA Ltd invites you to join us for a day on Orthodontics with Dr Derek Mahony. The course is suitable for Dentists, Hygienists and Oral Health Therapists. The last hour of the Course will be dedicated to scope of practice for Dental Hygienists and Oral therapists in regards to orthodontics. Interceptive Orthodontic Treatment in the mixed dentition LEARNING OBJECTIVES: The identification, evaluation, control and neutralisation of worsening factors in a developing malocclusion. Review of facial growth patterns and a rational choice of diagnostic and therapeutic orthodontic treatment procedures.
Clinicians will be shown how to minimise skeletal, dentoalveolar and muscular problems.
When:
22nd July 2017
Where:
Airport Function Centre 85 Bourke Rd Alexandria
Time:
8.30am-5pm
Other:
For more information please contact sec.dhaansw@gmail.com
Visit www.eventbrite.com.au search DHAA NSW
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20 CPD Seminar – Saturday 8th October 2016 Ourimbah Campus – Lecture Theatre 2 Registration 8:30am Seminar 8:45am – 12:30pm Email Janet.wallace@newcastle.edu.au to register ADOHTA, DHAA, ADP and ADA association members $60.00 Aged Care workers $40.00 UON students & CCLHD employees free
Oral Health Aged Care Seminar What you need to know about providing oral health care in Residential Aged Care Facilities?
8:45 – 9:00 9:00 – 10:00 10:00 – 10:30 10:30 – 11:30 11:30 – 12:00 12:00 – 12:15 11:30 – 12:00 12:00 – 12:30
Welcome – Dr Janet Wallace ‘Let’s do drugs’ - Aspects of polypharmacy - Dr Ernie Altman Morning Tea ‘Senior Smiles’ - prevention & referral pathways - Dr Janet Wallace Barriers to oral care - how can we help? – Mrs Linda Wallace Oral health therapists/hygienists in RACFs – Mrs Kay Franks Geriatric hospital admissions & oral health –Ms Lexie McLaren Q&A
Registrations close on Friday 30th September 2016
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association offers and an opportunity for them to join as student members. I had the great opportunity to go on a trip to Switzerland for the IFDH in Basel and had a wonderful time meeting oral health professionals from around the world, catching up with other Australians and learning many new aspects of dental research from the many CPD sessions on offer. Basel is right on the border of Switzerland, France and Germany, so a quick trip to France for lunch and Germany for breakfast were also a highlight. I then continued on to Spain and Portugal for some further adventures. The IFDH is a great way to gain valuable CPD and go on a holiday. I would certainly encourage you to attend the next event in Korea in 2019. The DHAA SA are now looking forward to our final event for the year, our Christmas Breakfast at the National Wine Centre. As I am stepping down from my role as chair of the SA chapter, after five years on the committee, I am looking forward to this event with some degree of sadness as it will be my last official event. At least for the time being! Tracey Herman South Australia State Chair
Western Australia
“ We look forward to delivering a successful oral health program, involving a range of activities and learning experiences for young children and their parents.”
SPRING IS DEFINITELY in the air in WA - the wildflowers are in bloom and after a cooler than usual winter, we are eagerly awaiting the time of year when its warm enough to head out to the beach straight after work. For those of you that have kept up to date with the changes to the CPD cycle, it is recommended to continue with your CPD courses over the next few months, as these hours will contribute to the next cycle, and hopefully lighten your load over the next three years. We have had some great events in WA – a halfday seminar in May with three highly respected practitioners; Dr Andrew Brostek, Dr Agnieszka Frydrych, and Dr Ramesh Balasubramaniam speaking on Minimal Intervention Dentistry, Xerostomia and TMJ/Bruxism, respectively. In June we combined with ASP (WA) for an afternoon of practical Periodontal instrumentation, and just recently held a practical radiography skills refresher. Our dedicated Oral Health Promotion team attended an event in May (see page 11). We invite members to join with us as we contribute to WA Children’s Week 2016
by providing an interactive oral health promotion for WA families and children. The WA Children’s Week official opening event – “The Children’s Week Fun Day”, will be held on Sunday 23 October 2016 from 10.00am-2.00pm at Whiteman Park. This will be our fourth year at the event and we look forward to delivering a successful oral health program, involving a range of activities and learning experiences for young children and their parents. We would appreciate hearing from anyone who is available and interested in volunteering 1-2 hours of their time . If you think you can help then contact DHAA WA OHP Co-ordinator, Wendy Wright via email gregwendy@iinet.net.au Please advise as soon as possible so that arrangements can be finalised. Either way, why not come along and enjoy the fun! Our Xmas function with a special guest speaker will be held on Saturday 3 December. Please keep your eyes on your inbox and the DHAA website, for an invitation to register in the coming weeks. Natasha Hunt Western Australia State Chair
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Victoria
MELBOURNE HOSTED a huge ADA Congress which saw a plethora of programs aimed at dentists, hygienists, oral health therapists, dental assistants and practice managers. The one day program for hygiene/OHT saw a combined event with ADOTHA and had a healthy attendance. The next scheduled event for Victoria is a combined day event with Dental Protection Limited (DPL) and the final CPD event for the year will be held at Kooyong Tennis club on Saturday, 10 December. Speakers will be Dr Jeff
“ We are well-advanced in organising an event, to be held in Albury in conjunction with the NSW branch, which will include a half day of speakers and a wonderful five-course luncheon at a local winery.
Northern Territory
IT’S SEPTEMBER already? Wow! How the time flies. DHAA Northern Territory has its first event coming up on the 19 October. Kere Kobayashi will be presenting ‘What’s behind the Periodontist’s Door’ and I will be making a presentation
Kestenberg and Dr Bevan Chong. Attendees will receive a total of three CPD points. We have exciting plans in development for our 2017 CPD calendar. We are well-advanced in organising an event, to be held in Albury in conjunction with the NSW branch, which will include a half day of speakers and a wonderful five-course luncheon at a local winery. We are also in the process of investigating a series of presentations in the Daylesford area. Here are a few dates for your 2016/2017 diaries: 10 September, 2016 Half-day event at Rydges on Swanston 10 December, 2016 Half-day event at Kooyong Tennis club 22 March, 2017 Dinner meeting 17-21 May, 2107 ADA Congress in Melbourne
3 June, 2017 Daylesford 2 September, 2107 Albury 13-14 October, 2017 National Symposium in Adelaide 18 November, 2017 Christmas drinks
on the volunteer dental trip to Vietnam through AVVRG – which DHAA helps support. You can get a heads-up on what we did on page 11. The event will be an opportunity for socialising, networking and finding out the benefits of membership.
Plans for a full-day CPD event during the 2017 dry season are underway. Keep an eye out for updates, especially if you fancy getting away to somewhere warm next winter.
Dates and venues will be confirmed closer to the time and details will be made available on the dhaa.info website, as they become available . The Victorian committee has also welcomed two new CPD officers – Nicoletta Psilos and Emma Sheppard, while Jess Goldsworthy has taken over as the communications officer. We thank them all and welcome them to the team. Winter has finally left us and all of us in Victoria wish our members well and enjoy the new spring! Anne DiPaolo Victoria State Chair
Leonie Brown NT Director
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Queensland
DHAA QUEENSLAND’S final event of the year will be on Saturday, 15 October at the Women’s College, University of Queensland. Carol Tran will be presenting an update on ultrasonics and airpolishing. Registrations are still available. Visit the dhaa. info website or click here to go directly to the booking page. In October, April Lunnie and I will be attending Central Queensland University (CQU) to meet the BOH students. We will also provide a presentation on care of cancer patients. This is part of the DHAA Ltd commitment to supporting our BOH students especially those located in our rural communities.
“ It became very apparent that all of us will be facing many challenges as we move into 2017. Especially the ability to be utilised to our full scope of practice.”
The Queensland Committee has been busy organising events for 2017 – please put these dates into your diary; 28 January Queensland/NSW Joint
Chapter Event – Byron Bay (Full day) Friday 25 March Supper Meeting – Fortitude Valley (CPD = 1hr) May & November Homeless Connect (Half day) event + CPR Saturday 22 July Brisbane (CPD = 3.5hrs) Saturday 9 September Brunch Meeting – Sunshine Coast (CPD = 1hr) Saturday 19 November Christmas Breakfast Meeting (CPD = 1hr). I thought I would give you a snapshot of some of the work that the Queensland Committee does on behalf of our members – other than organising CPD events As Queensland Chair I was lucky enough to be invited to attend meeting, on 2 September, to discuss “Developing a health workforce strategy for Queensland”. This meeting was attended by Medical, Allied Health and Oral Health professionals and organised by Queensland Health as they continue to develop health policies for the next 10 years. Topics that were discussed were “Designing the Workforce”, “Right Skills Right Place”, “Enabling the Workforce”, “Strengthening
the Workforce”, “Knowing the Workforce” and “Keeping Connected”. I took the opportunity to work in the “Enabling the Workforce” discussion that looked at many things including; identifying legislative and regulatory systems that support innovative and streamlined work practices. It was a wonderful opportunity for our association to do some networking and offered us the platform to spread the word about all the wonderful work done by the DHAA oral health professionals. It became very apparent that all of us will be facing many challenges as we move into 2017. Especially the ability to be utilised to our full scope of practice. It was wonderful to meet so many passionate, and likeminded, health professionals at this event. We can only hope that Queensland Health will hear our voice. The DHAA Queensland Committee continues to support and work on behalf of our members. I look forward to seeing you at one of our networking CPD events in the near-future. Robbern White Queensland State Chair
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Planner The 2016/17 CPD Events calendar is already filling up. Full details at www.dhaainfo/events SEP 2016
20 September
DHAA TAS Business Meeting
TBA
24 September
DHAA NSW Wagga Wagga: Half Day Seminar
Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga NSW
9 October
DHAA NSW Dubbo: Implant Maintenance with Prof Axel Spahr
Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo NSW
19 October
DHAA TAS Dinner Meeting
TBA
14 October
DHAA QLD CPD day “Debriding in the fast lane" with Carol Tran
University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLA
19 October
DHAA NT "What's behind the periodontists door"
TBC
NOV 2016
10-12 November
DHAA 2016 National Symposium
MONA & Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hobart, TAS
DEC 2016
2-December
DHAA TAS Christmas Party
TBC
2-December
DHAA NSW Members Christmas Party
TBA, Sydney NSW
3 December
DHAA WA Christmas Party
Balmoral Hotel- 901 Albany Highway, East Victoria Park, WA 6101
10 December
DHAA VIC Half Day event
Kooyong Tennis Club, VIC
JAN 2017
27 January
DHAA NSW/QLD Byron Bay Full Day Seminar
Elements of Byron, Byron Bay NSW
FEB 2017
18 February
DHAA WA - Infection Prevention in the Dental health setting (a refresher)
The Bendat Community Centre - 36 Dodd St, Wembley, WA 6014
18 February
DHAA NSW “What is Orofacail Myology”
TBA, Blue Mountains NSW
4 March
DHAA NSW “New Graduate Ball”
TBA, Sydney NSW
22 March
DHAA VIC Dinner Meeting
TBC
25 March
DHAA QLD Supper Meeting
Fortitude Valley, QLD
31 March
DHAA NSW/ACT Joint full day with ACT
TBA, Bowral, NSW
5 May
DHAA NSW Full day
TBA, Hunter Valley, NSW
17-21 May
ADA Congress
Melbourne, VIC
TBC
DHAA QLD Homeless Connect
TBC
JUN 2017
3 June
DHAA VIC
Daylesford, VIC
JUL 2017
22 July
DHAA NSW Orthodontics for the Dental Hygienist and OHT with Dr Derek Mahony
Airport function Centre, Sydney NSW
22 July
Half Day Event + CPR
Brisbane, QLD
2 September
DHAA VIC
Albury, VIC
9 September
DHAA QLD Brunch Meeting
Sunshine Coast, QLD
16 September
DHAA NSW “Periodontal treatment planning and therapy”
TBA, Coffs Harbour, NSW
OCT 2017
12-14 October
DHAA 2017 National Symposium
Adelaide, SA
NOV 2017
18 November
DHAA VIC Christmas drinks
TBC
19 November
DHAA QLD Christmas Breakfast Meeting
Brisbane, QLD
TBC
DHAA QLD Homeless Connect
OCT 2016
MAR 2017
MAY 2017
SEP 2017
Key to the state colours n ACT
nN SW
n NT
n Qld
nS A
n Tas
n Vic
nW A
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