Hello Potential Certified Public Health Dental Hygienists,

As you may have read, the PHDH training criteria has several mandatory topics along with specific required continuing education hours.  Our plan is to prepare an informational webinar providing clear information for those interested in pursuing the PHDH certification.  For now, “self-study” courses are available on the American Dental Hygienists’ Association website.   After August 15, ADHA will launch its new learning management system which will also provide relevant classes.  Other options are to attend the Missouri Dental Hygienists’ Association Conference (https://www.cezoom.com/events/?conf=399) or Wisconsin’s INDIGO (https://www.cezoom.com/events/?conf=374) – both scheduled on October 4-5, 2019.  We will rely on interest to determine the schedule of the eight-hour review, exam and presentation of certificate (as mandated by the Illinois Dental Practice Act).   Here’s a few classes to get started.  Remember to meticulously retain your records regarding documentation related to the PHDH.

Pharmacology 5 CEs: Polypharmacy and Off-label Drug Use in Dentistry (2 CEs)

Pediatric 5 CEs:  Childhood Obesity: Dental Hygienists’ Beliefs, Attitudes, and Barriers to Patient Education (2 CEs)

Preventing Early Childhood Caries (2 CEs)

Geriatric 5 CEs: Professional Caregivers’ Oral Care Practices and Beliefs for Elderly Clients Aging in Place (2 CEs)

Oral Health Status of Independent Older Adults (2 CEs)

Medically compromised patients5 CEs: Oral Health and Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia in Elderly Patients: A Review of the Literature (2 CEs)

Utilizing a Diabetes Risk Test and A1c Point-of-Care Instrument to Identify Increased Risk for Diabetes in an Educational Dental Hygiene Setting (2 CEs)

Pathology 5 CEs:  Coming Soon

Medical Recordkeeping 4 CEs:  Coming Soon

5 CEs total for these areas of study

Special needs dentistry:  Access to Preventive Oral Health Services for Homebound Populations: a pilot program (2 CEs)

Pica: a Direct Link to Oral Health (2 CEs)

Teledentistry: Coming soon

Nutritional needs of geriatric and low income patients: Food Security and Unmet Dental Care Needs in Adults in the United States (2 CEs)

Communication techniques with non-English speaking patients:  Coming soon

Cultural competency: Treatment of a Culturally Diverse Refugee Population (2 CEs)

Professional ethics:  Assessing Dental Hygienists’ Communication Techniques for Use with Low Oral Health Literacy Patients (2 CEs)