4.Public Awareness
Advocacy raises awareness among the public about specific issues or challenges faced by a profession or community. It educates individuals and encourages them to support causes that contribute to positive change.
5.Addressing Inequities
Advocacy plays a crucial role in addressing inequities and disparities. It helps bring attention to systemic issues, promoting fairness and equal opportunities within professions and communities.
6.Professional Empowerment
Advocacy empowers individuals within a profession to actively participate in decision-making processes. It gives professionals a platform to contribute their expertise and insights to shape policies directly impacting their work.
7.Community Impact
Advocacy has a direct impact on the communities served by a profession. It ensures that the community’s needs are considered in policy decisions, leading to improved services, increased accessibility, and better overall outcomes.
8.Adaptation to Change
Professions, including dental hygiene, continually evolve in response to societal changes, technological advancements, and healthcare trends. Advocacy enables professionals to adapt to these changes by advocating for necessary modifications to regulations and practices.
9.Promoting Best Practices
Advocacy supports the promotion of evidence-based practices and standards within a profession. By advocating for adherence to best practices, professionals contribute to delivering high-quality services and patient care.
10.Strengthening Professional Identity
Engaging in advocacy fosters a sense of professional identity and solidarity. It encourages professionals to take pride in thei rwork, knowing that they play an active role in shaping the present and future of their field.
In dental hygiene, advocacy is
essential for ensuring dental hygienists have the autonomy, resources, and
opportunities to provide optimal oral healthcare services.
It is a driving force for
positive change, enabling
professionals to overcome
challenges, adapt to evolving
landscapes, and contribute to the well-being of the communities they serve
11.Importance of Advocacy in Dental Hygiene
Advocacy is crucial to the dental hygiene profession for several reasons. Firstly, it enables dental hygienists to address the evolving healthcare landscape and adapt their roles to meet the community’s needs better. By advocating for changes in the Dental Hygiene Practice Act, dental hygienists can strive towards practicing independently, akin to the Public Health Dental Hygiene Practitioner (PHDHP) model, but fee-for- service reimbursement.
12.Current Landscape in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has taken steps toward enhancing dental hygiene practice by allowing dental hygienists to administer local anesthesia under the direct supervision of a general dentist. Additionally, dental hygienists meeting specific criteria can provide direct patient care in federally funded healthcare centers, including long-term care facilities and head-start and pre-k count preschool programs, catering to underserved populations.
13.Addressing the Need for Independent Practice
The reality is that there is an increasing demand for dental providers in Pennsylvania who can offer dental hygiene therapy services at an affordable price. Opening avenues for dental hygienists to practice independently can significantly address this need. By allowing dental hygienists to operate in a fee-for- service practice modality, they can bill at standard rates, making their services financially sustainable and accessible to a broader population.
14.Financial Realities
Many dentists cannot absorb the cost difference between Medicaid reimbursement rates and their office’s standard fee schedule. Dental hygienists face similar challenges when working independently. By enabling dental hygienists to operate fee-for-service practices, they can bridge the gap, providing affordable services while sustaining their practices financially.
15.Advocacy Organizations
Dental hygienists looking to make a difference should actively engage with advocacy organizations such as the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) and the Pennsylvania Dental Hygienists’ Association (PDHA). These organizations provide a platform to unite voices, share experiences, and collectively lobby for changes in legislation that benefit the dental hygiene profession.
16.The Path Forward
Dental hygienists should consider opening dental facilities with dental hygiene practitioners exclusively, adhering to the state licensing and practice act abilities set by the state board of dentistry. With necessary referrals to a general dentist, this model ensures that patients receive comprehensive care while allowing dental hygienists to operate independently, providing dental hygiene therapy services to a greater patient population.