The Official Website representing Maryland Dental Hygienists! Welcome to MyMDHA.com! The following web pages are provided by the Maryland Dental Hygienists' Association. It is available as a benefit of membership and as a professional resource to the Maryland dental hygiene community and our national and international dental hygiene visitors for up-to-date information. Please visit this new website often and look for continued updates!
May, 2010 Update: MDHA Survey Thank you to everyone who responded to the recent MDHA survey. We are in the process of analyzing the data. Some of you will be receiving a survey from the University of Maryland, School of Public Health. Dr. Alice Horowitz’s study concerns Dental Caries. I encourage you to complete this survey. She is also looking for hygienists to participate in focus groups, especially those who treat Medicaid patients. Local Anesthesia The Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners (MSBODE) has accepted the proposed rules and regulations pertaining to local anesthesia. We are now awaiting Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene, Secretary Colmers’, signature on these rules and regulation. The rules and regulations will be enacted on or about June 14, 2010. A board approved course must consist of 20 hours of didactic (classroom) learning and 8 hours of clinical lab = 28 total hours. This course can only be taught by a Maryland college or university with a Dental Hygiene Program accredited by CODA. To become certified, students must pass didactic and clinical examinations with a 75% or higher to earn credits. Students must also pass, with a 75% or higher, the Northeast Regional Board Examination’s (NERB) Local Anesthesia examination for Dental Hygienists. It is a prometric (computer) exam consisting of 50 multiple choice questions and does NOT include a clinical examination. Submission of CE credits and NERB results must then be sent to the Board with a $50 fee. The board will then qualify the applicant to administer local anesthesia by infiltration. Please note, qualified dental hygienists can administer local anesthesia: · only by infiltration; · only for dental hygiene procedures; and · only when a dentist is on the premises. Dental hygienists who have obtained certification for local anesthesia in another state, must provide written documentation, i.e., a notarized letter, to the MSBODE that they have: · administered at least 25 injections of local anesthesia in the last two years; and · passed, with a 75% or higher, the NERB Local Anesthesia for Dental Hygienists Examination. Dental Hygienists who have obtained certification in another state and have NOT been actively administering for the past 2 years must take a Local Anesthesia Certification course in Maryland. The first local anesthesia certification course will be given at the University of Maryland, July 13th to July 15th. Please visit this website often for updates concerning local anesthesia courses. Sincerely, Kathleen Mancino, RDH President MDHA
A Link to the ADHA Website: