Great Happenings: Oral Health Initiatives
NEWS
Metropolitan State University (St. Paul) is the site for America's first Master's of Science in Oral Health Practitioner, i.e. Advanced Dental Therapist, program. Contact Metropolitan State University, College of Nursing and Health Sciences for details: http://www.metrostate.edu/msweb/explore/cnhs/
Minnesota Passes Oral Health Practitioner Bill: Minnesota becomes the first state to educate licensed Dental Therapists and credentialed Advanced Dental Therapists. Retrieved on July 1, 2009 from http://www.mndental.org/client_files/documents/OHP_Articles/OHP_Biomedicine_5-18-09.pdf
DEGREE COMPLETION PROGRAMS
Metropolitan State University has also partnered with Normandale Community College to offer two dental hygiene degree completion programs with emphasis on Collaborative and Advanced Dental Hygiene Practice: the Baccalaureate Degree Completion in Dental Hygiene (BSDH) and Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Collaborative and Advanced Dental Hygiene Practice. Note that all Post-Baccalaureate Certificate applicants must have previously completed a baccalaureate/bachelors degree program. http://www.metrostate.edu/msweb/explore/cnhs/
WHAT IS COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE?
A Practical Definition of Collaborative Practice:
[Dentist-dental hygienist] collaborative practice is different from and greater than [dentist-dental hygienist] collaboration. Collaboration is a single, temporal event that can occur intermittently in the day to day practice of health care. Conversly, [dentist-dental hygienist] collaborative practice is a dynamic process, a commitment to interact on a professional level, that empowers the participants to blend their talent, to achieve a goal that neither can do alone.
Source: Thomson, D.J. 1995. Physician's perceptions of nurse-physician collaborative practice. Florida Atlantic University. Retrieved on June 1, 2007 from Retrieved on August 1, 2008 from: http://digitalcommons.fau.edu/dissertations/AAI1361619/<?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O />
An Academic Definition of Collaborative Practice:
The science of the prevention and treatment of oral disease through the provision of education, assessment, preventive, clinical, and other therapeutic services in a cooperative working relationship with a consulting dentist, but without general supervision...
Retrieved on August 1, 2008 from http://wps.prenhall.com/chet_nathe_dental_2/0,9128,1352887-content,00.html
MINNESOTA COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE
Minnesota's Collaborative Practice law was enacted in 2000, authorizing dental hygienists who have a written "collaborative agreement" with a dentist to provide complete dental hygiene scope of practice care under general supervision in settings other than a traditional dental office. The original statute was strengthened in 2003 and 2006 and has become an effective, productive contribution toward access to care for underserved populations.
Click here to access Minnesota Statute 150A.10, Limited Authorization for Dental Hygienists, 2009
HOW DO WE BEGIN?
Click here to access a list of SUGGESTIONS * to guide dialogue when establishing a Collaborative Agreement.
* Only a portion of the statements in this document are mandatory by statute or rule, but many statements support best practices.
COLLABORATIVE AGREEMENT SAMPLE TEMPLATE
In the State of Minnesota, there is not one standard Collaborative Agreement form that must be used. The document can be created in any style chosen by the dentist and dental hygienist who are entering into the Agreement. Minnesota does, however, require that all pertinent information identified in state Statute, Rules, and Regulations be addressed in the Agreement. Below you will find a template example that we have created and that you may use as a basis to get you started. Click here for the Minnesota Collaborative Agreement Template
This website is made possible by a generous grant from the Minnesota Community Foundation. Thank You!
Generous additional funding to maintain a quality website has been granted by Delta Dental of Minnesota. Thank You!
