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In these unprecedented times, it is vitally important for people to know how to prevent infections that can lead to sepsis and recognize the signs and symptoms of sepsis.  We as dental assistants need to educate our patients as to what can happen, the signs and symptoms, and prevention.
 

Sepsis occurs when chemicals are released in the bloodstream to fight an infection trigger inflammation throughout the body. This can cause a cascade of changes that damage multiple organ systems, leading them to fail, sometimes even resulting in death.
 

Infections can develop anywhere in the mouth – in the gum tissue, lips, palate, cheeks and tongue or within and below the teeth.  Paying attention to dental health is important in preventing dental infections.  A dental infection within or below a tooth can be caused by tooth decay or a broken tooth that causes the pulp to become infected. The pulp is the part of the tooth that contains blood vessels, connective tissue and large nerves.  When an infection occurs, bacteria can move out of the tooth to the bone or tissue below, forming a dental abscess. A dental infection can lead to sepsis.  Without proper treatment, tooth infections can spread to other areas of the body, and this can lead to serious and potentially life threatening complications.  
 

In most cases, tooth infections are easily treatable. However, a person who delays treatment is at risk of developing the following complications:

• Osteomyelitis:  An infection of the bone surrounding the tooth.

• Cavernous sinus thrombosis:  An infection of the blood vessels within the sinuses

• Cellulitis:  An infection of the skin and at directly beneath the skin

• Parapharyngeal abscess:  An abscess at the back of the mouth

• Sepsis:  A serious medical condition in which the immune system severely overreacts to an infection in the blood.

 

Without treatment, a tooth infection can spread to the face and neck.  Severe infections may even reach more distant parts of the body, affecting multiple tissues and systems throughout the body.  
 

It is rare for a tooth infection to spread to other pats of the body.  However, if this does happen, the consequences can be severe.  The following symptoms could indicate that a tooth infection has spread to another part of the body.  If a tooth infection is suspected time is of the essence in seeking medical treatment.

 

References:

• www.cdc.gov/sepsis

• www.medicalnewstoday.com

• www.sepsis.org/sepsisand/dental-health 

• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
        

Kym was an excellent student in the Dental Assistant Program at Linn-Benton Community College and upon graduation from LBCC, she chose to serve the Oregon Dental Assistants Association in several capacities:  

• Student Involvement committee
• Military committee
• Office of Secretary
• Office of Treasurer
• Served as a Conference Hostess numerous times at the Oregon Dental Conference
• A Delegate to the American Dental Assistant Association Annual Conference 4 times
• One of the winners from the Dale Foundation in San Antonio  

More information about Kym is below. She is now going on to serve our country. 

Thank you Kym!

(Kym is on the right)

Kimberly Goodell enlisted into the Regular Army the summer between her junior and senior year July 24th 1983.  She was in the Delayed Entry program and had to go to the Reserve Drill Sergeants in Corvallis every month for a year to be checked in to make sure she was fit and to be trained for basic training.  She enlisted two people and went into basic training as an E2.

 

Kimberly graduated in the top 10 of her class and was given an Army ring from her commander at graduation.  She went home on leave and then went to Fort Gordon for Advanced Individual Training (AIT) to learn Radio Teletype as her Military Occupational Skill (MOS).  Here things did not go as planned and Kimberly was sent to the Inactive Ready Reserve (IRR). 
 

In August of 1988, Kimberly enlisted into the 313th MASH.  In September of 1988, she went to Fort Sam Houston to become a Patient Administration Specialist.  The 313th MASH went to Korea in March of 1989. 

 

In December of 1990, the 313th MASH was deployed with the 45th Station Hospital for Desert Storm.  She was given a Scroll of Appreciation from the 7th Medical Command in Bremerhaven Germany. 

 

Kimberly married John Goodell in 1994.  They have a, his, mine and ours family.  They have four children and five grandchildren.

 

She was downsized out of the Army in 1996.

 

She went to Dental Assisting School in 2004 at Linn Benton Community College in Albany, Oregon.

 

In 2008, she reenlisted into the National Guard in the Civilian Acquired Skills program into MEDCOM with the help of Lieutenant Colonel Little.

 

Since then she has completed all necessary schools as a Noncommissioned officer and has received the following awards: 

Army Superior Unit Award, Navy Meritorious Commendation, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with one Bronze Leaf, Army Achievement Medal with two Bronze Leafs, National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Army NCO Professional Development Ribbon with Numeral2, Army Service Ribbon, Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon, Army Overseas Service Ribbon, Oregon National Guard Superior Soldier Ribbon, Oregon Emergency Service Award, Oregon Superior Solider Award, Oregon Faithful Service Award with Bronze Hour Glass,M device and a star. 

 

Kimberly just received her Associates Degree in Health Sciences this year from Purdue University and became a member of the Salute Honor Society and the Society for Collegiate Leadership & Achievement.

Congratulations to Ginny Jorgensen and Bonnie Marshall, who have been certified by the Dental Assisting National Board for 35 years!

Both of these assistants have not only renewed their certification with at least 12 hours of continuing education every year, but have been active members and served as officers of the Oregon Dental Assistants Association as well as Test Construction Committee members for DANB, plus other numerous activities.

Ginny and Bonnie have taught dental assisting courses through Portland Community College, the Oregon Dental Conference, and other locations throughout the state, helping dental assistants excel in their profession.  
 

If you have been taught by either or both, take a second to drop a note and share a thought or adventure with all of us.  

35 years is a milestone and we are very happy and proud to have been a part of their time with ODAA.  If you would like to share a dental assistant story about yourself or another dental assistant, please reply.  You are important and so are your thoughts and stories.  

AND NOW, LET’S HEAR FROM THEM ~       

Bonnie Marshall, CDA, EFDA, EFODA, MADAA, BA

36 years ago, Portland Community College introduced me to many educational experiences as a dental assisting student.  The program prepared me to become a Certified Dental Assistant.  Several students decided not to take the, (then six hour) exam but for myself, there was no better choice. Besides I was encouraged by four amazing mentors Dee Berland, Nancy Deimling, Karen Waide and Dr. Robertson.

From the beginning, my goals were lofty and I knew that being a Certified Dental Assistant would open many more doors.  As a single mom of three, I had to strive for the best, work hard and hold that important certification.

Upon graduation, I was able to acquire a wonderful job at OHSU.  I helped start a program for patients to get dental care for less through the “Dental Practice Program”. Working alongside highly recognized dentists and educators, such as Dr. Cantwell and Dr. Peterson, I was inspired to stay focused on my goals of higher education.

Only five years later and many stepping stone, including obtaining a AAS in Education,  teaching at Apollo College and working at Kaiser, I was able to realize my dream of teaching in the PCC Dental Assisting program.
 

I feel very strongly that achieving and maintaining a CDA shows yourself and others a strong desire to be the best.  To maintain a CDA, a person must complete 12 credit hours of continuing education yearly.  By obtaining additional education, a dental assistant continues to improve his/her mind and skills, therefore making a difference on the job.  Your employment may not require that you hold a CDA or maintain membership in your professional association...ADAA, but the desire must come from within yourself. 

For me, the last 35 plus years have been an important part of my life, and I am proud to say that I have made a difference in peoples lives. I would not change a thing and will continue to teach when asked, and continue to serve as an active member of the ADAA when I can. 

Thanks to DANB for the beautiful pen and pencil set.

Ginny Jorgensen, CDA, EFDA, EFODA, AAS           

Ginny began her dental assisting career as an orthodontic and general chairside assistant. She was employed for 6 years as a Dental Training Specialist for Kaiser Permanente Dental Program and graduated from Portland Community College with an Associate Degree in Professional Technical Education.  Ginny was hired as a full-time clinical dental assisting instructor at Portland Community College from 1998 to 2014. She currently teaches online courses for the PCC Integrated Community Dental Assisting Program through the Health Professionals Institute at the CLIMB Center.

Ginny is the owner of Smith & Jorgensen Dental Consulting, a company that provides current infection control, audits, and compliance training for dental professionals. Ginny’s main goal is to provide “Best Practice” infection prevention/control trends and how to implement these trends into an efficient, safe working environment for dental professionals and their patients. 

Ginny is a past president of the Dental Auxiliary Learning Education (DALE) Foundation and serves on the national Infection Control Certificate Certification Steering Commission (ICCCSC) for the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) and the Organization for Safety & Asepsis Procedures (OSAP).

Directions: Match the names in Column II by placing the correct letter adjacent to the corresponding number in Column I. The first person to send the correct answers to Office@OregonDentalAssistants.com will win the keychain.

Let’s hear what they have to say regarding this past year of education...

Central Oregon Community College

By McKenzie Scott

"The dental assisting program was a lot different than I was expecting due to COVID-19. I was expecting a lot of on campus and in person work, but that all changed when COVID hit. I fortunately went into the program a few months after COVID had initially hit, so the professors were able to figure out how to make our program run smoothly with the new guidelines.

Most of our classes in the first term were all online except for one lab. Some being only online (self-lead) and others in a remote setting (Zoom videos). It was a big change at first. After getting more comfortable with the new set-up, a lot of my fellow students and I began to really enjoy the change. Having all classes that can be online made the program far more accessible to more students. Most of us work, some are parents, and others live far away. Having these classes online made it easier for all of us to attend school with our own schedules.

The in-person class that we did have was once a week and consisted of half of the students one day and the other half another day. We were required to wear masks and practice the 6-foot social distancing, (which is easy, since we have operatories). I felt that I got a better education having the smaller and more physically spread-out workspaces, because I was able to focus on my work and get one on one help when I needed it.

Although we were in class for labs, our school specifically did not allow us to open our clinic. However, one of our professors was able to get us into an office during the middle of the second term, which was a great experience. If the program remained the way it is now, I would certainly encourage more students to go into the program. I would like to see a few of our online classes to include a Zoom meeting or be in person, but other than that I think it was better than the original setup."

Chemeketa Community College:

By Marisa Wilson

"Once I received the notification that I was accepted into Chemeketa’s Dental Assisting Program, I cried. I have always wanted to be in the dental field and it was finally happening for me! Then the fear set in of 'how am I supposed to do this with COVID-19 running ramped in our community?'

At the time, I still had high hopes because I know that I wouldn’t have been accepted into this program if it was completely virtual. I went into this program with an open mind and was willing to take on whatever was thrown at me, especially during this pandemic. Thankfully, Chemeketa has approved this program to be semi-on campus when most other programs are completely virtual.

Virtual learning throughout this program has been very tough for me as a hands-on learner. I generally don’t do the best on tests and exams and I have had to put the pieces from my readings together whenever I have the chance to be hands-on in the clinic, which has been the hardest battle that I’ve faced.

My greatest fear to this day is that due to this pandemic, the students will not be prepared for our national board exams that are coming up this June. With that said, all the instructors in this program have truly done their part to give us all the information, resources, guidance, and understanding to their students and I am eternally grateful for them. They know and understand how we are feeling and that we aren’t getting the full experience of this program as we should.

Although this has been a crazy year, especially in a hands-on learning environment that has been forced to go semi-virtual, I am confident that all of the dental assisting team is doing their best with the cards that we were dealt."

The Oregon Dental Conference has come, but it is not gone!

The Oregon Dental Conference (ODC) was 2 ½ days of continuing education and a chance to visit the Solutions Marketplace.  The ODAA/DANB and DALE FOUNDATION were present, waiting and ready to greet you and we were available to answer your questions.  GUESS WHAT, we are still there!  If you were registered then the whole conference is open until May 15^th.  ODAA welcomes conversation as does DANB/DALE.  

Membership information is available and Linda Kihs, ODAA’s President would be happy to help you.  If you have any questions regarding certifications for Oregon, and/or study materials for DANB exams, Jennifer Price welcomes your inquiries.

As reported by:  Mary Harrison,  CDA, EFDA, EFODA, FADAA

Vice President

MONTHLY CHALLENGE QUESTION:

How many words can you unscramble from

"OREGON DENTAL CONFERENCE"?

(Tip: Katie Gander, Presidential Aid, came up with 24!)

Highlights:

• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), requires employers subject to its recordkeeping requirements, to post copies of their OSHA Form 300A, also known as the “Summary of Work-related Injuries & Illnesses” between February 1 and April 30 each year, using data from the previous calendar year.

• As a reminder, OSHA’s recordkeeping requirement does not apply to employers with 10 or fewer employees, or to employers that are in a partially exempt industry.

• The form must be displayed in a conspicuous place or places where notices to employees are customarily posted.  Until April 30th, these employers must also ensure that their Form 300A posting remain in place and are not altered, defaced or covered by other material.

• Due to the fact that many employees are working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, OSHA will not require employers to display the OSHA 300A form in establishments that are completely empty.  However, employers will need to comply with the posting requirement if employees return to the establishment before May 1, 2021.

• Retain OSHA 300 log for five years following the calendar year to which it relates.

• If no cases are recorded during a reporting period, a summary must still be posted.  Zeroes should be entered into all spaces provided on Form 300A.

The American Dental Association marks the anniversary of National Children’s Dental Health Month, that traces its history back 80 years by dentists in Ohio on February 3^rd 1941.  The first observance was held in 1949.  In 1955, the Association expanded it to a week and in 1981 to a month.  Today it is celebrated each February.  

This year’s theme is  

This is intended to encourage children to drink water instead of sugary beverages.  With its theme, celebrations include poster displays, coloring, essay contests, health fairs, free dental screenings, museum exhibits, classroom presentations and dental office tours.  Most events will be virtual but enthusiasm for the event remains.

Many leaders in the oval office have recognized children’s dental health:  President Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.  

Hopefully such observance each year, in more communities, will motivate more parents and adults to recognize the seriousness of dental disease in children and motivate a greater demand for more and better methods of preventing such disorders.  Information regarding the causes of dental caries: the harmful effects of sweets, the beneficial effects of fluoridation, early and regular dental care, proper home care, and diet.  

The Oregon Dental Assistants Association thought you might like to do something fun ~ 

The first one completed and correct, mailed to ODAA, PO Box 18305, Salem, OR  97305 or e-mailed to us will win a prize from ODAA.  Don’t forget to include your mailing address so we can mail you your prize.  The winner will be announced on our Facebook page.  

Just look for the Christmas Word Search Results post.

Happy Holidays to you and your family and blessings in the New Year ~

CLICK HERE to download a printable version of the word search. 

DECORATE	BELLS	ORNAMENTS	ELVES
DECEMBER	NUTCRACKER	NORTH POLE	FAMILY
CHIMNEY	TREE	CANDY CANE	CHRISTMAS
CELEBRATE	GIFTS	HOLIDAY	LIGHTS
SNOWMAN	GINGERBREAD	CAROLS	GREETINGS
SANATACLAUS	REINDEER	WINTER	SNOW

Giving Thanks for each of you, our members, and for the most-part, all are back to work again.  

Fall is such a pretty time of year and we do have so much to be thankful for in spite of all we have been going through these past few months.  

This month, I thought I would share with you, some of the history of Thanksgiving:

1621:  The first Thanksgiving

Pilgrims and Native Americans celebrated a harvest feast in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

1630:  New England Thanksgiving

Settlers observed the first Thanksgiving in the Massachusetts bay Colony in New England on July 8, 1630.

1789:  Give Thanks

President George Washington declared November 26, 1789, as a national day of “thanksgiving and prayer.”

1777:Chilly T-Day:

While in route to Valley Forge, George Washington and his army stopped in freezing weather to observe the first Thanksgiving of the new United States of America.

1863:Federal holiday

President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving an official federal holiday.

1876:College football

The first intercollegiate football championship was held on Thanksgiving Day.

1924:First parade

Macy’s held its first Thanksgiving Day parade.

1934:NFL football

The first National Football League game held on Thanksgiving Day was between the Detroit Lions who faced the Chicago Bears at the University of Detroit Stadium.  

1941:Set a date

President Roosevelt established the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day.

1947:Presidential pardon

President Harry Truman “pardoned” a turkey the day before it was scheduled to be served up as the main course at the White House Thanksgiving dinner.  Modern presidents have carried on the tradition.

Wishing you health and happiness during this season and always…………………..