Our Right to Serve

September 6, 2019 The American Dental Association and its state attributes need to partnership with denturists and other allied dental healthcare professionals, freeing up the professions in governing themselves and providing the services they’ve been trained and educated to provide. ADA and its state associated dental boards work and focus on their own self-interests, obstructing the missions and visions of allied dental healthcare professionals and their right to exist as independents and/or associated board members within state dental practice acts. The American Dental Association needs to govern and educate its members along with submitting research and education to allied dental healthcare professionals, giving the professions opportunity in working toward community public health service. The aging population along with limited oral healthcare in convalescent and eldercare facilities gives the denturist profession opportunities to serve, offering aging community’s better oral healthcare and quality of life. As trained and educated denturists, our rights are being violated as they have been for over five decades by the American Dental Association and its state attributes. As a profession, we have the right to be recognized and to serve without being suppressed by the ADA. Gary W. Vollan L.D.

The Right to Practice My Profession

Memo To: Representative Winter From: Gary W. Vollan L.D. 307-202-2636 P.O. Box 332, Basin, Wyoming 82410 cc: vollan@tctwest.net Date: January 12, 2019 Re: Denturists Right to Practice Representative Winter, please consider my plight. I have been educated and trained in the practice as a licensed Oregon denturist with a pathology endorsement. This training and education includes; · Four years in the U.S. Navy’s Class A Dental Program as a Vietnam Vet. · Two year Seattle Central Community College, Dental Lab Program. · Associates Degree from the Oregon Denturist College Program. · Associates Degree from George Brown College (Toronto, Canada) Denturist Program. · University of Wyoming Bachelor’s Degree. · Yearly required continuing education for the Oregon denturist license. I’m requesting your representation in submitting a house bill amending 33-15-101, to regulate and recognize qualified denturists and their right to practice. I feel this would be appropriate after four to five failed attempts by Wyoming legislators to gain independent practice for denturists. · My independent denturist practice was closed by order of state district court. · My request through the Wyoming State Supreme Court to continue to practice my profession was rejected. · My current 11 year employment, providing oral removable appliances with Dr’s Nelson, Page, Gilman, and Basse in Worland, Wyoming; due to limited needs of oral prostheses for the area population and I ventured out of the competitive area to other dental offices in Cody, Powell and Lovell for the past three years, being told by a dentist they didn’t want to hire me because they didn’t want to deal with the Board of Dental Examiners. Since the Wyoming Board of Dental Examiners (as outlined in the ADA, American Dental Association’s Rules) has the state given power to keep me from practicing in what I’ve been trained and educated to do; like the dental hygienist profession, I feel the denturist profession has the same right to be included in the rules and regulations of the Wyoming Dental Practice Act, 33-15-101, giving dentists the right to hire qualified denturists without being intimidated by or in violation of the Dental Practice Act 33-15-101 and/or action by the Wyoming Board of Dental Examiners, as my current employer had to deal with after hiring me. It would also open Wyoming for other qualified denturists to practice with dentists.

Denturist Profession No Harm to the Public

The Maine Society of Denturists states that there would be no harm to the public if denturists’ scope of practice is expanded. They note that denturists in Maine must graduate from accredited denturist programs that teach all aspects of dental prosthetics, including partial dentures and dentures over implants. 3.1.1 The denturists emphasize that they work only within healthy mouths; and they are sufficiently trained and educated to be able to identify healthy mouths. Educational programs train denturists to recognize abnormalities through course work in oral pathology, biology, microbiology and histology. Patients with abnormalities in the mouth are referred to the appropriate qualified practitioner for treatment. Denturists offer two supporting arguments as evidence of their ability to safely serve the public. 3.1.2 First, denturists in Canada, Australia and some European countries have practiced under the wider scope of practice being sought in Maine; and there is no evidence that the provision by denturists of partial dentures or dentures over implants in these countries has endangered the public health, safety or welfare. The United Kingdom Clinical Dental Technicians Association asserts in its sunrise review submission that there are four key guidelines for the safe practice of denturism: adequate training; working within a defined scope of practice; strong ethical guidance; and mandatory continuing professional development. As long as these standards exist, an increased scope of practice poses no danger to patients. 3.1.3 Second, the denturist associations repeatedly stated that, to their knowledge, no denturist in any country has ever been found liable for malpractice. Denturists, they claim, pay significantly lower liability insurance premiums, even in jurisdictions that allow denturists to provide partial dentures and dentures over implants. Reference: Report Of the Commissioner of Professional and Financial Regulation To the Joint Standing Committee on Business, Research and Economic Development Sunrise Review of the Expanded Scope of Practice for Maine Denturists Submitted Pursuant to P.L. 2004 Ch. 669 December 1, 2005 John Elias Baldacci Christine A. Bruenn Governor Commissioner https://www.maine.gov/pfr/legislative/documents/denturists.doc Denturist Profession No Harm to the Public Current Regulation and Practice Washington denturist licensing requirements include: • Graduation from a formal, board-approved program of not less than two years in duration; • Successful completion of a written and clinical examination approved by the board; • Completion of seven clock hours of AIDS education. Applicants can also qualify if they are licensed in another state or territory of the United States with substantially equivalent licensing standards, including a written and clinical examination. There is an option for military trained applicants as well. Denturists in Washington are authorized to make, place, construct, alter, reproduce, and repair dentures for the public. This includes taking impressions. They are required to examine the patient’s oral cavity prior to making and fitting a denture. The denturist must refer the patient to a dentist or physician if he or she sees anything during the examination that gives him or her reasonable cause to believe an abnormality or disease process exists. Reference: Information Summary and Recommendations Denturist Scope of Practice Sunrise Review December 2012 [Washington State] http://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/2000/Denturist.pdf

American Dental Associations Partnership with Denturists and Other Allied Dental Healthcare Professionals for Better Public Health Services

The 2000 Surgeon’s General Report on oral health has been “about” the Wyoming State Denturist Associations website http://www.wyomingstatedenturistassociation.org/about.html from the start. The presentation’s, Enhance Oral Health Workforce Capacity, applies to 2020, and 2030 Oral Health needs and disparities of America. Enhance Oral Health Workforce Capacity The lack of progress in supplying dental health professional shortage areas with needed professional personnel underscores the need for attention to the distribution of care providers, as well as the overall capacity of the collective workforce to meet the anticipated demand for oral health care as public understanding of its importance increases. To effect change in oral health workforce capacity, more training and recruitment efforts are needed. The lack of personnel with oral health expertise at all levels in public health programs remains a serious problem, as does the projected unmet oral health faculty and researcher needs. The movement of some states towards more flexible laws, including licensing experienced dentists by credentials, is a positive one and today, 42 states currently permit this activity. The goal of moving society toward optimal use of its health professionals is especially important at a time when people have become increasingly mobile, moving from town to city and state to state, and when projected oral health workforce shortages are already evident in many rural locales. State practice act changes that would permit, for example, alternative models of delivery of needed care for underserved populations, such as low-income children or institutionalized persons, would allow a more flexible and efficient workforce. Further, all health care professionals, whether trained at privately or publicly supported medical, dental, or allied health professional schools, need to be enlisted in local efforts to eliminate health disparities in America. These activities could include participating in state-funded programs for reducing disparities, part-time service in community clinics or in health care shortage areas, assisting in community-based surveillance and health assessment activities, participating in school-based disease prevention efforts, and volunteering in health-promotion and disease-prevention efforts such as tobacco cessation programs. Whether individuals are moved to act as volunteers in a community program, as members of a health voluntary or patient advocacy organization, employees in a private or public health agency, or health professionals at any level of research, education, or practice, the essential first step is to conduct a needs assessment and develop an oral health plan. Because the concept of integrating oral health with general health is intrinsic to the goals of this Call to Action, oral health plans should be developed with the intent of incorporating them into existing general health plans. Denturist means a person who is licensed to render removable oral prostheses services, education, and dental services, as well as other expanded duties required in the practice of a denturist’s duties. Denturitry means a denturist who, makes, provides, repairs or alters removable oral prosthetic appliances and other removable artificial devices which are inserted into the human mouth or which come into contact with the human mouth and its adjacent tissues and structures; The American Dental Association members (dentists), need to utilize valuable chair-time to focus on preventive and restorative responsibilities for children and young adults, regarding the epidemic of cavities and periodontal disease. The denturist profession provides more affordable, proper fitting, and functioning, oral prostheses, reducing the number of fully or partially edentulous people, along with reducing rates of obesity, depression, and ill-health. The aging population; along with limited oral healthcare in convalescent and eldercare facilities gives denturists opportunities to serve, offering aging communities better oral health and quality of life. The denturist profession is regulated across Canada and six U.S. states being Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Arizona and Maine. There is proposed legislation in a number of other states to regulate the denturist profession. The American Dental Association needs to govern and educate their members (dentists), along with submitting research and education to allied dental healthcare professionals, giving the professions opportunity in governing themselves, and working toward community public health. ADA and its state associated dental boards and organizations work and focus on their own self-interests, obstructing the missions and visions of allied dental healthcare professionals and their right to exist as independents and/or associated board members within the state dental practice acts. Gary W. Vollan L.D. P.O. Box 332, Basin, Wyoming 82410 307-202-2636 vollan@tctwest.net Italic Print Reference: U S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Oral Health in America: A National Call to Action to Promote Oral Health, A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, 2000. Denturist Associations and Boards http://www.wyomingstatedenturistassociation.org Wyoming State https://www.oregondenturist.org Oregon https://wadenturist.com/ Washington State https://ibol.idaho.gov/IBOL/BoardPage.aspx?Bureau=DEN Idaho Denturitry Board https://dentalboard.az.gov/directory Arizona https://www.mainelda.com/ Maine https://nationaldenturist.com/ USA http://www.denturist.org/ Canada https://international-denturists.org https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/news-events/nidcr-news/surgeon-general-commissions-report-oral-health Denturist Education Programs https://batestech.edu/programs/denturist/ Oregon Bates Technical College https://americandenturistschool.com/ American Denturist School https://www.georgebrown.ca/S101-2012-2013/ George Brown Denturist Program

Open Letter to Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)

"In addition to comment on this proposed standards document, the Task Force on Development of Accreditation Standards for Dental Therapy Education Programs and Commission are seeking feedback related to the program track for dental therapy education. The proposed standards are presented as an independent dental therapy track not related to prior dental hygiene education, though advanced standing is permissible."(1) "The Task Force and Commission will accept comment on the proposed track as presented in this document. Specifically, is the non-dental hygiene track appropriate or should the proposed dental therapy education standards be modified to support a dental hygiene track? Written comments on this question will be accepted until December 1, 2013. Appendix VI Proposed Accreditation Standards for Dental Therapy Education CODA Winter 2013"(1) To: Dr. Sherin Tooks, 19th Floor Director, Commission on Dental Accreditation 211 East Chicago Avenue Chicago, IL 60611 Dr. Sherin Tooks, "Feedback related to the program track for dental therapy education. Specifically, is the non-dental hygiene track appropriate or should the proposed dental therapy education standards be modified to support a dental hygiene track?" (1) Yes, the non-dental hygiene track is important and appropriate. There should also be a dental hygiene track with expanded duties but not to the extent of burdening the hygiene profession; displacing the hygiene profession from public health responsibilities and the time needed for preventive education corresponding with early childhood education. Dental hygienists should be trained for public health emergencies, working side by side with public health nurses. Both tracks are important for meeting the oral healthcare needs of our nation. I served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War as a “Class A School” Dental Technician with duties and responsibilities as a chairside technician, dental hygienist, and lab technician. I was stationed with the Marines, at Parris Island, S.C. recruit depot. We had extended duties (depending on which dentist you worked with) that included simple extractions, suturing and removal, carving amalgams, giving injections, along with many others duties which would include helping the medical corpsmen with surgeries and procedures at other duty stations. "The dental therapist is a member of the oral healthcare team, who is supervised by a licensed dentist that is responsible for diagnosis, risk assessment, prognosis, and treatment planning for the patient."(1) The dental therapist concept has been a military concept and working model in branches of the U.S. military, providing oral health services to large numbers of recruits and military personnel (patients), especially when there were fewer dentists. The proposed DT accreditation standards for education look good. Thank you for your request of service. Gary W. Vollan L.D., vollan@tctwest.net 307-568-2047 State Coordinator, Wyoming State Denturist Association www.wysda.org https://twitter.com/denturist2th (1) http://www.ada.org/sections/educationAndCareers/pdfs/proposed_dental_therapy.pdf

Progressive and Innovative Dental Workforce Models: Ready to Serve America's Oral Healthcare Needs

The needed action of progressive and innovative dental workforce models includes denturists, dental therapists, dental health aide therapists, and independent practices and boards for dental hygienists for better public health service. Open the flood gates of oral healthcare providers for all Americans across our nation, through more affordable and alternative delivery methods and models. What about something as simple as regulating the denturist profession nationally. Most denturists are educated in oral healthcare, providing more affordable and quality oral prostheses care and referral services. Denturists, free-up dental chairtime for children, emergencies, and restorative procedures, providing full and partial denture services directly to those who are edentulous. Denturists are regulated in six states which include Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, and Maine. In all but Arizona denturists operate independently. In Wyoming, an unregulated state, I work with four dentists in one office providing most of the removable prosthesis procedures. I’m a graduate of two denturist programs and a licensed Oregon denturist. It works. I continue to advocate for recognition and independence as a regulated, Wyoming licensed denturist. Gary W. Vollan L.D. State Coordinator, Wyoming State Denturist Association, www.wysda.org https://twitter.com/denturist2th

Corporate Abuse by Super Pac ADA: Freedom of Choice?

Corporate abuse by Super Pac ADA: suppressing and keeping competition away, working against ADA’s own nonprofit vision and mission statement. The American Dental Association and its state dental constituents have too much federal and state lobbying power over our right to make our own oral healthcare choices. ADA lobbyist, limit transparency by federal and state government agencies; encouraging the agencies from recognizing and reporting statistics regarding the denturist profession. Freedom of Choice You know people I'm really tired of the American Dental Association thinking it’s in control of our dental and oral healthcare choices. We need more choices. We don't need ADA and its state dental constituents, both state dental associations and state dental boards limiting our choices. Please consider this open letter to corporate ADA. Corporate ADA! WE THE PEOPLE can decide what is best in meeting our oral healthcare needs. WE want the freedom to decide. The American Dental Association and its state dental constituents need to stick to dental research and policing its own members. Quit taking our freedom of choice away. Your greed is hurting too many Americans. Quit persecuting qualified denturists. Denturists need the freedom to serve the people of our Nation in what we've been trained and educated to do; providing removable oral prostheses (denture) care directly to the public for better access and affordable care. Denturists are tired of corporate ADA shutting us down, putting us in jail, taking our equipment away because we are competitors. Americans need choices in providers for oral healthcare. We need midlevel providers such as denturists, dental health aide therapists, and dental therapists. We need the freedom to go directly to a dental hygienist for x-rays and cleanings without paying the high cost of dentists overhead. We need the freedom to have our teeth whitened at the mall, our home, or dental office. Let us decide what is best for ourselves. Let us make our own oral healthcare decisions regarding providers. Deciding to go to the dentist office is one choice. We need more choices. Gary W. Vollan L.D., vollan@tctwest.net 307-568-2047 State Coordinator, Wyoming State Denturist Association www.wysda.org https://twitter.com/denturist2th http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00000729