VISION
As licensed dental health professionals,
we are dedicated to providing quality oral healthcare and promoting
overall health.
MISSION
The mission of this Association
is in agreement with the ADHA is to advance the art and science
of dental hygiene by ensuring access to quality oral health
care, increasing awareness of the cost effective benefits of
prevention, promoting the highest standards of dental hygiene
education, licensure, practice and research, and representing
and promoting the interest of dental hygienists.
The Colorado Dental Hygienists'
Association adopted this design in 1967. It is the official
insignia of the Association and is unique in that it represents
Dentistry, Dental Hygiene, the State of Colorado, and the Colorado
Dental Hygienists' Association. The original design was
by a local commercial artist and appears on CDHA stationery, bylaws,
membership book, and in The Explorer's masthead.
The version you see here was colored for esthetic value when
added to the official web site of the Colorado Dental Hygienists’
Association in 1999.
The basic design is within a circle
representing the Greek letter "O" (Omicron) standing
for tooth. The name of the Association is printed beneath
the circle.
On the right side is the single
serpent of Aesculapius--the father of medicine. At the
top of the staff is a Columbine-the state flower of Colorado.
In the upper left hand corner are
the letters "dh" standing for Dental Hygiene.
In the lower left hand corner is a triangle representing the
Greek letter Delta--for dentistry. Within the triangle
are mountains depicting Colorado, and the date "1923"--the
year the Colorado Dental Hygienists' Association was formed.
No records of the meetings from
November of 1931 to January 1948 have been found. During
that time the Colorado School of Dental Surgery (and the Dental
Hygiene School) in Denver closed and World War II brought a
transient society, but a small group of hygienists (four or
five) continued to meet informally once a month.
By 1948, hygienists from other
states began to arrive in Colorado. Officers were elected,
minutes were kept, and membership grew.
DENTAL HYGIENE EDUCATION
IN COLORADO
Rangely College's (Colorado Northwestern
Community College) School of Dental Hygiene was established
in September of 1962, and graduated their first class in 1964,
forty-three years after the beginning of hygiene in Colorado.
The University of Colorado, School of Dentistry, was opened
in May of 1973 and once again Colorado had a School of Dental
Hygiene in Denver. Pueblo, Colorado was the next site
for a School of Dental Hygiene when the University of Southern
Colorado offered the course in 1976. The Community College
of Denver was the fourth site for establishing an A.A. Dental
Hygiene program on both the Auraria campus and utilizing the
Lowery Air Force Base dental clinic. The first class of
18 was admitted in the fall of 1996.
Linda Wilkinson
- Immediate Past President
A Looming Threat to Colorado Hygienists
Did you know you
could be a member of CDA and not know it?
READ OUR PAST PRESIDENTS' insight to the ALLIED DENTAL TEAM.
A Past President's Commentary:
What is the Allied Dental Team?
Over the past year I have received a number of requests from
dental hygienists trying to understand why they were being targeted
by the Colorado Dental Association to join their Allied Dental
Team. I think it is time I write to inform all CDHA members.
After all, you might not be aware of YOUR membership in the
group.
The recent resurgence of the Colorado Dental Association's Allied
Dental Team membership opportunity has sparked many questions
among dental hygienists. Basically the action is an attempt
by CDA to sign up dental hygienists as junior members of THEIR
professional organization. They "strive to provide a voice
and home for team members within the association". Clumped
in this Allied Dental Team group category are other dental entities,
such as dental assistants, lab technicians, and business / office
staff, although the other team members are not being targeted
the same way you are.
I am not sure if these other team members are being offered
monetary incentives to attend CDA's membership fact finding
focus groups. Why does CDA want dental hygienists in their association?
Why does CDA want to know why dental hygienists are not members
of their association?
I have not heard of these other team members receiving offers
for continuing education opportunities at a discounted rate
if they join immediately, or is it is just our profession.
I don't understand
how my employer, signing me up in his association can be an
employee benefit? If he will pay for my CDA membership,
does he want to pay for my CDHA membership as well???
I am not sure if these other team members are working on a professional
category that would include being able to provide basic dental
care.
Maybe it is a coincidence that the step up in the Allied Dental
Team recruitment came with ADHA's formation of the Advanced
Dental Hygiene Practitioner. There is just one thing you
need to understand about the Allied Dental Team it is NOT YOUR
TEAM or your organization. It does not speak for your
rights in the Colorado Dental Practice Act or advocate for your
voice in matters of dental hygiene education, licensure or practice.
You do not have a vote in your future with the CDA dental team.
I want to remind you, money talks! Membership Numbers
= $ money. $ Money = legislation.
Are you getting the hint? Yes, the team with the most
members wins the right to speak and could dictate to legislators
about FUTURE career opportunities for the dental and dental
hygiene professionals here in Colorado.
So my final word is this, join YOUR professional association.
Reap all the benefits of partnering with team co-workers, but
JOIN CDHA. The benefits of membership in the American
Dental Hygienists' Association out weigh membership in any other
group. The biggest benefit is a VOTE for your Present
and Future!
(Please forward to all CO hygienists that you know)
Linda Wilkinson, RDH
Immediate Past President
MISCELLANEOUS
1. CDHA communicate to dentists/CDA
Delegates our opposition to the proposed Associate/non-dentist
membership to CDA and further that CDHA start to educate member
and non-member hygienists about the proposed Associate/non-dentist
membership category to CDA. 8-90
2. The CDHA official chain of command
be the President, President Elect, Vice President, and the Immediate
Past President, in that order, and that any member requested
to act as a spokesperson consult the CDHA chain of command prior
to any recorded interview or any official presentation of a
policy nature. R-4-99
3. CDHA advocates the use of officially
licensed and legally purchased software as it relates to piracy.
R-5-99
