A message from the President

Can you believe we are half way through the summer? Time is whizzing by. We have had a busy year so far and just in case you hadn’t heard, Vermont is the 4th state in the country to have had legislation passed for a mid-level dental provider – the Dental Therapist. Vermont is also the 18th state in the country to have the ability for a Licensed Dental Hygienist to have the opportunity to bill Medicaid directly. It was not just the executive board of the Vermont Dental Hygienists Association, it truly was YOU, the many dental hygienists across the state that were essential to helping make these changes happen!

We couldn’t have done it without the leadership from Sheila Bannister, RDH, M.Ed. and Ellen Grimes, RDH, MA, MPA, EdD that led the VDHA charge for the Dental Therapist legislation. It was Robin Miller, RDH, MPH that introduced and pushed for the dental hygienists to be recognized as treatment providers eligible for direct reimbursement through Vermont Medicaid. However, this was all made possible through the support of over 40 partner organizations. Both of these changes will expand the employment opportunities and future growth of the dental hygiene profession, while increasing access to care for the underserved populations within our state.