Welcome to TDHA Times - Check out what is on the horizon! | | |
Since our TDHA Annual Conference, the Board has been hard at work getting organized and engaged in several important initiatives. We have held virtual meetings, attended TSBDE meetings, celebrated dental hygiene graduations, hosted Student Nights, conducted an in-person Board of Directors meeting, and fulfilled our ADHA delegate duties.
As part of our leadership responsibilities, the Strategic Plan was reviewed and updated to ensure all efforts, resources, and actions remain aligned with achieving our goals and advancing our shared vision.
We have also been called to action by the Legislative Committee to support important legislation-House Bill 1803 (the Dental Compact Bill). We ask you to reach out to your Representative and advocate for this vital piece of legislation, which will positively impact the future of dental hygiene practice. Your voice matters and your advocacy is critical.
A heartfelt thank you to all of our incredible volunteers who dedicate their time, energy, and passion to our association. If you are not yet a TDHA member, I encourage you to consider joining, especially with the ease of the quarterly membership option now available. Membership is what gives TDHA a strong, fierce synergized voice to fight for our profession-from increasing our scope of practice to providing scholarship opportunities and advocacy at every level. We are the only entity solely dedicated to protecting and advancing YOUR career.
Our next in-person Board Meeting will be held in Waco on August 1, 2025. Stay tuned for upcoming details about Leadership Summit!
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your Trustee or to me directly if you would like more information or to get involved.
Thank you for being part of the movement to grow, protect, and advance dental hygiene in Texas!
Pamela Randolph, RDH, BS, MS
TDHA President
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WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE CAPITOL
TDHA continues to advocate down at the Capitol for House Bill (HB) 1803. Passage of this bill allows dentists and dental hygienists to work in multi-state practice under a dental compact agreement, rather than obtaining individual licenses in every state. HB 1803 is authored by the Association of Dental Support Organizations (ADSO), and TDHA is actively supporting it.
A dental compact is a legally binding agreement. When a licensee is practicing under a compact, they must abide by all Texas laws, rules and regulations. They are still regulated by the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners (TSBDE). TSBDE preserves the authority to control and enforce its scope of practice, which maintains the highest educational and practice standards that are currently in place to protect the public.
Each dental practitioner is required to hold an active, unencumbered license in one of the compact states, pass a FBI background check, pass a national board and clinical assessment exam, graduate from a Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) dental or dental hygiene program, complete state jurisprudence requirements, and show verification of licensure and/or completion of any required remote state certification before they are eligible to practice under an interstate dental compact agreement.
In Texas, the passage of HB 1803 will increase access to care and continuity of dental and dental hygiene services for patients. It facilitates practitioner mobility (especially during public health emergencies), supports relocating military families, helps address state workforce and economic needs, and expedite licensing processes by improving licensure portability.
Existing licensure compacts have been successful in reducing barriers for practitioner who wish to provide services in other participating states. National partners supporting HB 1803 include the American Dental Association, American Dental Hygienists’ Association, and other industry stakeholders.
For additional information,
https://compacts.csg.org/compact-updates/dentistry-and-dental-hygiene.
Sandy Tesch, RDH, MSHP
TDHA Legislative Director
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Join Today and get 35% OFF ADHA Membership
You’ve earned your RDH title-now it’s time to build your career! ADHA’s just-launched New Professional membership is designed for 2023 and 2024 grads, offering 35% off national, state, and local dues, plus all the networking, practice resources, and advocacy you need.
Your membership lasts through December 2025. Don’t miss out on this GREAT OpportUNITY!
️Become a member today: adha.org/join
If you have any questions please reach out to me (call or text).
Illiana Jo Farias-Martinez, RDH,BS
TDHA Membership Director
tdhamembership.dir@gmail.com
(956)655-9172
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SAVE THE DATE
February 27 – March 1, 2026
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Thank You for Attending our 2025 Annual Conference!
We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined us and helped make this
years 2024-2025 Annual Conference a great success! Your energy, insights, and collaboration
made it truly memorable. With an extraordinary keynote speaker, vibrant networking
opportunities, student involvement, and lively social gatherings, it made for a
memorable event!
Save the Date!
We’re already looking ahead and excited to announce next year’s conference will take
place February 27 – March 1, 2026 at the newly renovated Embassy Suites in San
Marcos.
Mark your calendars, we can’t wait to see you there!
Tri Chairs: Lynda Bean, Cathy Nobles, Connie Groves
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To View All Upcoming Events
TDHA has a created a Calendar for all components to add ALL upcoming events! To access the calendar use the link below!
LINK TO THE TDHA CALENDAR
| | | Oral Health Foundation (IOHF) | |
What is IOHF?
The Institute of Oral Health Foundation helps advance the dental hygiene profession by:
Impowering dental hygienists to improve the public’s health through community service grants.
Supporting advancements in the dental hygiene profession through research grants.
Developing dental hygienists’ access to educational programs through scholarships.
| | | What's Going on in Your Component | | Our President, Ariel Laporte visited Dallas College & Texas A&M to award the scholarship recipients! | | | |
TEXAS DHA LINKTREE
To view our social media accounts and quick access to upcoming information, visit and save our linktree for all future communications!
TEXAS DHA LINKTREE
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