In this webinar you will:

• Describe emerging dental workforce models, including Oral Preventive Assistants (OPAs) and alternative licensure pathways for foreign-trained dentists, and explain their potential impact on dental hygiene practice.
• Identify legal and ethical responsibilities related to scope of practice, supervision, documentation, and accountability in multi-provider dental practice settings.
• Evaluate workplace policies and clinical scenarios to recognize potential risks involving patient safety, regulatory compliance, billing, and professional liability.
• Apply effective communication and risk management strategies to advocate for patient safety, maintain professional boundaries, and protect licensure in evolving practice environments.
• Develop practical approaches for assessing prospective employers, clarifying roles and responsibilities, and maintaining professional standards while adapting to changes in the dental workforce.
  
   

Speakers:

Tara L. Newcomb, RDH, MS, CBDH, is a dental hygiene educator with 19 years of experience in education and administration. She is an Associate Professor and University Professor. She has presented nationally and internationally and has contributed to peer-reviewed publications in leading dental hygiene and health sciences journals. Her research interests include biological dental hygiene, evidence-based practice, and integrating emerging scientific evidence into dental hygiene education and clinical practice. She was the 2026 recipient of an ADHA Research Grant recognizing her contributions to dental hygiene research and education. She is actively involved in professional service through the Virginia Dental Hygienists Association.

Brenda Bradshaw, BSDH, MS, RDH, is an Associate Professor and Chair in the Gene W. Hirschfeld School of Dental Hygiene at Old Dominion University.  Her research has focused on understanding how the dental hygiene profession can best support forensic odontology through transferrable knowledge and skills.  Her grant funded research has been published in top tier journals and presented at national and international conferences.  More recently, she has collaborated with engineers and computer scientists to develop biomedical innovations to enhance dental hygiene education through artificial intelligence and virtual reality.

Jessica Suedbeck, RDH, BSDH, MS, PhD(c), is an Associate Professor, Senior Clinic Coordinator, and Director of Clinical Education and Innovation in the Gene W. Hirschfeld School of Dental Hygiene at Old Dominion University (ODU). Her research focuses on workplace safety for the dental hygienist which encompasses occupational hazards such as ergonomic practices, hearing loss, burnout, and implicit bias.  Jessica uses a multi-disciplinary approach working interprofessionally with many professionals and has been published in several top tier journals, received many intramural and extramural grants for her research, and has presented both nationally and internationally on these critical topics.  

Can't attend live? The recording will be automatically available in your CE Smart Learning Center within 24 hours post-event. 1.0 CE can be earned after successful completion of a post-test.