Greetings Friends,

Can you believe we are already halfway through the month of March? I hope your year is off to a fabulous start. In February we celebrated National Children's Dental Health month, in this issue we are thrilled to highlight some of the outreach efforts our members were involved in. I attended the Dental Hygiene Education Fair presented by the Students of the American Dental Hygienists Association (SADHA) of NHTI. I witnessed the excitement and smiling faces of approximately 150 children as they learned about oral health at the Boy and Girls Club. As children made their way around the oral health stations located on the perimeter of the auditorium, they were greeted by dental hygiene students (some even in costume). After each activity they children were given a dental health related item to take home in their "loot bag". I was also very impressed with the level of professionalism the dental hygiene students displayed. This marked the 9 ^th year of the fair, it began as an idea of Professor Rachel Leo-Flagg, a SADHA advisor, who continues to organize the event each year. It is just one example of NHTI's commitment to community outreach. Please remember to send in pictures and information about efforts you have participated in so that we may publish in future newsletters.

I want to welcome all of our new members who have joined over the past year. As well as thanking all of long time members, your confidence in our ability to represent you is recognized and valued. Please know that NHDHA does not take the investment you have made in your profession lightly. We are diligently working to advance the profession of dental hygiene. You are professionally represented and your voice is heard within collaborating organizations in the greater dental community, including the New Hampshire Oral Health Coalition, The New Hampshire Board of Dental Examiners, NHTI Dental Advisory board and the Dental Hygienist's Committee.

I have had the opportunity to attend the past two monthly meetings of the Dental Hygienist' committee and the Board of Dental examiners. Not only was it very interesting and informative, I left with such admiration for my colleagues commitment to the profession. The amount of time, effort and dedication these board members demonstrate is amazing. The meetings are open to all and I encourage you to attend, they are held the first Monday of each month. The Dental Hygienists' Committee meets at 1:30 pm and the Board of Dental Examiners at 3:00pm. Both are held at the board's administrative office I the Pillsbury building, at 121 South Fruit Street Concord.

Have you had a chance to visit the new updated ADHA website? I recently lost track of time as I explored all the pertinent useful information it contains. I challenge you to check it out yourself and see if you don't walk away learning something new. http://www.adha.org

In addition to organizing a year packed with high quality, relevant CE's, your Board of Trustees is preparing for Annual session. This year you will be represented by two delegates and two alternate delegates, who will vote on bylaws and policy that affect YOU! Please share with us your thoughts so that we may convey them on a National level. We would love to have you join us June 20-25 in Columbus, Ohio.

Be well,

Pam

"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." - Helen Keller