MDTA Information and Guidelines 2006

MDTA membership entitles you to detailed information and guidelines on the topics below that are relevant to the Manitoba Technologist. Please contact the MDTA by letter or e-mail to request detailed information on the topics listed below. Please note that some of the topics are under revision or in a draft stage and will be be forwarded as requested when completed.

Health and Safety
  • Hepatitis and Aids ... how can you protect yourself in the lab?
  • Lab protocols for infection control
  • Safety & Personal Protection Equipment


The Privacy Act
  • What does it mean for the dental technologist?


Manitoba Employment Standards
  • What are my rights as an employee?
  • Wages in the Manitoba Dental laboratory industry


Contact: e-mail (info@mbdta.com)

MDTA NEWSLETTER SPRING 2006

The Manitoba Dental Technologists Association's new Executive Council for 2005 to 2007 is composed of the following members:  President, Alex Smith, Vice-President, Ken Jones, John Hoffman, Zoltan Olah and Jim Spencer. The Council can be contacted at info@mbdta.com or (204) 895-3789.

The three most pressing goals for this Council are to ensure continuing education is available to members; to increase the Association membership and to continue on with the pursuit of legislation for self-regulation. This Council is committed to maintaining continuity with the past and making progress for the future.


Listed below are some of the initiatives that this Council is pursuing currently and an outline of what we see as some of the benefits of having a Manitoba Dental Technologists Association.

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE

One important goal is to increase our membership to reflect the size and state of our laboratory profession in Manitoba. This can be done in several ways:  one being the reinstatement of those who held the designation of "RDT" in the past but who have allowed their membership to lapse, developing guidelines for those who want to gain the status of "RDT", and by involving other industry workers such as Associate members.

The criteria for obtaining the status of RDT will be outlined in an upcoming newsletter.

NOTE: the Manitobagovernment survey is due February 16, 2006.

DENTAL COMMUNITY AWARENESS

We are making the rest of the dental community aware that dental laboratory technologists are part of the dental team and that they are part of a national and international professional working body.  For example, the past Council has been in communication with the Manitoba Dental Society and has given them a paper, "Registered Dental Technologist-Manitoba" and from the new Council, Jim Spencer will be writing a column for Spectrum magazine to keep our colleagues in the other provinces up-to-date.

EDUCATION

We are part of the professional community because we keep up with industry trends and technology through magazines and continuing education. Our Continuing Education Course Calendar is current to April 12, 2006, and our new CE catalogue will be published early in 2006. A CE course summary sheet is enclosed with this newsletter. Use this sheet to keep track of your continuing education hours and send in a copy to the MDTA yearly.

RESOURCE

The MDTA is a resource for its members. To this end this Council will create various written protocols in a variety of areas that will be of value to our membership. These items can be sent to members upon request (and are copyright of MDTA). We will be looking at such areas of universal laboratory application as procedures for infection control, employment standards, WHMIS, etc.

FORUM

This organization can be a forum for members to share insights and techniques. We can provide space within our upcoming newsletters for those members who wish to share hints or to develop topics of discussion for our general meetings. Please share your ideas by e-mailing them to info@mbdta.com.

ADMINISTRATION

Help us keep in touch with you and help keep our administrative costs down.

If you have an e-mail address, please contact info@mbdta.com so that we can send newsletters, announcements, course reminders, etc. directly to you in the future.

AND FINALLY, please give us feedback on this newsletter or on any other related topic. This Council is made up of members and is for all members and needs to hear what all members of the dental laboratory technology profession feel are important to them and the industry. Don't wait for a general meeting; speak now, contact us now.

We look forward to your input.