Dear Board Members:

I am writing to voice my strong opinion against the proposed regulation [18 VAC 60-21] that will remove restrictions on specialty advertising. The current Virginia regulation requires that those who advertise as “specialists” must have successfully completed a post-doctoral advanced dental education program of at least two full-time years in a program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). A CODA accreditation standard assures Virginia citizens that an individual who truthfully holds himself or herself out as a specialist has met high standards for education and training.  The public is best protected when they know their practitioner's qualifications. With the removal of the specialty advertising, Virginia citizens will not be able to make the best decision about their health care as it will obscure important distinctions between dental professionals as far as their respective educational and training backgrounds. The mission of the Virginia Dental Board is to protect the public, and therefore, I am strongly opposed to the removal of the specialty advertising rule.