To Whom it may concern:

As a former dental assitant and current Dental Hygiene student, I am appauled at the possibility of assistant scaling!  Dental assistants are an important part of the dental auxillary and deserve recognition for the many, many tasks they already achieve on a daily basis.  The inclusion of scaling to their task list is a full out exploitation of the dental assistant as an employee.   The first thing we learn in the RDH program is not to think of ourselves as scaling technicians, but as Oral healthcare providers.  You may train the assistant to remove calculus, but will they be able to explain to the patient why they have calculus??? Or, that bacteria is living on that calculus??? Or modify the patients brushing method???  Or even explain the disease process of decay???  The point is, that it is not as simple as removing the calculus, they need more knowledge then what they have been given, they need to be ....A HYGIENIST!!!  This is a lame attempt to save money, while costing the patient their comprehensive care.  All in support of this should be considering the patient, not their pockets.