I do not agree with DA scaling. I have worked in an office where the hygiene assistants did scale children ages 2-14 sometimes up to 16. They did do great jobs for the most part I must say. Then again at times they would call for a hygienist because they needed some assistance because they couldn't remove all of the calculus. Then I would go over there and there was nothing on the teeth! Or at another time there was just calc everywhere. The gums were usually a mess! I just always felt like we were giving substandard care! If the patients only knew. Although they were only children and they didn't really have any calc on their teeth they still had some issues that needed to be addressed and need some OHI and when parents had questions about things, they had no idea about some things! It was just frustating. I don't think that DA could be properly trained enough to give the standard of care to patients! And who is to say that this expanded function would not be abused..well this DA does a good enough job I think they can do this Perio type II patient... In order to be able to give complete treatment you have to do a complete exam, not just scaling! That's why we have RDH's!!! That's why we go to school for this! we don't just scale teeth just like dentist don't drill and fill! There is a lot more to it!

- A well educated RDH