Dental Hygiene is an independent profession from dentistry and I don't see how their profession could attempt to regulate another profession? Does this mean dentists could regulate massage therapists, respiratory therapists, nurses?

Dental hygienists have two years plus pre-requisites, national and clinical boards to prepare prior to licensure.  Their studies are extensive and comprehensive focusing on prevention of dental and periodontal disease and treatment and management of periodontal (gum disease).  Patient education, oral cancer screening, detecting high blood pressure, recognizing systemic diseases through medical and oral screeings are a major part of their services.  Limiting dental hygienist services to patients with moderate to sever periodontal disease will inhibit the role of early disease detection in younger/healthier patients.  There are disease markers that hygienists are trained and educated to recognize that would be unavailbe to many patients if services are restricted. emergencies.  

The trends in the job market have changed over the years, but for almost 100 years the dental hygienist has been instrumental in saving teeth through consumer education and disease prevention.  Dentists that value and understand the role of a dental hygienist would be opposed to this recommendation.  

The public should be alerted to this proposal and if they knew the changes being proposed, they would be in an uproar.