Dear Members of the Virginia Board of Dentistry,

I oppose any and all measures that would allow a dental assistant and/or the newly created Dental Assistant II to perform any scaling duties.

I have read many of the "for" and "against" postings on this subject.  Most of the "against" refer to the health and safety of the patient.  Most of the "for" refer to the convenience and manpower shortage.

As a registered dental hygienist of 27 years, I have put the health and safety of my patients above convenience  and time management.  I expect ALL healthcare professional to do the same. 

As for the "manpower shortage," some rural areas often offer contracts to local perspective healthcare professionals that pay for their education and insure they will return to the rural area to continue their career.  Other professions deal with manpower shortages by offering scholarships to defray the cost of education/loss of employment time.  Night classes are often offered to allow students to continue work while attending school, and condensed full-year curriculums that include the summer months are offered to allow earlier graduation. 

Please insure that the health and safety of the patient is the utmost goal.

Respectfully yours,

Patricia A.Kelly,  RDH, BSDH