I strongly oppose the expanding of the DA II's duties to include supragingival scaling.  I was a dental assistant before becoming a student in a dental hygiene program scheduled to graduate in May 2009.  I do not feel that even with a few classes or on-the-job training will a dental assistant have the knowledge or expertise to perform this task adequately.  Even if the supragingival calculus is removed, what happens to the subgingival that is being left behind?  Our main goal as dental professionals is to promote oral health for all individuals.  Allowing an unqualified person to perform hygiene duties is not beneficial to our patients and in the long run could lead to periodontal issues that may not have arisen if a dental hygienist had performed what he/she have been trained to do.