Dear Board of Dentistry:  I am a recent graduate from an accredited Dental Hygiene program and I oppose DA II to treat a type I patient by scaling.  I have completed four years of college credit courses for my degree.  During my courses of study, I did not just learn how to remove debris; I was taught the importance of caring for the patient and their oral health.  I am very passionate about what I do for a living.  Dental Hygiene is not just another job; Dental Hygiene is a health professional that cares for his or her patient’s safety and their overall dental health.  Registered Dental Hygienists are trained to determine what treatment a patient needs to improve his or her oral health.  We are not only a health care provider with state licensure, but educators.

Working in a fast-pace environment such as the dental office, dentists do not have the time to evaluate every patient prior to patient’s prophylaxis treatment to state whether the patient is periodontal Type I.  I assume if dental assistants were scaling teeth that someone (the dentist or hygienist) would have to determine the periodontal status of each patient prior to his or her appointment; even at a six-month recall due to changes in the patient’s health. 

Why are dentists worried about the shortage of hygienist in the state of Virginia?  There are several hygienists throughout the state who are working either part-time or working in another field due to a shortage of dentist in the area.  What is the true ratio: dentist to hygienist in the state of Virginia??  If access to care is an issue, then we need another health care provider who can treat the uninsured patient with high standards of dental care.  If some dentists were worried about access to care; then those dentist should provide health care to everyone.

Thanks for your consideration,

Kara F. Gobble, CDA, RDH