Virginia’s House Bill 970 lowers our standard of care by letting dental assistants perform teeth scaling. This procedure requires years of advanced training. Most importantly, it strips away patient transparency.

Patients go to the dentist expecting treatment from a licensed professional. They have a fundamental right to know exactly who is in their mouth with sharp instruments. No one should find out after the fact that an assistant did their cleaning.

If offices use assistants to cut costs or fix staffing shortages, they must be legally forced to disclose it upfront. I urge you to advocate for mandatory disclaimers. Give patients the transparency they deserve to make an informed choice.