Dear Members of the Virginia Board of Dentistry

I write to oppose the petition to create a pathway for dental assistants with 5-10 years of experience to take the Certified Restorative Functions Dental Assistant exam and have the employing dentist observe and approve of their capabilities to be a dental assistant II.

It would be a disservice to the patients in the Commonwealth to allow the proposed kind of practice. Those who want to practice as a Dental Assistant II need to be educated in an accredited institution and supervised by unbiased practitioners before being allowed to perform such services on a patient. 

Additionally, the requirements of the Certified Restorative Functions Dental Assistant Exam offered by the Dental Assisting National Board does not address the expanded functions of a dental assistant II as defined by the Virginia Board of Dentistry.  

While I fully support the maximum utilization of allied dental professionals, utilization needs to be done in a way that will ensure the highest quality of care for our patients.  The Board of Dentistry has a duty to protect the citizens of the Commonwealth.  Reducing the educational requirements of a DA II would be a dereliction of duty.  

Respectfully submitted,

Kelly Tanner, Ph.D., RDH, CDA