Over the past 35 years of practice in Virginia , I have had 2 dental assistants that I would have permitted to use a high speed handpiece to replace/adjust a restoration in my mouth. Back in the day, there were no DA II's, just very experienced and well trained DA's, a couple of whom worked for me, I would be very comfortable letting them do what 1st year dental students do under supervision.

General dentistry,  along with family practice medicine, is not rocket science. As Dr. Elmer Bear, head of oral surgery at MCV used to say, "I could train a monkey to pull teeth. I've been doing it for over 30 years", obviously referring to undergraduate dental students.

Dentists are way too uptight about their training and credentials. Let's face it: dental school is no more than a trade school, as is medicine . Well trained auxillaries can be just as competent in performing the manual skills of of dentistry, with the caveat of he supervision and  diagnostic skills of an experienced, licensed dentist.