I am saddened to think that dentists would relegate the use of high speed handpieces to dental assistants whether a certified dental assistant or not.  Do the doctors realize they will be held liable for any injuries to the patient or damage to tooth structure?  Do the assistants realize they will need to carry their own liability insurance?  Yes, they both can be and will be sued.

Use of high speed handpieces cause permanent removal of tooth structure.  So please do not take this bill lightly. What the assistant does with a high speed handpiece will be irreversible.

The dental assistants will still need direct supervision of a dentist.   I realize the goal may be to offer dental care in underserved areas however, the reality is that this puts all citizens of Virginia at risk for poor dental care and injury.

As the hippocratic oath states:  "First do no harm"