Any patient who has their teeth cleaning performed by a Dental Assistant is being charged for a cleaning that is priced for a Licensed Dental Hygienist to do. The dentists is pocketing the full price and charging the patient for a half quality polish. If your dental office has a dental assistant doing the cleanings - run and find an office that gives you care from a licensed dental hygienist who has to submit to yearly education and background checks. Dental assistants are not licensed and if you call the Dental Board in Virginia youll find out the truth. Do not trust the dentists anymore. They dont care about the patients anymore.