I began in dentistry in 1999 as a high school technical center trained dental assistant. After 2 years in that program, I can confidently say that I was no where knowledgeable or ready to do any type of coronal polishing nor supragingival scaling. Most of the class was learning how to do sterilization, hand off instruments to dentists, pour models, clean up rooms properly, become xray certified, and know the dental tooth numbers.  No training on using instruments in the mouth was done. It is now 2026, and so many advances have been made in dentistry to make things easier. But dentistry, is still a skill that needs detailed education and direct oversight to prevent irreparable damage. Not any layman can come off the street and learn the skill of dentistry. There are reasons there are standards, licenses, exams, and background checks to allow us as clinicians to do what we do.

I have never seen a class of doctor undermine a professional clinician, that is supposed to be their colleague for better dental health, in the way that dentists treat dental hygienists. Dental hygienists were created in 1906 because it was noticed by a dentist that disease was extending into the soft tissues of the gum and around the teeth through calcified plaque build up. This was a oral gum disease dentists came to recognize as a source of causing tooth loss. Hygienists were created to treat this for dentists so they could focus on the many other arenas of treating teeth to prevent tooth loss.

Dentists are very, very, busy doctors! Hygienists act as another set of professionally educated eyes. If you eliminate a hygienist from also seeing the unknowing patient that just wants a "supragingival scale" by a dental assistant to get them in and out, that is doing so many a huge disservice and it should be seen as malpractice. Dentists do have control over everything in the dental office, but they rely heavily on their staff for checks and balances. I have temped in settings where dental assistants were felons and were not background checked. They were doing cavitron scaling on patients directed by the dentist to do so because they didnt want to lose their job. I chose to not return to those unethical settings. I believe dental assistants are greatest utilized in coronal polishing of children in respect to hygiene. THIS is where I see this passed bill benefitting, with educating and cleaning our youths teeth.

I know that the money fueling this bill made it pass, but as a body that protects the people of Virginia, you must demand more documentation from practicing Dental Assistants to prevent harm. They should have completed a certified dental assisting  with coronal polishing course, be background checked by an employer, and continue at least 5 hrs of education a year on gum disease. I am seeing in clinical settings, dentists do not care who they hire, they just want someone to do the work so they get the money. The dentist is the one who benefits. Not the patient.  We need more hygienists trained, thus schools should be allowed to double their class load. Assistants need to be regulated too. Please mandate more checks and balances to keep the scale from tipping to one side.