To amend regulations pertaining to requirements for dental assistants II to add another pathway for registration.

The petition will be published on July 29, 2013 in the Register of Regulations and also posted on the Virginia Regulatory Townhall at www.townhall.virginia.gov to receive public comment ending August 28, 2013.  The request to amend regulations and any comments for or against the petition will be considered by the Board at its meeting scheduled for September 13, 2013

The petition and related comments were considered by the Board at its meeting today.  While the Board declined to initiate a rulemaking process, it has agreed that the education and training requirements for registration of a dental assistant II should be reviewed.  

As was learned during the process of promulgating the initial regulations, there are wide variances in the duties of an "expanded duty dental assistant” among the various states.  For example, the duties that require an expanded duty assistant to obtain additional training and complete an examination in North Carolina may be performed in Virginia by a dental assistant I.  So while the Board has denied the request for rulemaking, it has taken the matter under advisement and referred it to a committee for further consideration.