How would "performing scaling functions under the presence of a licensed dentist" optimize dental care for patients, I wonder.  Each dentist would need to spend a lot of extra time with their patients.  Isn't the presence of a dental hygienist ultimately supposed to ease the time and labor burden for dentists by providing well-trained professionals to share the work load effectively and at a cost savings to the public?  If the dentists are supervising each and every one of these procedures, the dentists are therefore not free to "treat the more difficult periodontal patients" as some proponents of this measure seem to think is so very a kind and generous thing to do for the hygienists!  How would this provide cost effectiveness to the public?  As so may have previously commented, this issue presents too slippery a slope to be taken very seriously - I hope!