I began my journey in the dental field as a certified dental assistant with extended duties for many years.  Every doctor I worked for was impressed at my abilities and wanted to see me do more.  Before I entered dental hygiene school I would have agreed that they should be allowed, because they are capable and it is a cheap and easy way out. My doctor even suggested I should be allowed to scale because it is so easy and he knew I was capable.  However, it isn't that easy and  patients deserve more!  They deserve to have a fully educated and professional dental hygienist. 

I am now in my first semester in a rigourous dental hygiene program and I am astonished at how complicated the correct technique of scaling is and how much i didn't know about teeth.  I went to a year long school in California for dental assisting that prepared me for boards too.  Besides scaling requiring much practice to be done correctly, there are important histological depths to the actual art of dental hygiene.  It is not only the act of cleaning but having the education/ science behind why we do what we do and the ability to properly educate patients on their own home care.  There is just too much assistant don't know!