I strongly vote NO to scaling for dental assistants.  I feel as though this would decresae the standard of care in Virginia for patients.  It would decrease the level of training and prestige associated with dental hygienists in the patients' eyes.  I feel as though this would be detrimental to the progression of dental care in the state.

I also believe that patients would become confused, not understanding why hygienists are no longer exclusively associated with these services.  Patients would not receive the same level of scaling and root planing care due to decreased training and knowledge.  The level of education and training associated with the hygiene profession would be underminded and exceedingly cut in value by allowing dental assistants with expanded duties to perform these services.

I strongly urge you to not allow assistants to perform these duties.  Scaling, both supragingival and subgingival, should be limited to hygiene professionals who have received due training and specialized education for this field of study.