I do not support this proposal! Our level of education, skill and overall committment to provide quality dental hygiene care and services to the community  have been instrumental especially given the recent studies supporting the importance of dental health as a crutial factor to the patients medical health. This proposal is not a solution to providing access to dental hygiene services.  It mearly gives an outlet  to increase "production" a.k.a "prophy mills" and decrease the standard of care.  We have come along way from patients believing that as long as the stain is off , they had a cleaning--or have we?  Dental hygiene appointments encompass much more. Ask the oral surgeons, endodontists, periodontists  and orthodontists who  treat our patients after the hygienist provides vital information  which allows the dentist to perform a thorough and complete examination. Primary care, cardiologists, OBGYN's,oncologists and other specialists recognize the medical implications of caries and gum disease as it relates to our mutual patients.  ANYONE with less than the highest standard of training and knowledge in their field  compromises the quality of care not only to the public but to the practice of  dental hygiene ,dentistry and all disciplines of medicine!! THE TEETH THAT ACCUMULATE SUPRAGINGIVAL CALCULUS HAVE A HIGHLY COMPLEX  INTERRELATED BODY ATTACHED TO IT!!  Those who are in support of  the proposal, in my view, will be contributing substandard care-with a much riskier cost to ALL!